Press one and it is loaded
- Breathing Timer30 × 5-5Five seconds in and five out, thirty times: six breaths a minute, the pace slow breathing research uses, for five minutes.Frontiers in Psychology
- Box Breathing Timer19 × 4-4-4-4Four counts in, held, out and held, nineteen times over: the five minutes Mark Divine asks for at the least.TIME magazine
- 4-7-8 Breathing Timer4 × 4-7-8LoadedIn for four, held for seven, out for eight, four times: the most Dr Weil advises at one sitting in the first month.DrWeil.com
Dr Weil’s 4-7-8 breath, step by step
4-7-8 is Dr Andrew Weil’s exercise, and his 2010 handout for patients gives the steps. Rest the tip of your tongue on the ridge just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there. Breathe out fully through your mouth with a whoosh. Close your mouth and breathe in quietly through your nose for 4. Hold for 7. Whoosh out through your mouth for 8. That is one breath.
The ratio is what matters, he writes, and the absolute time does not. If the hold is hard, go faster and keep 4:7:8; with practice, slow it all down. This timer counts one second per count, so a breath takes 19 seconds, and that second is ours.
He says a little lightheadedness at first is nothing to worry about and will pass. If it does not pass, stop and breathe normally. The authors of a 2025 comparison begin by observing that 4-7-8, like box breathing, is promoted by psychotherapists with little empirical support behind it.
Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine4-7-8 Breath, patient handout by Dr Andrew Weil, February 2010Applied Psychophysiology and BiofeedbackMarchant et al., 2025, Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 50(2):261 to 276, PMID 39864026
The protocol
In through the nose for 4, hold for 7, out through the mouth for 8, at one second a count.
4 breaths, 1:16 in all: the most Weil allows at one time for the first month. The 5 second lead-in is your first whoosh out.
Sit with your back straight. Breathe out around your tongue, and purse your lips slightly if that feels awkward.
This timer sounds a rising tone for each breath in, a falling tone for each breath out and a quiet tap for each hold, has a fullscreen key, and keeps the screen awake where the browser allows; it is free and needs no account. Keep this tab in front, because a browser may pause the sound of a tab you cannot see.
Sessions to try
These are our suggestions. Where one follows a published source, that source is cited under it.
- First month
4 breaths, at least twice a day, on the timer as it loads.
- After a month
Up to 8 breaths, if you wish. Set Breaths to 8 in Edit intervals.
- Quicker
If the 7 second hold is too long, set 3, 5 and 6. It stays close to his ratio with a 14 second breath.
- Slower
8, 14 and 16: the same ratio at half speed, 38 seconds a breath. Try it only once 4-7-8 feels easy.
Common mistakes
Too many breaths too soon. Weil’s limit for the first month is 4 at one time.
Changing one number on its own. When you speed up or slow down, move all three together and keep 4:7:8.
Breathing in through the mouth. The breath in is quiet and through the nose; only the breath out goes through the mouth.
Ignoring lightheadedness that stays. Stop, breathe normally, and try fewer breaths next time.
Questions
Is it normal to feel lightheaded?
Weil writes that some lightheadedness in the first sessions should pass. If it does not, or you feel faint, stop and breathe normally. He advises no more than 4 breaths at a time for the first month.
How often should you do 4-7-8 breathing?
Weil says at least twice a day, with no more than 4 breaths at a time for the first month and up to 8 after that.
Does the timing have to be exact?
No. Weil says the time spent on each phase does not matter and the ratio does. Set faster or slower counts, as long as they keep 4:7:8.
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