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Belly Breathing

Good starting point

Best for: A gentle beginner practice for noticing the belly rise and soften.

Cycles
89101112

In Breath Tempo

This is the actual timer setup used by the app. Change the preset if you want a softer or longer version before starting.

Selected preset
Learn · 10 cycles
Rhythm
Belly breathe in 4 sec · Soft breathe out 6 sec
Breath holds
No holds in this preset
Safety level
Gentle

This practice can start directly from the timer, but comfort still matters more than finishing.

Related goals

Use this rhythm inside a broader path for sleep, focus, stress, or a first gentle session.

How to practice

Belly breathing — a gentle, diaphragm-led style of breathing — means letting the belly, rather than the chest, do most of the moving. Rest one hand on your stomach if it helps, breathe in slowly through the nose, and feel the belly rise and round out. Then let it soften and fall as you breathe out, a little longer and slower than the in-breath. Keep everything easy and unforced, sitting or lying down, and let the timer set a calm pace.

This is one of the friendliest places to start if timed breathing is new, and a good way to learn what relaxed, low-effort breathing feels like. If you don’t feel much movement at first, that’s fine — it becomes clearer with practice, and lying down can make the belly easier to notice. Keep the breath gentle rather than deep and heavy, and use it whenever you’d like a simple, grounding moment.

  1. Belly breathe in· 4s
  2. Soft breathe out· 6s

Articles about this exercise

A little background reading, before or after your session.