How to do it here
Press Start. After the three-second “Get ready”, the orb begins to fill:
- Breathe in through your nose for about 2 seconds, until the orb is two thirds full.
- Sip in more: a short second breath through the nose for about 1 second, filling the orb to the top.
- Long breath out through your mouth for about 6 seconds, as the orb slowly shrinks.
Then the next sigh begins right away. There are no holds. The page is set for 5 minutes, the length used in the study that named cyclic sighing, which is about 33 sighs.
Why this page uses the breath sound
The cue is set to Breath sound: an airy sound that brightens as you breathe in and softens into a sigh as you breathe out. It makes the double inhale easy to follow with your eyes closed, because you hear the second, shorter rise. You can switch to the soft swell, chimes or a bowl under Sound.
Keeping it easy
The out-breath does the work, so keep it slow and unforced, like letting air out of a balloon. The pace here is a guide, not a rule. If 9 seconds a breath feels rushed or slow, the Pace slider changes all three steps together. Stop and breathe normally if you feel light-headed.
Cyclic sighing, step by step
| Step | Seconds |
|---|---|
| 1. Breathe in | 2 |
| 2. Sip in more | 1 |
| 3. Long breath out | 6 |
| One breath | 9 |
That is 6.7 breaths a minute at the default pace. The Pace slider stretches or shortens every step by the same amount, so the rhythm stays the same. For other patterns, or your own counts, open the full breathing exercise.