Breathe

A guided breathing coach — box, 4-7-8, coherent and custom patterns with a calm animated guide, session history and streaks.

The physiology here is real and specific. An exhale longer than the inhale increases parasympathetic activity through the vagus nerve, which lowers heart rate — an effect measurable within a minute or two. That is why the ratio matters more than the total.

The named patterns differ in purpose. Box breathing, four counts each way, is used in military and emergency training for acute stress. 4-7-8 has a long exhale and suits winding down. Coherent breathing at around five or six breaths a minute targets heart rate variability. None requires belief to work, which is unusual in this area.