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Paced Breathing in the Timer

Feature Request

Please consider adding different types of paced breathing techniques i.e. box breathing, 4-7-8, or an adjustable pacer in the Timer section of the app. You could use different tones for the inhale, exhale, and pauses; and have it as a Background choice that can be paired with different Signals.

Thanks for the excellent work you’ve done so far as well.

Posted by Matt Judge ·
2 comments

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Comments2

  • Justin Handley

    Team•

    Aug 29, 2024

    Love this idea - can you link me to any free information about these techniques that clearly explains the idea?

    • Matt Judge

      •

      Aug 30, 2024

      Thanks for the kudos.

      Here is an article by the British Heart Foundation that gives a good overview of box breathing, the 4-7-8 breathing technique, and alternate nostril breathing. All these techniques appear to be in the public domain (the latter two are derived from pranayama) and I think are free, however, I’m not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV.

      Here’s a link to the article: 3 breathing exercises to relieve stress

      The more I think about it, these breathing techniques could be made into a “Multi-Day Journey” as well. In fact, I think this would be a better way to implement them because it would provide clear instruction to the listener and address any safety concerns.

      Here is how I think it could work: Each breathing exercise is made into a guided meditation that the listener can vary in length. The day one meditation would be an introduction to the connection between breathing and mindfulness, with a brief guided meditation. The second day would be box breathing and the listener could toggle between 10 or 15 minutes of guided breathwork. The third day would be the 4-7-8 technique, which would be 5 to 7 minutes in length because of how intense this exercise can be. The fourth day would be alternate nostril breathing and the listener could toggle between 10 to 20 minutes of guided breathwork. The meditations can start off with verbal guidance and then transition to the use of different tones that prompt the listener to inhale, pause, and exhale in the proper interval for each of these breathing techniques. There are some apps that support paced breathing that you might want to check out to get a better understanding of what I’m trying to explain here.

      You might also crowd source this to Monroe Institute trainers who practice yoga and are familiar with pranayama. They could integrate Monroe Sound Science with breathing techniques in a safe and effective way; and provide the verbal guidance for the tracks as well.

      If you want to take a deep dive into contemporary trends in breathwork research; I recommend James Nestor’s book “Breath”.

      Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you find it helpful.