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How coherent breathing works ↓

Resonance breathing · 5.5 breaths per minute

Coherent breathing timer (resonance breathing)

Coherent breathing, also called resonance breathing, is smooth and even, with no holds: about 5.5 seconds in and 5.5 seconds out, close to 5.5 breaths per minute. At this pace your heart rate rises and falls in step with your breath. The timer above is set to 5.5 / 5.5.

Start coherent breathing

How to do coherent breathing

  1. Breathe in gently through your nose for 5.5 seconds, filling your belly first.
  2. Breathe out softly for 5.5 seconds, without forcing the air out.
  3. Keep it smooth, with no pauses at the top or bottom. Follow the orb rather than counting.
  4. Continue for 10 to 20 minutes for a full practice, or 5 minutes as a reset.

What happens in your body

Heart-rate swings are largest at around six breaths a minuteA schematic curve: the size of the heart-rate rise and fall with each breath is small at fast breathing rates, peaks at about 5.5 to 6 breaths per minute, and is smaller again at very slow rates. resonance Size of heart-rate swings by breathing rate (schematic) bigger smaller breaths per minute 2468101214
Schematic of resonance: the rise and fall of heart rate with each breath is largest at around 5.5 to 6 breaths a minute in most adults. After Lehrer & Gevirtz (2014).

Your heart and breath line up. Breathing at around six breaths a minute makes your heart-rate rhythm and your breathing rhythm move in step and reinforce each other, which researchers call resonance. It's thought to exercise the baroreflex, the body's blood-pressure stabiliser. A meta-analysis of over 200 studies found that slow breathing reliably raises heart-rate variability, both during practice and after regular training.

9.5 → 11.5blood-pressure reflex sensitivity (ms/mmHg) when prayers and mantras slowed breathing to about 6 a minute
−8.6 mmHgsystolic blood pressure during a 6-breaths-a-minute session in people with high blood pressure

Both are short, single-session lab findings in small groups. They show what happens while you breathe slowly; they don't replace treatment.

Being honest about the evidence

A meta-analysis of 58 controlled studies found that resonance-breathing training had a small-to-moderate benefit, clearest for anxiety and low mood. But the largest placebo-controlled trial, with 400 people, found that coherent breathing for 10 minutes a day reduced stress over four weeks just as much as a faster "placebo" breathing routine. The benefit may come as much from a daily, calm practice as from the exact pace. So pick a rhythm you enjoy and keep doing it.

Want the bigger picture? Read how breathing affects your body and mind: the heart, the nervous system, blood pressure and mood, with illustrations and 20+ studies.

Find your own resonance rate

If you wear a heart-rate or HRV tracker, try sessions at 5, 5.5 and 6 breaths per minute and compare. In Breathcharge, a 6 / 6 pattern gives 5 breaths per minute and 5 / 5 gives 6. The breaths-per-minute figure updates as you adjust. For a calmer variant, lengthen the exhale slightly, for example 5 in and 6 out.

Breathing safely

The slow patterns here are gentle, but holds and deep inhales can make you light-headed. Stop and breathe normally if you feel dizzy. Never practise breath holds in or near water, or while driving. If you are pregnant, or have a heart, lung or seizure condition or panic disorder, check with a clinician first. Breathing exercises can complement medical care but don't replace it.

Questions

What is coherent breathing?

Slow, even breathing at about five to six breaths per minute, with equal inhale and exhale and no holds. It is also called resonance breathing or resonant frequency breathing.

Is coherent breathing the same as resonance breathing?

Essentially yes. Resonance breathing is the term used in HRV biofeedback research; coherent breathing is the popular name for breathing at that rate.

What is the best breathing rate for HRV?

For most adults it is between about 4.5 and 7 breaths per minute, commonly around 5.5 to 6. Taller people and men tend to resonate slightly slower. Your personal rate can be found with an HRV monitor.

Can coherent breathing lower blood pressure?

In lab studies, breathing at about six breaths a minute temporarily lowered blood pressure in people with high blood pressure and strengthened the blood-pressure reflex. It is not a substitute for medical treatment.

How long should a coherent breathing session be?

Ten to twenty minutes is typical for a practice. Five minutes is a useful break during the workday.

Sources