Breathing exercise
Follow the circle: in as it grows, out as it shrinks.
Breathe in 5s · Breathe out 5s
A relaxation exercise, not medical treatment. Stop if you feel dizzy, and breathe normally.
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This tool runs entirely in your browser. What you type, play or record here stays on your device: nothing is uploaded or saved on a server.
Example
Example: box breathing for 3 minutes in the car park before a driving test
Twenty minutes before her driving test, Priya sits in the parked car and wants something to do with her nerves. Settings: Pattern Box breathing 4-4-4-4, Session length 3 min, Soft sound cues on. Before she presses Start, the circle shows 4 · 4 · 4 · 4, with Time left 3:12 and Breaths 0 / 12 under it.
- One box breath is 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 16 seconds, so 3 minutes is not a whole number of breaths: 11 make 2:56, and the twelfth is finished rather than cut off. Hence Time left starts at 3:12.
- The circle grows for 4 seconds (Breathe in), stays full for 4 (Hold), shrinks for 4 (Breathe out) and stays small for 4 (Hold). The big number counts down 4, 3, 2, 1 in each phase.
- With the sound on, a rising tone starts each in-breath, a falling one each out-breath and a very soft tick each hold, so she can follow with her eyes closed.
- Breaths counts the ones finished: one minute in, it reads 3 / 12, in the last hold of the fourth breath.
| Time since Start | In the circle | Time left | Breaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00 | Breathe in, 4 | 3:12 | 0 / 12 |
| 0:04 | Hold, 4 | 3:08 | 0 / 12 |
| 0:08 | Breathe out, 4 | 3:04 | 0 / 12 |
| 0:12 | Hold, 4 | 3:00 | 0 / 12 |
| 0:16 | Breathe in, 4 | 2:56 | 1 / 12 |
| 1:00 | Hold, 4 | 2:12 | 3 / 12 |
| 3:12 | Well done — session complete | 0:00 | 12 / 12 |
Twelve slow breaths in 3 minutes 12 seconds, ending with a soft two-note chime. If holding on empty lungs feels uncomfortable, choose Custom and set Hold after breathing out to 0: 4-4-4-0 is a 12-second breath, 15 breaths in exactly 3:00. A calming exercise, not a treatment.
How it works
- Choose a pattern — 4-7-8 to relax, box breathing to steady yourself, 5-5 coherence for a calm rhythm — and how many minutes.
- Press Start and follow the circle: breathe in while it grows, hold while it stays, breathe out while it shrinks. The seconds count down in the middle.
- Keep the sound cues on to follow with your eyes closed; the session ends with a soft chime.
Frequently asked questions
- Which pattern should I choose?
- Coherence 5-5 (six breaths a minute) is the gentlest and good for a few minutes a day. 4-7-8 slows you down before sleep. Box breathing 4-4-4-4 is used to steady yourself under stress.
- Should I breathe through my nose?
- Usually in through the nose and out through the mouth or nose, slowly and without forcing. Comfort matters more than exact counts.
- How long should a session last?
- Three to five minutes is plenty to feel calmer; the session finishes the breath in progress when the time is up.
- What if I feel dizzy?
- Stop and breathe normally. Long holds are not for everyone — choose coherence 5-5, which has no hold, or a custom pattern with shorter counts. If you have a heart or lung condition, ask your doctor first.
- Why does a 3-minute session take 3:12?
- A session is made of whole breaths: when the time is up, the breath in progress is finished. Box breathing is 16 seconds a breath, so 3 minutes becomes 12 breaths and 3:12; 4-7-8 (19 seconds) becomes 10 breaths and 3:10. Coherence 5-5 fits exactly: 18 breaths in 3:00.
- Does the screen stay on during a session?
- Yes, where the browser allows it: the page asks to keep the screen awake while a session runs and lets it sleep again when the session ends or you press Stop.
- Is anything recorded?
- No. The guide runs in your browser; it doesn’t use the microphone or send anything anywhere.