Breath Meditation Guide
Our breath is always with us. It grounds us in distress, stills us in meditation, feeds us in activity. Choose how long, press Begin, and follow the guide.
Last minute
In for four seconds, hold for two, out for eight, hold for two.
Breathe in for 5 and out for 5, with no pause. That is 6 slow breaths a minute. At this pace, your breathing and your heartbeat fall into step. In many studies, it lowered blood pressure and helped the heart relax.
Shao, Man and Lee, Mindfulness, 2024: a review of 31 studies.
Breathe in, hold, breathe out, hold, each for 4. The four equal sides make a box. Soldiers and first responders use it to stay calm and clear under stress. In one study, people who did it for 5 minutes a day for a month felt better.
Breathe in for 4 and out for 8, with a short pause after each. Your heart slows down a little every time you breathe out, so a long out-breath helps your body rest. One study found it made the heart's calming signal stronger.
This is the cyclic sigh. Take a double inhale through your nose: a full breath in, then one more short sip of air on top. Then let it all out slowly through your mouth. It is the same double breath your body takes when you sigh on your own. In one study, 5 minutes a day for a month lifted people's mood more than meditation did.
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