Learn to breathe

Short, honest guides to every method in the app — what it is, why it works, how to do it, and when to use it. Start with the fundamentals, then go deep on whichever method fits your goal.

Start here · 6 min read

How breathing actually works

The four things that make a breath calming or energising: where you breathe (nose vs mouth), how fast, how deep, and how long you hold. Understand these and every method below makes sense.

Guides by goal

Breathing for anxiety: what actually works

When anxiety spikes, the fastest reliable lever you have is your exhale. Here's the 3-minute protocol to calm down now, and the daily practice that raises your baseline.

5 min read

Breathing for sleep: a 10-minute wind-down that works

You can't force sleep, but you can make it much more likely. A slow-exhale routine in bed reliably shifts the body from 'alert' to 'drowsy' — here's the exact sequence.

5 min read

Breathing for focus: prime your brain before deep work

Focus isn't a mood — it's an arousal level you can set. Four minutes of box breathing before you start, plus a one-breath reset when you drift, beats willpower every time.

4 min read

Breathing for big moments: interviews, talks, and game time

Ninety seconds of the right breathing turns pre-performance panic back into readiness. The exact sequence to run before you walk in — and the one-breath rescue for mid-moment wobbles.

4 min read

Every method, explained

Health

Diaphragmatic (belly) breathing, explained

The foundational breathing skill: breathe low into the belly using the diaphragm instead of high into the chest. Learn the technique, the science, and the mistakes to avoid.

4 min read
Calm

Coherent (resonant) breathing, explained

Breathing at about 5.5 breaths a minute tunes your heart and breath to their resonance frequency, raising heart-rate variability and producing steady calm. Here is how and why.

4 min read
Health

James Nestor's slow nasal breathing, explained

The core lesson from the book 'Breath': breathe through your nose, slow down to about 5.5 breaths a minute, and breathe a little less. Why these three rules matter.

4 min read
Focus

Box breathing (4-4-4-4), explained

Inhale, hold, exhale, hold — each for four counts. The square pattern used by Navy SEALs to stay calm and focused under pressure. Technique, science and safety.

4 min read
Sleep

4-7-8 breathing, explained

Dr. Andrew Weil's 'relaxing breath': inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8. The long exhale is the active ingredient. How to do it and why it helps you sleep.

4 min read
Calm

Extended-exhale (2:1) breathing, explained

Make the exhale about twice as long as the inhale — for example in for four, out for eight — to down-shift the nervous system fast. No holds, gentle for anxious breathers.

3 min read
Calm

The physiological sigh, explained

Two inhales through the nose followed by one long exhale — the fastest way to calm down, backed by a Stanford study. How it works and when to use it.

3 min read
Balance

Alternate-nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana), explained

A traditional yogic practice: breathe through one nostril at a time, alternating sides, to settle and centre the mind. Step-by-step hand position and timing.

4 min read
Focus

Ujjayi (ocean breath), explained

A soft ocean-like sound made by gently narrowing the throat, used to lengthen and steady the breath in yoga and meditation. How to find the sound and why it focuses the mind.

3 min read
Health

Pursed-lip breathing, explained

Breathe in through the nose, then out slowly through pursed lips, to ease breathlessness and slow a fast breath. A clinically recommended technique, explained simply.

3 min read
Health

The Buteyko method, explained

A method built on breathing less, not more, plus a self-test called the Control Pause. Learn what the Control Pause means, how to measure it, and why gentle reduced breathing helps.

5 min read
Energy

Kapalabhati (breath of fire), explained

A rapid, energising pranayama: short forceful exhales with passive inhales, done in rounds. A natural wake-up — with firm safety limits. How to do it correctly.

4 min read
Energy

The Wim Hof Method breathing, explained

Rounds of deep power breaths, a long exhale breath-hold, then a recovery hold. An intense, energising method — and the safety rules that are not optional. Full walkthrough.

5 min read

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