Resonance Breathing 

About Resonance Breathing

Resonance breathing (also called 'Coherence breathing') enhances Heart Rate Variability (HRV).  Higher HRV enhances mental, emotional and physical health. Following is a description based on my experience. It will help in develop this pattern of breathing. 

We breathe 12 - 20 breaths per minute (BPM) most of the time. In resonance breathing, we breathe at a much slower rate of 6 BPM for a limited time of up to 20 minutes. We can develop this breathing with practice.

Set the timer to one minute. Breathe in through the nose, to a count of four (about four seconds). Breathe out through the lips, as if blowing through an straw held between your lips, to a count of six (about 6 seconds). Count the breaths on your fingers.

Repeat the trials till you are able to do close to 6 BPM. Then, increase the timer setting in steps of one minute: 12 breaths in 2 minutes, 18 in 3 minutes, 24 in 4 minutes and 30 in 5 minutes.

Practice once a day for 5 minutes. If you like its impact, repeat the 5 minutes. Over a period of few weeks or months, get to 4 repetitions totaling 20 minutes in one session.

Practice once a day, not after a meal but sometime before a meal.

I learned about this breathing from the book “Heart, Breath, Mind” by Leah Lagos Psy.D,

She trains people for peak performance in sports , entertainment and work.

She says that to realize the full benefits of this breathing one needs to practice twice a day, for 20 minutes.

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My practice of Resonance Breathing 

Combining meditation with resonance breathing is optional. Before I read about 'Resonance breathing' I practiced 'Counting breaths meditation' followed by gentle Yoga stretching. Now I practice alternate nostril breathing as taught in Yoga combined with mantra chanting and resonance breathing - three-in-one!  Then I practice gentle yoga stretching. 

We can use some apps to train for the slower pattern of resonance breathing. Some of them are free. You have to buy the others. I have been using the free app called awesome breathing. 

I have been practicing resonance breathing every morning for more than a year. I sit cross legged on the carpet and practice for 5 minutes. I keep my eyes focused on the expanding and contracting blue band circle. After a few months of practice I practiced with eyes closed  and followed the ping sound at the end of inhales and exhales. 

I have combined resonance breathing and Alternate nostril breathing. 

Then, I continue sitting in the same posture and meditate for a few minutes. In this meditation, I keep watching my mind without trying to change anything.

Breath and body sensations, my favorite mantra or random thoughts enter and exit my mind.

I don't try to avoid them or follow them. I don't change my posture or move my arms or legs in spite of the discomfort or temptation. I don't engage with any of  the thoughts.  None of these, the body discomforts or thoughts stays  long in my mind nor torments me. They appear, stay for a few seconds. When the next one enters my mind the previous one disappears. If any of them persist, I divert my mind to breath sensations or chanting, to let them pass. 

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Procedure to set up the app in smart phone

As explained above, there are many apps for this purpose. Some are free and others, you need to buy. Following is a step by step procedure to use the  awesome breathing which I have been using for more than an year. 

Go to the app store in your phone. 

Click on the magnifier at the bottom right hand corner to open the Search box. 

Enter "awesome breathing". You will see this app in the list of apps. 

Download this app and  open it. You will see the next screen with a blue band circle. 

In this screen, click on the gear icon for settings. 

Look at the title "Breathing program".

You can see boxes for setting up different breathing programs. Follow the steps below.

'Inhale' box:  Click on the minus and plus to get the 4 in it. 

Inhale hold' box:  Click on the minus till it becomes 0.

'Exhale' box: Click on the minus and plus to get 6 in it. 

Timer duration: Move the slider to get 5 minutes. 

Count down duration:  Move the slider till you get 5 seconds. 

Pacer color theme: Leave it as 'Default' or pick your choice in the drop down menu seen by clicking inside the box. 

Keep the screen on: Set to green.  

Vibration cues: Set to zero (No green).

Starting bell: Activate to green. 

Ending bell: Activate to green. 

Background audio: Set to least value. (No green)

Now, go to the top and click inside the box 'Save program'. You will see a new screen with 'Name ___________'. Enter "4-6 breathing for 5 minutes". 

Now go back the main screen with the blue band circle. Click on the backward arow circle. You will see "Starting in 5".

Click on the green arrow inside the green circle. The number 5 will change to 4, 3, 2, 1. Then the program starts and the blue band circle will expand for 4 seconds and contract for 6 seconds. 

The remaining time will keep on decreasing till it becomes zero in 5 minutes.   

Good luck with 'Resonance Breathing'. You can contact me if you have any questions.  

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