Breathing guide
Follow the circle: breathe in as it grows, hold while it stays, breathe out as it shrinks. Pick a pattern and press Start.
Pattern
Stop after
If you feel dizzy, light-headed or short of breath, stop and breathe normally. Skip the holds if you are pregnant or have a heart or lung condition, unless your doctor says they are fine.
Runs on your phone. Nothing is uploaded or saved. Spoken cues use your device's own voices.
What slow breathing can and can't do
A 2018 review of 15 studies in healthy adults found that breathing at 10 breaths a minute or slower raised heart rate variability (a sign the body's "rest" system is active) and went with feeling more relaxed and less anxious. The studies were small and short, so the evidence is promising, not proven.
In, hold, out, hold, four counts each: about 4 breaths a minute. In a one-month study of about 100 adults, five minutes a day of breathing exercises, box breathing among them, lifted mood a little more than mindfulness meditation did.
A practice made popular by the US doctor Andrew Weil, based on yoga breathing. Many people find the long breath out calming, but only a few small studies have looked at it. It is a relaxation habit, not a proven treatment for sleep problems or anxiety. Start with 4 rounds.
Five seconds in, five out: 6 breaths a minute, close to the pace at which heart rate rises and falls most with each breath in many people. There is nothing to hold, so it suits beginners best.
Sources: Zaccaro A. et al. (2018), "How breath-control can change your life: a systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing", Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 12:353 (15 studies, slow breathing defined as 10 breaths a minute or fewer; the authors note small samples and no randomised trials). Balban M.Y. et al. (2023), "Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal", Cell Reports Medicine 4(1):100895 (a one-month randomised study comparing cyclic sighing, box breathing, cyclic hyperventilation and mindfulness meditation). Vierra J. et al. (2022), "Effects of sleep deprivation and 4-7-8 breathing control on heart rate variability, blood pressure, blood glucose, and endothelial function in healthy young adults", Physiological Reports 10(13):e15389 (a small study). 4-7-8 as described by Dr Andrew Weil. Normal adult resting breathing rate (12 to 18 a minute): Cleveland Clinic, "Vital signs". This guide is for relaxation only. It is not medical advice and does not treat any condition.