Breathing guides / Coherent breathing
Coherent breathing
Coherent breathing is slow, even breathing with no holds: breathe in and out for the same count. You choose the count. Resonance breathing is coherent breathing at one fixed pace, 5.5 seconds in and 5.5 out.
The counts
| Pace | In | Out | Breaths a minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coherent, where Pulmonaut starts | 4 s | 4 s | 7.5 |
| Coherent, slowest in Pulmonaut | 12 s | 12 s | 2.5 |
| Resonance, always | 5.5 s | 5.5 s | About 5.5 |
These are starting points. Pick the count that feels slow and easy, and keep in and out equal. So coherent is the method, and resonance is one setting of it. Coherent can run faster or slower than resonance; resonance never changes.
How to do coherent breathing
- Sit or lie down, whichever is easier.
- Breathe in through your nose for 4.
- Breathe out through your nose for 4.
- Keep going for 4 minutes, 30 breaths.
- When 4 and 4 feels easy, slow down a second at a time. At 5 and 5 or 6 and 6 you're close to the resonance pace.
Keep the breaths soft. Slow doesn't mean big: if you start to feel light-headed, you're breathing too deeply.
Posture
Sit upright or lie on your back, whichever is easier. With no holds, you can also do it walking slowly.
Who it suits
Coherent breathing suits a restless or tense day: no holds, no counting to remember, one even rhythm you can keep for a long time.
What the research says
Slow breathing raises heart rate variability, a measure of how flexibly your heart responds, during practice, right after, and over weeks of practice. A review of 223 studies found the same direction at every point (Laborde et al., 2022).
In a single session with 84 students, breathing at 6 a minute raised heart rate variability more than box or 4-7-8 breathing. It also lowered carbon dioxide slightly, a mild sign of breathing too much (Marchant et al., 2025).
A review of 15 studies linked breathing under 10 breaths a minute with feeling more relaxed and less anxious. The studies were small (Zaccaro et al., 2018).
Practice it in Pulmonaut
Coherent Breathing is free in Pulmonaut. You set each breath from 4 to 12 seconds and the length from 3 to 30 minutes. Resonance Breathing, for members, holds the pace at exactly 5.5 and 5.5.
Questions
What's the difference between coherent and resonance breathing?
Resonance is coherent breathing at one fixed pace: 5.5 seconds in and 5.5 out. Coherent lets you choose the pace, faster or slower than that.
What is the best pace for coherent breathing?
Most studies sit near 6 breaths a minute, close to the resonance pace. Start faster if that feels like a strain.
Do I breathe through my nose?
Yes, in and out, if you can.
By The Pulmonaut team. Published October 14, 2026. Last checked October 14, 2026.