Slow breathing at the right pace can help your body settle, and the pace that works best differs from person to person. Follow the breathing pacer through four slow rhythms, notice how each one feels, and leave with the one that suits you.
Find a quiet spot and sit comfortably. It works on your phone or computer.
Resonance breathing is slow, paced breathing at about 4.5 to 6.5 breaths a minute. At this pace, your heart rate rises as you breathe in and falls as you breathe out, in a smooth, regular wave. Researchers call the exact pace where that wave is largest your resonance frequency. It differs from person to person, which is why this page lets you try several rhythms instead of giving everyone the same one.
The pacer on this page uses four rhythms. In each one, the exhale is a little longer than the inhale: about 40% of the breath in, 60% out.
| Breaths per minute | One breath | Inhale | Exhale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5 | 9.2 s | 3.7 s | 5.5 s |
| 6 | 10 s | 4 s | 6 s |
| 5.5 | 10.9 s | 4.4 s | 6.5 s |
| 5 | 12 s | 4.8 s | 7.2 s |
In your result, these timings are rounded to half a second.
Researchers Paul Lehrer and Evgeny Vaschillo developed a method for finding each person's resonance frequency: the breathing pace at which heart rate rises and falls in step with the breath and heart rate variability peaks. In the lab it's measured with a heart rate sensor and usually falls between about 4.5 and 6.5 breaths per minute.
This page doesn't measure your heart. It uses the same range of paces and asks how each one feels, so your result is a comfortable slow rhythm rather than a measured resonance frequency. Breathing anywhere in this range still gives you the main benefit of slow breathing.
Source: Lehrer et al., 2013, Biofeedback 41(3).
Read more about the science behind Sōma →Not exactly. Measuring it requires a heart rate sensor. This test finds the slow rhythm that feels calmest to you, using the same range of paces researchers test.
It's training with a heart rate sensor that shows, in real time, how your heart rate changes as you breathe. People use it to learn to breathe at their resonance frequency. This page uses the same range of paces, but without a sensor.
In the original research, people practised for 20 minutes twice a day over several weeks. A few minutes a day is a realistic start.
Breathe more shallowly or return to your normal breath. Slow breathing can cause light-headedness if you breathe too deeply.
This isn't a medical service. If you have a respiratory or heart condition, check with your doctor before trying slow breathing exercises. Stop if you feel uncomfortable at any point.