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How equal breathing works ↓

Sama vritti · 4 in · 4 out

Equal breathing timer (sama vritti)

By Simon Inges · Last reviewed against the sources below

Equal breathing means breathing in and out for the same length of time, here 4 seconds each. In yoga it's called sama vritti, Sanskrit for "equal movement". It has no holds and nothing to remember, which makes it the easiest breathing exercise to start with. The timer above is set to 4 / 4.

Start equal breathing

How to do equal breathing

  1. Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds.
  2. Breathe out through your nose for 4 seconds.
  3. Keep both halves the same, smooth and quiet, following the orb.
  4. Slow down over time. When 4 / 4 feels easy, try 5 / 5 or 5.5 / 5.5, which is coherent breathing.

What happens in your body

Lung volume during one breath of equal breathingOver 8 seconds: a 4-second inhale, then a 4-second exhale of the same length. 7.5 breaths a minute. full empty Lung volume during one breath of equal breathing in 4 s out 4 s 8 s per breath · 7.5 breaths/min
One equal breath: 4 seconds in, 4 out. 7.5 breaths a minute, already well below normal resting breathing.

A gentle slow-down. At 7.5 breaths a minute, equal breathing is about half as fast as normal resting breathing. Slow breathing is linked to higher heart-rate variability and to feeling more relaxed, comfortable and alert.

A step towards resonance. Lengthen both halves to about 5.5 seconds and you reach coherent breathing. That's the pace where heart and breath rhythms reinforce each other for most adults, and the most researched breathing rate.

Equal versus long exhale. If you want a stronger calming effect, make the out-breath longer: in an experiment with 30 people, a longer exhale felt more relaxing than an even split. Equal breathing is about steadiness rather than winding down.

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.

Keep exploring

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.

Free equal breathing GIF and video

One breath of equal breathing, looping. Share it, put it in a slide or a post, or play it on a big screen in class.

Download GIF (1.0 MB) Download MP4 (0.2 MB)

Free to use on websites, in classes and on social media under CC BY 4.0. Please credit with a link to this page:

<a href="https://breathcharge.com/equal-breathing">Equal breathing timer</a> by Breathcharge

Questions

What is equal breathing?

Breathing in and out for the same length of time, for example 4 seconds each, with no holds. In yoga it is called sama vritti pranayama.

Is equal breathing good for beginners?

Yes. It is smooth, has no breath holds and is easy to follow, which makes it a good first breathing exercise.

What is the difference between equal and coherent breathing?

Coherent breathing is equal breathing at a specific slow pace, about 5.5 seconds in and 5.5 out. Equal breathing can be done at any pace.

How long should I do equal breathing?

Three to five minutes to start. As it gets easy, slow the pace and practise for ten minutes or more.

Sources