Breathe

Settings

Applies to every session. Stored on this device only.

Sound

You should hear a rising tone, “breathe in”, then two pips. If you hear the tone and pips but no voice, your device has no speech voice installed — the beat will still count for you.

Display
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Movement

We follow your device’s “reduce motion” setting automatically the first time you visit.

Counting

The number on screen and the spoken count always match.

Access

Slide right to make every phase longer, left to make it shorter. Ratios stay the same.

Moon Breathing

In through the left nostril, out through the right. Traditionally cooling.

Intermediate4.6 breaths / minAlso called Chandra bhedana, left-nostril breathing

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The pattern

  1. In through the LEFT nostril4 seconds
  2. Hold, switch hands2 seconds
  3. Out through the RIGHT nostril7 seconds

What it is

A yogic practice in which the in-breath is always taken through the left nostril. In traditional terms the left channel is "chandra", the moon: cooling, quieting, associated with evening. The mirror practice, in on the right, is considered warming.

Is there anything to it physiologically?

Something real is going on, though it is less dramatic than tradition suggests. Nasal airflow naturally alternates between nostrils over a cycle of hours, and several small studies have found modest differences in heart rate and blood pressure between forced left- and right-nostril breathing.

Honestly, a good part of the effect is probably the slow pace and the fact that holding your hand to your face is a strong signal to your brain that you are doing something deliberate. That is not nothing.

When to use it

Evenings, or after something that has left you overheated and agitated. It requires a free hand, so it is not a desk technique.

How to do it without the app

  1. Sit comfortably. Rest your right thumb beside your right nostril and your right ring finger beside your left nostril.
  2. Close the right nostril with your thumb and breathe in through the left for 4 seconds.
  3. Briefly close both and switch fingers.
  4. Release the right nostril and breathe out through it for 7 seconds.
  5. Repeat, always in on the left and out on the right.

Safety

  • Skip if your nose is blocked — forcing airflow through a congested nostril is uncomfortable and pointless.
  • Contains a short hold. If you are pregnant or have a heart condition, simply skip the hold and switch quickly.

What the evidence says

Small studies of unilateral nostril breathing report modest effects on heart rate and blood pressure, with left-nostril breathing generally associated with parasympathetic shifts. Sample sizes are small and blinding is impossible, so treat the specific claims with caution.

A plain-English summary for a general audience, not a systematic review. See the medical disclaimer.

Start 5-minute session
Related

If this one doesn’t suit you

Belly Breathing

The foundation. Four seconds in, six seconds out.

6 breaths / min

Box Breathing

Four equal sides, and nobody at the next desk can tell you are doing it.

3.75 breaths / min

Coherent Breathing

The pace most adults settle into. 5.5 seconds in, 5.5 out.

5.5 breaths / min