The Coherent Breathing Practice: Simple Reset for Calm and Resilience

Building on from my previous post on the breath I want to share a breathing practice that you can use day to day to help bring, and build, calm.

Coherent Breathing, sometimes called resonance breathing, is where you intentionally regulate your breathing rate to about five to six breaths per minute, which is achieved by slowing your breath cycle down to around 12 seconds per breath.

The fundamental practice of slow, rhythmic breathing has roots in ancient traditions like Yogic pranayama, but this specific, modern, science-backed practice was developed in the early 2000s by Stephen Elliott. His research revealed that aligning the breath to this specific rhythm is the key to achieving optimal Autonomic Nervous System balance, bringing about benefits like enhanced Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and overall improved biometrics. It maximises the efficiency of the vagus nerve, stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system (the 'rest and digest’ part of our nervous system), and thereby enhances resilience and overall well-being. The really encouraging finding is that research shows the benefits are cumulative - so by using this practice even just a little, the benefits build over time.

You don’t need to get scientific about the exact timings and ratio though; simply slowing the breath and breathing in a balanced cycle through the nose, if you can, will bring about the calming changes to the body and mind.

Coherent Breathing Practice Guide

To achieve the target of 5 to 6 breaths per minute, you breathe for a total of around 12 seconds per cycle (e.g. 6 seconds in, 6 seconds out). What is comfortable depends on the person and their lung capacity.

1. Get Comfortable - Find a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed. Sit comfortably with your back straight but relaxed, grounding your feet.

2. Set the Flow - Set a timer for your overall intended time (e.g. 10 - 20 minutes). Gently close your mouth and commit to breathing softly through your nose for the entire practice.

3. Inhale Slowly - Breathe in smoothly, using ‘belly breathing’—filling your tummy area and then up into the chest, for a count of FIVE or SIX seconds.

4. Exhale Slowly - Breathe out completely, emptying your lungs, for an equal and count of FIVE or SIX seconds.

5. Maintain the Rhythm - Then breathe in again, continuing this gentle pattern for 5 – 10 minutes. If it feels too strenuous, simply find a comfortable, equal inhale and exhale duration—the rhythm is key.

6. Finish by observing - Finish by letting go of the breathing rhythm and breathe normally for a further 5 - 10 minutes. If/when your mind wanders gently coming back to observing the breath.

This is all about calming the body, so it should not feel forced in any way, just a gentle encouragement to breathe in for 5 or 6 seconds and out for 5 or 6 seconds. Noticing what comes up and meeting it with curiosity, while staying with the breath and flow of the breathing pattern.

To start with I would try breathing in this way without pauses between the in and out breaths and see how that feels. Removing the pauses can feel unusual at first as we often can end up subconsciously holding our breath, so try just getting into the flow of the cycle with no pauses and see how it feels.

You might then experiment by adding a pause between the inhale and exhale and see how that feels. But remember it shouldn't feel forced in any way, just a gentle encouragement to breathe and notice what comes up. Using the breath as an anchor when the mind wanders to come back to the practice.

Changing the ratio, such as trying longer exhales can bring nuance and slightly different effects. For example, I tend to use a 5:5 cycle in the morning (slightly more energising) and a 5:7 in the evening (where the exhale is longer, which gives a more relaxed response).

Try doing it every day for a week. Feel free to share your experience in the comments below.

You can use this animation to time your breathing cycle.

An App to Help

There are lots of apps for mobile phones that can help with the cycle, and many offer different ratios to be set for the inhale and exhale. My favourite is the ‘The Breathing App: Calm Daily’—available for both iOS and Android—which offers the ‘Resonance Breathing’ cycle for free and allows you to change the ratios (other options are available as a premium upgrade but you don’t need them for this practice). If you have a smart watch, you may find that has a breath or mindfulness function that does something similar.

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