Coherent breathing, also called resonance breathing, slows you to about five to six breaths a minute: roughly 5.5 seconds in and 5.5 seconds out, with no holds. It’s the pace at which heart-rate variability tends to be highest (Lehrer and Gevirtz, 2014), and in one small study it left people in a more positive mood than sitting quietly (Steffen and colleagues, 2017). Follow the circle below.
Sit comfortably and keep your breath gentle, not deep. Breathe in through your nose as the circle grows and out as it shrinks. There are no holds; the breath simply turns around.
Five minutes is a common starting session; one study used fifteen. If 5.5 seconds feels too slow at first, breathe a little faster and slow down over a minute or two. The most common mistake is breathing too deeply: big breaths at a slow pace can leave you lightheaded or tingly. If that happens, take smaller breaths or stop.
At around six breaths a minute, your breathing and your heart-rate rhythm tend to line up, and heart-rate variability rises. Lehrer and Gevirtz (2014) describe this as a resonance effect of the baroreflex, the system that keeps blood pressure steady. Everyone’s exact resonance pace differs a little, usually between 4.5 and 7 breaths a minute and most often near 5.5 (Steffen and colleagues, 2017). This timer uses 5.5 as a sensible default rather than measuring yours.
In a small randomized study, students who breathed at their resonance pace for 15 minutes reported a more positive mood afterwards than students who sat quietly (Steffen and colleagues, 2017). A 2025 comparison found that six breaths a minute raised heart-rate variability more than box or 4-7-8 breathing, though no pattern changed mood in a single session (Marchant and colleagues). These are short studies in healthy young adults, so treat coherent breathing as a pacing practice, not a treatment.
| Pattern | Rhythm | Breath holds | Often used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-7-8 breathing | In 4, hold 7, out 8 | Yes, one long | Winding down before sleep |
| Box breathing | 4-4-4-4 | Yes, two short | A steady, even rhythm |
| Coherent breathing | About 5.5 s in, 5.5 s out | No | Longer, steady sessions |
| Physiological sigh | Two inhales, one long exhale | No | A quick reset, or 5 minutes a day |
If breath holds feel uncomfortable, try one of the two patterns without holds.
Coherent breathing is slow, even breathing at about five to six breaths a minute, roughly 5.5 seconds in and 5.5 seconds out, with no pauses. It’s the pace at which heart-rate variability tends to peak.
Five minutes is a common place to start; one study used 15-minute sessions. There’s no required length, so do what feels comfortable.
Nearly. Resonance breathing means breathing at your personal resonance pace, which clinicians find with heart-rate equipment. Coherent breathing usually means a fixed pace close to it, about five to six breaths a minute, like this timer.
It’s a gentle practice, but slow breathing can tip into over-breathing. Keep the breaths small: breathing too deeply at a slow pace can make you lightheaded or tingly, and if that happens, stop. If you have a heart or lung condition or are pregnant, check with a clinician first.