Coherent breathing: about 5.5 breaths a minute, with a free guided timer

What is coherent breathing?

Coherent breathing has no counting steps beyond one number: breathe in for about 5.5 seconds, then breathe out for about 5.5 seconds, with no pause or hold at either end. That works out to roughly 5.5 breaths a minute, far slower than the 12 to 20 breaths a minute of typical resting breathing.

It is also called resonance breathing, a name that points to why this particular pace was chosen rather than any other slow rate.

What is a resonance frequency, and why does it matter?

The research that established this technique found that each person has a personal breathing rate, close to 6 breaths a minute for most adults, at which breathing produces the largest swings in heart rate. This happens because that pace lines up with the timing of the body's own blood-pressure control reflex, called the baroreflex, so the two reinforce each other instead of working against each other.

That original research, published in 2000, is the foundation for a large body of later work on heart-rate-variability biofeedback, in which people train themselves to breathe at their own resonance frequency, usually with the help of a sensor showing their heart rate in real time. This page's fixed 5.5-second pace is a practical, equipment-free approximation of that personal resonance frequency, since it sits close to where most adults' actual resonance frequency falls.

How to do coherent breathing, step by step

There is only one ratio to hold in mind here: equal parts in and out, with nothing else added.

• Sit upright or lie down, and let your breathing settle for a moment before starting.
• Breathe in slowly through the nose for about 5.5 seconds.
• Breathe out slowly, through the nose or mouth, for about 5.5 seconds, with no pause at the top or bottom of the breath.
• Repeat steadily for 5 to 20 minutes.

Unlike box breathing or 4-7-8 breathing, there is no hold to get used to here; the whole technique is simply pacing the inhale and exhale evenly and slowly.

What did heart-rate-variability research find?

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 24 studies on heart-rate-variability biofeedback, most of it built on slow resonance breathing near 6 breaths a minute, found that the practice was associated with reduced anxiety and depression symptoms and reduced stress, with medium average effect sizes across the studies reviewed.

In a separate study, people with asthma who trained with heart-rate-variability biofeedback at their personal resonance frequency showed improved baroreflex gain, a measure of how well the body's automatic blood-pressure control responds, and better peak expiratory airflow, a lung-function measure, after training.

A broader 2017 review of slow breathing in healthy adults, covering the same 4-to-6-breaths-a-minute range this technique uses, found it associated with higher heart rate variability, better baroreflex sensitivity and more parasympathetic (calming) nervous system activity, and some studies in people with high blood pressure found a measurable drop in blood pressure.

Why does coherent breathing work best as a daily habit?

The heart-rate-variability biofeedback research this technique is based on used repeated training sessions over time, not a single sitting, which is different from the physiological sigh's quick, one-off use. A sensible way to practise is a fixed 5 to 20 minutes at roughly the same time each day, treating it the way you would treat any other daily habit rather than an emergency tool reached for only when already stressed.

Coherent breathing vs box breathing and 4-7-8 breathing

Box breathing, on its own page, adds two equal holds to the same general slow pace, which makes it more structured but harder to sustain for long stretches. 4-7-8 breathing, on its own page, is asymmetric and slower still, built around a long exhale rather than an even in-out rhythm. Coherent breathing is the simplest of the three: no holds, no asymmetry, just a steady, even pace held for longer periods.

Is coherent breathing safe?

Coherent breathing is generally safe for healthy adults practised as described here. Because it involves no holds and no forced breathing, it is one of the gentler techniques on these pages.

Anyone with a diagnosed respiratory or cardiac condition should mention this kind of breathing practice at a routine check, even though it involves no breath-holding.