Spoon

Breathing

Coherent Breathing (Resonance Breathing)

Five seconds in, five seconds out, no holds. An even breath that steadies your heart and clears your head.

Also called: Resonance breathing, Resonant frequency breathing, HRV breathing, Six breaths a minute, 0.1 Hz breathing

Coherent breathing is slow, even breathing at about six breaths a minute: about 5 seconds in and 5 seconds out, with no pauses. Author and engineer Stephen Elliott gave it its name, building on research into heart rate variability.

At this pace your heart rate rises and falls with each breath in large, smooth waves. Within a few minutes you feel steady and calm, with a clear head rather than a sleepy one.

Pattern
In 5 s, out 5 s, no holds (about 6 breaths a minute)
Session
5 to 20 minutes; 5 is a good start
Good for
Everyday calm, before or after stress, heart rate variability practice, a gentle wind-down
Level
Beginner
Origin
Stephen Elliott, author of The New Science of Breath (2005), building on heart rate variability research[1][2]
Needs
iPhone or Apple Watch

Try it now

Breathe in 5 s · Breathe out 5 s

Follow the circle for a few rounds. In Spoon you can do it from your wrist and see your heart rate respond.

How to do it

  1. Sit upright or lie down. Let your shoulders drop, and breathe through your nose if it is comfortable.
  2. Breathe in gently for about 5 seconds, letting the breath fill you smoothly.
  3. Without pausing, breathe out for about 5 seconds, just as gently.
  4. Turn straight into the next breath in. No hold at the top or the bottom.
  5. Keep each breath a comfortable size. Pace and evenness matter, not depth.
  6. Follow a pacer, a tone or a bell rather than counting in your head.
  7. Continue for 5 to 20 minutes, then let your breathing return to normal.

Benefits

  • Calm within a few minutes

    Across 15 studies, breathing slower than 10 breaths a minute went with more comfort and relaxation and less anxiety and arousal[5].

  • A bigger, smoother heart rhythm

    Near six breaths a minute, your breathing lines up with your blood-pressure reflex, so your heart rate swings up and down in large, even waves[3].

  • Clear-headed, not drowsy

    People in slow-breathing studies also reported more alertness and vigor[5]. It works at your desk as well as at bedtime.

  • Easy from day one

    There are no holds and nothing to strain. If you can breathe slowly, you can do it today.

What the research says

The mechanism behind coherent breathing is well studied. At about 0.1 Hz, six breaths a minute, breathing lines up with the baroreflex, the body's blood-pressure control loop. The two rhythms reinforce each other, and heart rate rises and falls with each breath far more than usual[3]. That is the basis of heart rate variability biofeedback.

A 2022 meta-analysis pooling 223 studies found that voluntary slow breathing raised vagally mediated heart rate variability during the breathing, with smaller increases right after a single session and after multi-session programs[4]. A 2018 systematic review of 15 studies linked slow breathing to higher heart rate variability, more alpha brain activity, and reports of more comfort, relaxation and alertness, with less anxiety, anger and confusion[5].

An older clue comes from prayer. In a 2001 BMJ study, reciting the rosary or a yoga mantra slowed healthy adults' breathing to about six breaths a minute and raised heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity[6].

This research tests slow breathing at this pace in general, not Elliott's branded method as such[4][5].

What pace is right for you?

The pace at which your heart rate swings most, your resonance frequency, differs a little from person to person. In biofeedback research it sits close to six breaths a minute, with an average nearer 5.5, and taller people and men tend to resonate a little slower[3].

The 5.5 figure (5.5 seconds in, 5.5 out) was popularized by James Nestor's 2020 book Breath[7]. Start at 5 and 5. If that feels rushed, try 5.5 or 6 seconds each way and keep the pace that feels smoothest. With an Apple Watch, Spoon's Find Your Pace finds the slow pace that calms your heart the most today, and keeps you there.

Coherent breathing vs cardiac coherence 365

They share the same slow pace. Coherent breathing is one open-ended session at a pace you can tune. Cardiac coherence 365 fixes the pace at 5 seconds in and 5 out and makes it a routine: 3 times a day, 6 breaths a minute, 5 minutes each.

Tips

  • Breathe smaller, not bigger. Filling up on every breath for minutes can leave you lightheaded or tingly.
  • Let the turn from in to out be soft and round, with no pause and no snap.
  • Use a pacer. Silent counting drifts after a minute or two.
  • Short and regular works: 5 minutes in the morning and 5 in the evening is an easy start.

Safety

  • Coherent breathing is gentle: no holds and no force.
  • If your lips or fingers tingle, breathe smaller rather than slower.
  • Stop and breathe normally if you feel dizzy, get chest pain, or feel unwell.
  • If you have a heart rhythm condition, uncontrolled blood pressure or a lung condition, check with your doctor before starting a daily practice.

Coherent Breathing in Spoon

Spoon's Coherent Breathing starts at 5 seconds in and 5 out, for 5 minutes. On iPhone you follow a breathing bubble or a wave, your choice; on Apple Watch, a breathing circle. A soft breath sound and a tap from your Watch mark each turn.

Turn on the voice (iPhone only) and Spoon coaches the rhythm in English or Spanish, with lines like “In, like the tide.” and “Keep the breath light.” With an Apple Watch you see your heart rate live, and after the session one chart shows your breath and your heart rate together, so you see what the session did to your heart.

  • Default: 5 s in, 5 s out, for 5 minutes (6 breaths a minute).
  • Set each phase anywhere from 3 to 10 seconds, in half-second steps.
  • Sessions of 1, 3, 5, 10 or 15 minutes.
  • Optional voice coaching on iPhone, written for this exercise, in English and Spanish.
  • Watch taps on every inhale and exhale.
  • Works in playlists, for example before 4-7-8 Sleep at bedtime.
Join the betaSee every exercise

Free public beta for iPhone and Apple Watch.

Questions

How long should you do coherent breathing?

Five minutes is a good start, and teachers commonly suggest 5 to 20. You will feel steadier within the first few minutes. Short, regular sessions, once or twice a day, are easier to keep than one long one.

Is 5.5 or 6 breaths a minute better?

Either is a fine place to start. The pace at which your heart rate swings most differs from person to person and sits close to six breaths a minute, often a little slower. Try 5 seconds in and 5 out, then 5.5 or 6 each way, and keep the one that feels smoothest.

How is coherent breathing different from box breathing?

Coherent breathing has two equal phases and no holds, so it flows like a wave. Box breathing adds a hold after the inhale and after the exhale, four equal sides. Coherent breathing is the softer, more continuous of the two; box gives your attention a firmer structure.

Does coherent breathing increase heart rate variability?

Yes, while you do it. Breathing near six breaths a minute makes your heart rate rise and fall more with each breath, which is what heart rate variability measures. Studies also found smaller increases right after a session and after programs of several sessions.

When is the best time to do coherent breathing?

Whenever you want to feel steadier: on waking, before a stressful meeting, after a hard conversation, or as a wind-down at night. It leaves you calm and clear, so it works at your desk as well as at bedtime.

Sources

  1. Elliott S. Stephen Elliott. Coherent Breathing (CoherentBreathing.com). coherentbreathing.com
  2. Elliott SB. The New Science of Breath: Coherent Breathing for Health, Well-Being, Performance and Longevity. Coherence LLC, 2005. newscienceofbreath.com
  3. Lehrer PM, Gevirtz R. Heart rate variability biofeedback: how and why does it work? Frontiers in Psychology, 2014. frontiersin.org
  4. Laborde S, Allen MS, Borges U, et al. Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: A systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 2022. sciencedirect.com
  5. Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, et al. How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2018. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  6. Bernardi L, Sleight P, et al. Effect of rosary prayer and yoga mantras on autonomic cardiovascular rhythms: comparative study. BMJ, 2001. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  7. Nestor J. Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. Riverhead Books, 2020. mrjamesnestor.com

Updated October 2026. This page is for education, not medical advice. If you have a heart, lung or blood pressure condition, epilepsy, or you are pregnant, ask your doctor before you start a breathing practice with holds or fast breathing.