Coherent breathing
Equal breaths, about five seconds each way — roughly six a minute, against the twelve to twenty most of us take 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 resonant-frequency breathing — simply means making the inhale and the exhale the same length, slow enough that you take around six breaths a minute. No holds, no ratios to remember.
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.
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.
How to practise
- Sit upright but unbraced, or lie down. Let the shoulders drop.
- Breathe in through the nose for five seconds as the circle widens.
- Breathe out for five 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 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.