How it works
Nothing to learn and nothing to set up. The timer counts, cues and keeps time; you breathe.
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Pick a pattern
Deep Sleep for the evening, Focus & Grounding before work, Cyclic Sighing when the day gets on top of you.
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Follow the circle
It grows on the in-breath and shrinks on the out-breath, with a soft tone and a pulse at each change, so your eyes can close.
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Three sessions free, then one plan
Try it three times with nothing to sign up to. Keep going for $10 a month or $100 a year, three days free first.
Seven patterns, one timer
Each one has its own page with the counts, what it is for, and who should leave it alone. Open the timer to run any of them.
A slow in-breath, a long hold, a longer out-breath. The one people reach for at bedtime.
Focus Focus & Grounding, box In 4 · Hold 4 · Out 4 · Hold 4Four equal counts. Steady, square and easy to keep going through a hard hour.
Everyday calm Heart Coherence In 5 · Out 5Six breaths a minute, no holds. The pace most of the heart rate variability research uses.
Stress Cyclic Sighing In 2 · In 1 · Out 6A double in-breath and a long sigh out. The pattern behind the clearest trial we have.
Anxious moments Extended Exhale In 4 · Out 6The out-breath runs longer than the in-breath, and nothing is held. The gentlest place to start.
A quick reset Quick Calm, triangle In 3 · Hold 3 · Out 3Three counts each way. Short enough for the minute before a call.
Mornings Energizing Breath In 2 · Out 1Fast and rhythmic, for waking up rather than winding down. Read the safety note first.
With the plan Your own pattern Four sliders · A name · A linkSet your own counts, save it as a preset, and share a link that opens anyone's timer already set to it.
Start from where you are
Three short guides for the three reasons people come here, each with the patterns to try and the ones to skip.
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. Some of that carries over between sessions when the practice is daily; how far it carries 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, says what each can and cannot show, and the about page says who wrote it and why.
Everything, one plan.
Your first three sessions are free. After that, one plan covers the timer and the tools around the practice: your own patterns and saved presets, streaks and a twelve-week history, ambient soundscapes, night mode, no ads anywhere, and offline use. Three days free first, with a card on file.
Three days free with a card on file. One free trial per person. Cancel any time.
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.