Breathing Exercises

Open the app, pick what you need, press start. The screen counts each inhale, hold and exhale, and the phone taps gently on each change so you can close your eyes.

1)The nine exercises

Calm: box breathing (4-4-4-4), a 3-1-4-1 rhythm with a slightly longer exhale, coherent breathing at six breaths a minute, and a slow 4-6-4-6 that puts your attention on the breath. Sleep: 4-7-8. Energy: two rhythms to feel more alert and present. Anger: two slow rhythms with a longer exhale to help your body settle before you respond.

The rhythms come from slow, controlled breathing techniques. Research supports their general effects on stress, anxiety, attention and mood, but not every rhythm has been tested on its own. Breathe comfortably and don't force it. If you feel dizzy or short of breath, stop and breathe normally.

2)How a session runs

Sessions default to three minutes. You can choose one, five or ten. There is an optional soundscape, the screen stays on, and the session keeps going if you lock the phone. On iPhone the timer also shows on the lock screen and in the Dynamic Island.

Afterwards Andy asks in one tap how it went, and keeps a history of sessions you can look back at.

The taps mean you do not have to watch the screen. Start the session, put the phone down and follow the rhythm by feel. If you are not sure which exercise to pick, start with box breathing: four counts in, four held, four out, four held. It is the simplest rhythm in the list and a fair first test of whether counted breathing suits you.

Inside the plan and outside it

Some plan days are a breathing exercise. Outside the plan, every exercise is open from the app's main screen, and there is a reminder you can set for the hour anxiety usually hits.

Every breathing exercise is free, with or without a subscription.