Choose a breathing pattern, set your cycles, and follow the guided visual timer. Works instantly — no app download needed.
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Choose a breathing pattern:
Box Breathing
Used by Navy SEALs and athletes to reduce acute stress and sharpen focus.
4s in · 4s hold · 4s out · 4s hold
4-7-8 Breathing
Activates the parasympathetic nervous system — excellent for sleep onset and acute anxiety.
4s in · 7s hold · 8s out
Physiological Sigh
Double inhale through nose, long exhale through mouth. Fastest way to reduce stress in real-time.
2s in · 1s sniff · 8s out
Equal Breathing
Balanced 4-4 rhythm for calm focus. Excellent for meditation entry or daytime calm.
4s in · 4s out
Relaxing Breath
Longer exhale than inhale activates the vagus nerve — ideal for winding down in the evening.
4s in · 6s out
Energising Breath
Short, rapid cycles to increase alertness and oxygen flow. Morning or pre-workout use.
2s in · 2s out · vigorous
Cycles:
Ready
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Select a pattern and press Start
✨ Session complete. Take a moment to notice how you feel. Your nervous system has just been actively regulated. Come back any time you need a reset.
How Breathwork Regulates Your Nervous System
Controlled breathing directly activates the vagus nerve, which runs from the brainstem to the abdomen. Stimulating the vagus nerve shifts the nervous system from sympathetic activation (fight-or-flight) to parasympathetic (rest-and-digest). This reduces cortisol, slows heart rate and reduces subjective anxiety — all in under 5 minutes.
The physiological sigh (double inhale + long exhale) is particularly powerful because the double inhale reinflates collapsed alveoli in the lungs and the extended exhale maximally activates the parasympathetic response. Research from Stanford shows it can reduce stress faster than any other breathing technique.
Yes — breathing exercises have robust evidence for reducing acute anxiety and panic. They work by directly modulating the autonomic nervous system. For generalised anxiety, breathwork is most effective as part of a broader approach including CBT, exercise and sleep. For panic attacks, slow diaphragmatic breathing interrupts the hyperventilation cycle that intensifies panic symptoms.
For general wellbeing: 5 minutes daily is enough to see benefits within 2 weeks. For acute stress: use as needed throughout the day — the physiological sigh takes under 30 seconds and can be done anywhere. The consistency matters more than the duration — daily 3-minute sessions outperform weekly 20-minute sessions for long-term nervous system regulation.
Heart rate speeds up slightly on the inhale (sympathetic activation) and slows on the exhale (parasympathetic activation). By making the exhale longer and more deliberate, you spend more time in the parasympathetic phase — this is why patterns with longer exhales (4-7-8, relaxing breath, physiological sigh) are more calming than those with longer inhales.