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Breathing Library

Six breathing techniques with step-by-step counts and recommended use cases.

Box Breathing

4-4-4-4 · 5 min

Equal-count inhale, hold, exhale, hold. Used by everyone from athletes to first responders to steady the nervous system before a demanding moment.

  1. Inhale through the nose for 4 counts
  2. Hold gently for 4 counts
  3. Exhale through the nose for 4 counts
  4. Hold empty for 4 counts
  5. Repeat for 5 minutes

4-7-8 Breath

4-7-8 · 4 min

A longer exhale than inhale signals safety to the nervous system, making this the practice most people reach for before sleep.

  1. Inhale quietly through the nose for 4 counts
  2. Hold for 7 counts
  3. Exhale fully through the mouth for 8 counts
  4. Repeat for 4 rounds

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Nadi Shodhana · 6 min

A classical balancing technique that alternates airflow between nostrils to even out mental energy — grounding when scattered, lifting when flat.

  1. Close the right nostril, inhale left
  2. Close left, release right, exhale right
  3. Inhale right
  4. Close right, release left, exhale left
  5. That's one round — repeat for 6 minutes

Ocean Breath

Ujjayi · 8 min

A soft constriction at the back of the throat creates an audible, wave-like breath that anchors attention through a full movement sequence.

  1. Inhale through the nose with a slight throat constriction
  2. Exhale through the nose maintaining the same sound
  3. Keep the breath long and even throughout your practice

Belly Breathing

Diaphragmatic · 5 min

The foundation technique. Re-teaches the diaphragm to do the work instead of the shoulders and chest — the fastest way to downshift a racing mind.

  1. One hand on chest, one on belly
  2. Inhale, letting the belly hand rise while the chest hand stays still
  3. Exhale slowly, belly falls
  4. Continue for 5 minutes

Resonant Breathing

5.5 breaths/min · 10 min

Breathing at roughly 5.5 breaths per minute maximizes heart-rate variability — the closest thing to a nervous-system reset button.

  1. Inhale for a slow count of 5–6
  2. Exhale for a slow count of 5–6
  3. No holds — just a smooth, continuous wave
  4. Continue for 10 minutes