Ladder Breathing

How to do it

1. Sit comfortably or lie down. Close your eyes if you like and breathe through your nose.
2. Breathe in for 4 seconds, then out for 4 seconds.
3. Next round, breathe in for 5 and out for 5. Add one second to both each round.
4. Keep the inhale and exhale equal, and move straight from one to the other. There is no hold.
5. Climb until a round feels a little challenging but never strained. That is your peak today. If you're new, 4 to 6 seconds is plenty.
6. For the pyramid version, step back down one second per round until you reach your starting count.
7. Let your breath return to its own pace, and notice how you feel.

Benefits

• Calmer in about a minute

  Each rung slows your breathing, from 7.5 breaths a minute at 4 seconds to under 4 at 8 seconds. You'll feel your body settle.

• A count that keeps your mind busy

  The number changes every round, so racing thoughts have nowhere to land. Your attention stays on your breath.

• Gentle, with no breath-holds

  The inhale and exhale stay equal and flow into each other. Nothing is forced, so it suits beginners.

• You always know where you are

  You climb one rung at a time, so you know how far you've come and how far is left.

• Slow breathing raises heart rate variability

  A review of 223 studies found that slow breathing raises heart rate variability, a marker of your rest-and-digest system^[2].

What the research says

No study has tested ladder breathing itself. Breathwork teacher Isabel Tew, who teaches it as Ladder Breath or Sopana Breath, calls it an untraditional practice^[1].

Its support comes from research on slow breathing in general. A 2022 meta-analysis of 223 studies found that voluntary slow breathing raises vagally mediated heart rate variability, a marker of the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) nervous system. The rise showed up during the breathing, right after a single session, and after programs of several sessions^[2].

Ladder breathing changes its pace every round. Whether a changing pace works as well as one steady slow pace is not known.

Other kinds of breathing ladder

• Kettlebell breathing ladders: in strength training, a breathing ladder is a rest protocol. You count recovery breaths between sets of swings, not timed breaths.
• Meditation counting ladders: some teachers count breaths from 1 to 10 and back down, starting over when the mind wanders. That trains concentration; the breath itself doesn't get longer.
• Pyramid breath classes: some breathwork sessions with this name mix fast breathing and long breath-holds. That is a far more intense practice than this gentle ladder.
• Farinelli breathing: the singer's drill climbs the same way, one second per round, and classically adds a suspend between in and out. In Spoon, Farinelli Progressive runs on a timer, holds at its peak and can lengthen the exhale; Ladder Breathing ends with the climb and keeps both phases equal.

Tips

• Start with a small span, like 4 to 6 seconds. Widen it once that feels easy.
• Arrive at each count gently. A breath that ends a little early or late is fine; don't race the number.
• Never pause at the top of the inhale. Turn straight into the exhale.
• On the way down, relax. The shrinking counts are your recovery, not a second test.
• Pick your peak by how you feel today, not by last week's number.
• Breathe through your nose if it's comfortable.

Related exercises

• Farinelli Breathing ExerciseA singer's breath drill: in, suspend, out on one count, one second longer each round.
• Viloma PranayamaBreathe in small sips with short pauses, then let it all go in one long exhale.
• Custom BreathingPick your own seconds to breathe in, hold, breathe out and pause, and let the timer keep the count.