Exercises Breathing
Resonance Breathing
About 6 breaths a minute; a calm rhythm for every day.
Rhythm: 5 in · 5 out
Brings you in tune with your heart rhythm.
How does it help?
At about 6 breaths a minute, your heart rhythm and breathing fall into sync: the heart speeds up a little as you breathe in and slows as you breathe out. As this wave grows, your body switches more easily between stress and rest. The steady pace also gives your mind a calm rhythm.
On screen
On screen, a faint lotus waits for you and takes on colour breath by breath. With the first breath the dot draws the infinity sign (∞) formed by the two green leaves: the left leaf as you breathe in, the right as you breathe out. Then two dots colour mirrored pairs of petals at the same time: up the outer edge to the tip as you breathe in, down the inner edge as you breathe out. The centre petal opens last. The lotus opens a little as you breathe in and gathers as you breathe out. As the lotus completes, the parts drawn first slowly fade; when the dots return there, they are drawn again. Following these soft, unbroken lines, your eyes move in a calm rhythm. At the end all the petals take on colour and glow together.
About the lotus
The lotus rises from the muddy bottom of a pond and opens spotless at the surface; its leaves shed water and dirt. That is why many cultures see it as a symbol of purity and renewal. On screen, each breath draws a petal, and the lotus opens breath by breath.
Safety
Don't force your breath; if you feel dizzy or short of breath, stop and breathe normally.
Research and sources
Where does it come from?
Scientific name: resonance (slow-paced) breathing. Comes from heart rate variability (HRV) research. The UK's NHS also recommends similar slow breathing for stress.
What does research say?
An analysis of 24 studies found that training at this pace clearly reduced stress and anxiety. In a 400-person trial, regular calm breathing also lowered stress and anxiety. A 2025 comparison found 6 breaths a minute had the strongest relaxing effect on body measures.
Sources
- Goessl VC, Curtiss JE, Hofmann SG. The effect of heart rate variability biofeedback training on stress and anxiety: a meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 2017.
doi.org/10.1017/S0033291717001003 - Fincham GW, Strauss C, Cavanagh K. Effect of coherent breathing on mental health and wellbeing: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Scientific Reports, 2023.
doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-49279-8 - Comparing the effects of square, 4-7-8, and 6 breaths-per-minute breathing conditions on heart rate variability, CO2 levels, and mood. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 2025.
doi.org/10.1007/s10484-025-09688-z - NHS — Breathing exercises for stress.
www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/breathing-exercises-for-stress/