Equal Breathing Timer
Inhale and exhale for the same count — the simplest breath pattern. Choose 4-4 to start, build up to 6-6 over time.
About this equal breathing timer
Equal breathing — known in yogic tradition as sama vritti, meaning "same fluctuations" — is the most basic deliberate breath pattern. Inhale and exhale for the same count, with no holds. It's the technique most often taught first because it's nearly impossible to do wrong.
Most people start at 4 seconds and work up. Over weeks of practice, the comfortable pace lengthens — many advanced practitioners eventually settle at 6-6 or 8-8. The benefit at any pace is the same: a slowing of the breath relative to baseline, with associated shifts in heart rate and arousal.
How to use this timer
- Sit or lie down comfortably. Spine relaxed but upright, hands wherever they rest naturally.
- Press Start. Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds. Exhale through the nose for 4 seconds.
- Don't hold between inhale and exhale. The transitions should feel smooth and continuous.
- Continue for 15 rounds (about 2 minutes). Lengthen the count over time as the rhythm becomes effortless.
When to use it
- As a starting practice: if other breathing techniques feel too complex, this is the place to begin.
- For sleep onset: simpler than 4-7-8, sustainable when half-asleep.
- During mild stress or distraction: easy to remember and apply at the desk, in the car, on a walk.
- As a foundation for longer pranayama practice: mastery of equal breathing makes other patterns easier.
Compared to other breathing techniques
- Box breathing (4-4-4-4): equal breathing plus 4-second holds at top and bottom — more structured, more demanding.
- Coherent breathing (5-5): equal breathing at 5 seconds specifically — the resonance-frequency version.
- 4-7-8 breathing: asymmetric — emphasizes exhale for stronger relaxation effect.
- Equal breathing: the foundation. The other patterns are variations on this theme.
Tips
- Start at 4-4 and only lengthen when 4 feels effortless. Forcing a longer count creates tension that defeats the purpose.
- Breathe through the nose if comfortable. Mouth breathing works too, but nasal breathing keeps the rhythm more naturally.
- Daily 5-minute sessions beat weekly 30-minute sessions. The point is conditioning, not endurance.
Other breathing & wellness timers
Try box breathing (4-4-4-4), 4-7-8 breathing, coherent breathing (5-5), equal breathing, physiological sigh — or a 5-minute meditation.