Breathing with a Bowl · 6 a Minute

Breathe in as the crystal bowl swells under the rubbing stick (4 s), breathe out as it fades (6 s): six breaths a minute. In the last minute the bowl falls silent; carry on at your own pace. Follow without forcing, and don't hold your breath.

10 minNo headphones needed

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One-minute samples play in turn; both sounds are matched to the same loudness, so the difference comes from the sound itself, not its volume.

Breathe slowly in time with the sound without forcing it, and don't hold your breath. If you feel dizzy or uneasy, return to normal breathing. If you have epilepsy, are pregnant, or have a heart or breathing condition, talk to your doctor first.

Do not listen while driving or operating machinery.

How is this sound made?

  1. Drone−34 dB

    Drone · A2 (440 Hz tuning), 110 Hz

  2. Bell−22 dB

    Crystal bowl · 220 Hz, 54 strikes

  • Reverb: room, 18% mix

In Stage you can listen to each layer on its own, change its settings and save it as your own recipe.

Sound is generated on this device in real time; no files are downloaded from a server. There is a 4 s fade-in at the start and a 0 min fade-out at the end.

Evidence

B · Moderate evidence

A few controlled studies or meta-analyses; reasonable but limited generalisability.

Guides your breathing down to about six breaths a minute; slow breathing can support a body response linked to relaxation.

Evidence level B: Moderate evidence
What do we know?
In a meta-analysis of 223 studies, voluntary slow breathing increased vagally mediated heart rate variability during breathing, immediately after a session and after multi-session programmes. Biofeedback training that teaches pacing to heart rhythm was also linked to a large reduction in self-reported stress and anxiety.
What don't we know?
The effect comes from slower breathing; no effect of the sound itself has been shown. Some studies used device-based biofeedback; whether pacing with sound alone gives the same result has not been tested separately. Any advantage of searching for a personal breathing rate is outside this claim.
Sources and review note

A slow breathing break can accompany your stress-management routine.

Evidence level B: Moderate evidence
What do we know?
In a meta-analysis of 12 randomised trials, breathwork was linked to a small-to-medium reduction in self-reported stress compared with non-breathwork controls (g = −0.35). Biofeedback-based breathing training also showed a large reduction in stress and anxiety.
What don't we know?
Most studies carry moderate risk of bias and the techniques vary widely; which technique works is unclear. Techniques with fast breathing or breath holding are outside this product's scope. In a meta-analysis of 31 studies, slow-paced breathing raised heart rate variability, but its effect on perceived stress was only borderline (p = 0.06).
Sources and review note

A session's level is the weakest of its linked claims; it is never raised by a strong but unrelated claim.

Similar sounds

  • Breath Pacer · 5 min

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    5 minNo headphones neededEvidence level B: Moderate evidence

    Same collection: Breath Pacing · both steady · same goal: relaxation

    B · Moderate evidence
  • Breath Pacer · 10 min

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    10 minNo headphones neededEvidence level B: Moderate evidence

    Same collection: Breath Pacing · both steady · same goal: relaxation

    B · Moderate evidence
  • Short Break · 3 min

    Warm · slowly evolving · melodic

    3 minNo headphones neededEvidence level B: Moderate evidence

    Same collection: Breath Pacing · both steady · same goal: relaxation

    B · Moderate evidence
  • Balanced Breath · 5/5

    Warm · slowly evolving · melodic

    10 minNo headphones neededEvidence level B: Moderate evidence

    Same collection: Breath Pacing · both steady · same goal: relaxation

    B · Moderate evidence

Keep your device volume comfortable, preferably below 60%. You can also use your device's headphone-safety settings.