Coherent breathing
Also called equal or gentle breathing — it is the rhythm the timer calls Gentle. Equal breaths in and out, four seconds each way, around half the rate most of us breathe at rest. It is the gentlest place to start, because there is nothing to hold and nothing to count wrong.
What it is
Coherent breathing — sometimes called resonance or equal breathing — simply means making the inhale and the exhale the same length, and slowing both down. No holds, no ratios to remember.
The timer starts you at four seconds each way, which is comfortable for almost everyone. The classic resonance range is a little slower — five or six seconds each way, about six breaths a minute — and it is worth growing into once four feels effortless.
Why this one first
Most breathing patterns ask you to hold your breath or stretch the exhale to a count you are not used to. That effort is the reason people give up in the first minute. Coherent breathing asks for none of it: you slow down, and that is the whole practice.
Slowed to around six breaths a minute, breathing falls into step with the body's own slower rhythms of heart rate and blood pressure regulation. Heart rate variability rises measurably, and most people report feeling steadier within a few minutes. The research here is mostly about short-term effects during and just after a session — worth knowing, and worth not overselling. Four seconds each way gets you most of the way there while you build the habit.
How to practise
- Sit upright but unbraced, or lie down. Let the shoulders drop.
- Breathe in through the nose for four seconds as the circle widens.
- Breathe out for four seconds as it settles. Through the nose or mouth, whichever is easier.
- Keep going for five to ten minutes. If you lose the rhythm, rejoin on the next inhale — there is nothing to restart.
- When four seconds feels easy, let the breaths lengthen a little on their own.
When to use it
It is the good default: before a meeting, after a hard conversation, in the gap between two tasks, or as a way into sleep. If you only ever learn one pattern, learn this one.
Other rhythms
When this feels easy, box breathing adds holds for steadiness under pressure, and 4-7-8 stretches the exhale for winding down.
Breathing exercises are not suitable for everyone. If you feel dizzy or unwell, stop and breathe normally. This is not medical advice — see the terms.