Steady Rhythm
A slow, even rhythm of about six breaths a minute.
For longer, settled practice once slow breathing feels easy.
Evidence: UncertainChoose a length
- Good for
- When you have five to ten quiet minutes and slow breathing already feels comfortable.
- Rhythm
- In 5 · Out 5
- Feel
- Steady
Go gently. This is slower than many people breathe naturally. If it feels like you are short of air, choose the quicker pace or try Even Breath instead.
Want to know why this works?
Breathing at around five to six breaths a minute is often called coherent or resonance breathing. It reliably changes heart-rate rhythms while you do it. Whether this specific pace helps mood more than other slow, guided breathing is still uncertain, so treat it as one comfortable option, not a magic number.
Show breathing science
Breathing at about six breaths a minute reliably changes heart-rate rhythms while you do it. Whether this exact pace helps mood more than other gentle, guided breathing is uncertain: a large placebo-controlled trial found no extra benefit.
Uncertain: Evidence is mixed or doesn't support a specific claim.
Sources
- Laborde S, Allen MS, Borges U, et al. Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: a systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2022;138:104711. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104711 (opens in a new tab)
- Sevoz-Couche C, Laborde S. Heart rate variability and slow-paced breathing: when coherence meets resonance. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2022;135:104576. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104576 (opens in a new tab)
- Fincham GW, Strauss C, Cavanagh K. Effect of coherent breathing on mental health and wellbeing: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Scientific Reports. 2023;13. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-49279-8 (opens in a new tab)
Technical timing
5 s inhale, 5 s exhale (10 s cycle, 6 breaths per minute). Personal 'resonance' rates vary roughly between 4.5 and 7 breaths per minute; this app does not measure yours.