Seven patterns, one timer
Open the timerHow it works
-
Pick a pattern
Deep Sleep for the evening, Focus & Grounding before work, Cyclic Sighing when the day gets on top of you.
-
Follow the circle
It grows as you breathe in and shrinks as you breathe out, with a soft tone at each change, so your eyes can close.
-
Three sessions free
Nothing to sign up to. Then $10 a month or $100 a year, three days free first.
Start from where you are
After three free sessions
Keep the timer going.
After three free sessions, one plan keeps the timer open on every device, with the tools below: $10 a month or $100 a year, three days free first.
One free trial per person. Cancel any time from your account page.
- Night modeThe timer and the guides dim with you
- SoundscapesRain, ocean, forest and three more
- Your patternSet your own counts, save, share
- Your streakTwelve weeks at a glance
- Unlimited sessions · no ads anywhere
What the evidence says
Read the research, with its limitsFive minutes a day of breathwork, especially exhale-focused cyclic sighing, improved mood and lowered breathing rate more than the same five minutes of mindfulness meditation over one month.
Balban and colleagues, Cell Reports Medicine, 2023. One remote randomised trial of 108 people.
Slow breathing does measurable things while you do it: heart rate variability rises, blood pressure eases a little, and the nervous system leans towards rest. How far that carries between sessions is still an open question, because few trials follow people for long.
None of this is medical care. The science page walks through the studies one by one, and the about page says who wrote it and why.
Before you start, and common questions
Who should be careful
Patterns that hold the breath or speed it up are not right for everyone. Ask a clinician first if you are pregnant, or if you live with a heart condition, uncontrolled high blood pressure, epilepsy or another seizure disorder, asthma, COPD or another respiratory condition, glaucoma, or if you have had surgery recently. If you live with panic attacks, breath-holds can reproduce sensations you would rather not invite; the patterns without holds, extended exhale, cyclic sighing and heart coherence, are the safer starting point. Practise sitting or lying down, never while driving, cycling or in water. Stop if you feel dizzy, tingly, short of breath or simply unwell. This site is not medical care and does not replace it; the full wording is in the medical disclaimer.
What is the 4-7-8 breathing pattern?
Breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold for seven, then breathe out through your mouth for eight. The timer counts it for you and can play a soft tone at each change. The seven-second hold is the part to shorten or skip if it feels like a struggle.
How does box breathing work?
Four equal counts: breathe in for four seconds, hold for four, breathe out for four, then stay empty for four. It repeats for as long as your session lasts.
Do I need an account, and does it cost anything?
Not for your first three sessions. They run with nothing to sign in to, and your settings and session history stay in your own browser. After three sessions the timer is part of one plan, $10 a month or $100 a year, which starts with a three-day free trial and needs an account and a card. The plan also covers the tools around the practice: your own patterns, saved presets, streaks, soundscapes, night mode and no ads. The pages for anxious moments and panic attacks are outside all of this and run the full timer for anyone.
Is this safe for everyone?
No. Read the caution above before you choose a pattern with a hold or with fast breathing. If you are unsure, start with extended exhale or cyclic sighing, neither of which holds the breath.