Breathing Timer
A quiet, distraction-free pacer with acoustic harmonic bells. Designed to calm your nervous system, restore focus, or wind down for sleep.
Core Techniques & Cadences
Canonical rhythmic archetypes calibrated for distinct autonomic and parasympathetic states:
- Box Breathing(4-4-4-4)Open →
Equalized 4s cycles to restore calm, clear mental fog, and sharpen cognitive focus.
- 4-7-8 Breathing(4-7-8-0)Open →
Dr. Andrew Weil's parasympathetic tranquilizer to decelerate heart rate and ease sleep onset.
- Coherent Breathing(5.5-0-5.5-0)Open →
Resonant 5.5s circular wave aligning cardiovascular Mayer waves to optimize HRV.
- Calming Breath(4-0-6-2)Open →
Extended 6s exhale to engage the vagal brake and dissolve midday tension.
- Physiological Sigh(3-1-6-0)Open →
Stanford double-inhale reflex to reinflate alveoli and halt acute panic in seconds.
- Energizing Breath(6-0-2-0)Open →
Expansive 6s inhalations to raise sympathetic tone and clear morning brain fog.
- Deep Relaxation(4-4-6-2)Open →
Somatic muscle decompression combining gentle retention with an extended 6s exhale.
- Triangle Breathing(4-4-4-0)Open →
Gentle 4-4-4 triangle breath omitting the empty hold, ideal for accessible grounding.
Targeted Somatic Protocols
Condition-specific pacers configured for acute anxiety, sleep onset, deep focus, and blood pressure:
- Box Breathing for Anxiety(4-4-4-4)Open →
Rapidly de-escalates acute anxiety and halts hyperventilation by stabilizing arterial CO2 and heart rate.
- 4-7-8 for Sleep(4-7-8-0)Open →
Slows pulse and triggers rapid vagal brake activation to dissolve nighttime insomnia and racing thoughts.
- Physiological Sigh for Panic(3-1-6-0)Open →
Reopens deflated alveoli and halts acute panic attacks or severe claustrophobia in under 60 seconds.
- Box Breathing for Focus(4-4-4-4)Open →
Aligns autonomic arousal for ADHD deep work, code architecture, and high-stakes problem-solving.
- Coherent Breathing for HRV(5.5-0-5.5-0)Open →
Maximizes Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and baroreflex sensitivity through 0.1 Hz resonant entrainment.
- Breathing for Blood Pressure(5-0-5-0)Open →
Clinically proven 6 BPM cadence to stimulate arterial baroreceptors and reduce resting blood pressure.
- Calming Breath for Stress(4-0-6-2)Open →
Engages the vagal brake with a 1.5:1 exhale ratio to discharge midday workday tension at your desk.
- Triangle Breath for Beginners(3-3-3-0)Open →
Accessible 3-3-3 entry-level cadence that introduces breath retention without triggering air hunger.
Time-Boxed Resets
Pre-timed guided sessions matching specific break durations from 60 seconds to 10 minutes:
- 1-Min Breathing Reset(1 min)Open →
Rapid 60-second nervous system checkpoint (5 cycles) to discharge tension between meetings.
- 2-Min Box Breathing(2 min)Open →
Minimum effective tactical dose (7 cycles of 4-4-4-4) to restore mental clarity in 120 seconds.
- 5-Min Breathing Timer(5 min)Open →
The Stanford-proven 5-minute clinical dose (30 cycles) for daily nervous system conditioning.
- 10-Min Coherent Session(10 min)Open →
Full 10-minute resonant entrainment session (55 cycles) for deep autonomic recalibration.
A note on practicing with your eyes closed
Looking at a computer or phone screen while doing breathwork is inherently counterproductive. I built this web pacer for quick pauses during deep work, but for bedtime or deep de-escalation, glowing pixels keep your optic nerves active.
If you want a tactile, screen-free experience, I also designed a native iPhone and Apple Watch app called Breathwork. It guides your cadence using gentle, silent Taptic Engine pulses on your wrist or palm—allowing you to close your eyes completely in bed, with audio that continues while locked and automatic Apple Health logging.
The Biology of the Breath
Breathing is the only vital function that is simultaneously automatic and volitional. When you inhale, your diaphragm contracts and moves downward, expanding the chest cavity and slightly reducing pressure on the heart. The sinoatrial node responds by increasing heart rate.
When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes upward, compressing the thoracic space. The vagus nerve fires, releasing acetylcholine to slow each cardiac cycle. Extending the exhale relative to the inhale is the most direct physiological way to trigger parasympathetic recovery in real time.
Questions & Notes
Why practice controlled breathing?
Breathing is the only autonomic bodily function under direct conscious control. By altering your breath cadence—specifically by lengthening the exhale relative to the inhale—you stimulate the vagus nerve to release acetylcholine, physically decelerating your heart rate within 60 to 90 seconds.
Which pattern should I use right now?
If you feel agitated or overwhelmed, use the Physiological Sigh (2-3 breaths) or Calming Breath (4-0-6-2). If you need calm mental clarity for deep work, use Box Breathing (4-4-4-4). If you are in bed trying to fall asleep, use 4-7-8.
How are the bell sounds generated?
The bells are synthesized dynamically in your browser using the Web Audio API based on exact acoustic healing frequencies (285 Hz, 320 Hz, 256 Hz). No audio files are downloaded, and no data leaves your browser.
More Tools at sameerbajaj.com
See all tools→Single-purpose software and developer utilities built to scratch my own itches. All open-source, private by default, and free forever.
Visual reading analytics, AI chat with your highlights, and clean Readwise CSV export. Runs locally in your browser.
Native macOS app for downloading video and audio from any URL. Polished SwiftUI wrapper for yt-dlp with SponsorBlock.
macOS menu bar utility tracking Codex CLI usage and token quota across multiple developer accounts at a glance.
Native macOS app to inspect, validate, benchmark, and sync Claude and Codex skill files with one-click fixes.