Physiological sigh

Inhale slowly through the nose. When the lungs feel expanded, inhale once more, shorter, until they feel full. Then exhale slowly until the breath is gone. Nose in and mouth out is the usual path.

The published pattern is a slow inhale, a second shorter inhale to fill, and a slow full exhale, nose then mouth, for about 5 minutes in the cyclic practice. These second counts were not published.

The seconds are a product default.

Sources

• Balban and colleagues name the cyclic-sigh shape as a slow breath in, one more breath in to finish filling even if that second breath is the shorter one, and a slow breath out that empties the lungs. They prefer the nose for both breaths in and the mouth for the breath out, and they also allow the nose for the whole pattern. Balban et al., Cell Reports Medicine, 2023

Skip this

• Skip this if a controlled breath feels strained.

Stop if

• Stop if you feel dizzy, lightheaded, tingling in the lips or fingers, chest pain, heart pounding or irregular beats, visual change, nausea, headache, or panic that is rising rather than settling. Sit or lie down. Breathe quietly, without controlling the breath, until it passes.
• If chest pain, fainting, or trouble breathing does not settle, seek urgent care.