# Resonance breathing (coherent breathing) at 6 breaths a minute Source: https://breathingexercises.uk/exercises/resonance-breathing/ Author: Nell Avery ยท Updated 2026-11-04 **Short answer:** Resonance breathing means breathing evenly at about six breaths a minute: in for 5 seconds, out for 5, for 10 to 20 minutes a day. At this pace your heart rate rises and falls most strongly with each breath. Slow breathing like this lowered blood pressure by about 5.6/3.0 mmHg across 17 studies and reliably raises heart rate variability. **Evidence grade:** Moderate evidence. Trials point the same way but are small or few, or large long-term studies agree but cannot prove cause and effect. ## What is resonance breathing? Every time you breathe in, your heart speeds up slightly, and every time you breathe out, it slows down. This is normal and healthy, and it is called respiratory sinus arrhythmia. At about six breaths a minute, these swings line up with the reflex that controls blood pressure (the baroreflex), and they become as large as they get. Researchers call this the resonance frequency, and breathing at it the basis of heart rate variability biofeedback. You don't need equipment to do it. Breathing evenly at five to six breaths a minute gets most adults close to their resonance rate. ## When should you use it? As a daily practice of 10 to 20 minutes, for stress or blood pressure. It is also a gentle way to wind down before bed. There are no breath-holds, so it suits almost everyone. ## What the research shows **Blood pressure.** A meta-analysis of 17 studies found slow breathing lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 5.6 mmHg and diastolic by 3.0 mmHg, with results that varied a lot between studies. That is a modest effect, roughly what cutting back on salt can do. An earlier review of a commercial breathing device (RESPeRATE) found a similar drop overall, but no clear effect once the five trials funded by or involving the maker were left out. We grade the evidence moderate: the effect is consistent in direction but the trials are small, short and hard to blind. See [breathing exercises and blood pressure](/benefits/blood-pressure/). **Heart rate variability.** A review of 223 studies found that slow breathing raises vagally mediated heart rate variability during practice, straight after a session and after a course of sessions. This is one of the most consistent findings in breathing research. Whether a higher reading means better health in the long run is less certain; see [heart rate variability](/benefits/heart-rate-variability/). **Stress and anxiety.** A meta-analysis of heart rate variability biofeedback, which trains people to breathe at their resonance rate, found a large reduction in self-reported stress and anxiety compared with control groups, though the authors called for better-controlled trials. ## Common mistakes - **Breathing too deeply.** Slow breaths should be normal-sized. Big, slow breaths can still make you light-headed. - **Going too slow too soon.** If six a minute feels like a struggle, start at 4 in, 4 out (7.5 a minute) and slow down over a week or two. - **Holding at the top.** Let each in-breath turn smoothly into the out-breath. ## Make it easier or harder - **Easier:** use the Faster setting, or practise for 5 minutes instead of 10. - **Harder:** lengthen the out-breath slightly (for example 4 in, 6 out), which many people find even more relaxing, and build up to 20 minutes. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the difference between resonance and coherent breathing? They are the same idea. Coherent breathing usually means a fixed five or six breaths a minute. Resonance breathing, in heart rate variability biofeedback, means finding the exact rate between about 4.5 and 7 breaths a minute where your own heart rhythm swings most. For home practice, six a minute is close enough for most adults. ### Do I need an app or a heart rate monitor? No. The breathe-along guide on this page, a metronome or simply counting is enough. Biofeedback devices show your heart rhythm and can help you find your personal resonance rate, but trials of plain slow breathing also lowered blood pressure. ### How long before it lowers blood pressure? Most trials ran for 4 to 12 weeks of daily practice, usually 10 to 15 minutes a day. Effects are modest, a few mmHg, and fade if you stop. Keep taking any blood pressure medicine you have been prescribed. ## References 1. [Chaddha A et al. Device and non-device-guided slow breathing to reduce blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2019.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31331557/) 2. [Laborde S et al. Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: a systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 2022.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35623448/) 3. [Lehrer PM, Gevirtz R. Heart rate variability biofeedback: how and why does it work? Frontiers in Psychology, 2014.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25101026/) 4. [Goessl VC et al. The effect of heart rate variability biofeedback training on stress and anxiety: a meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 2017.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28478782/) 5. [Mahtani KR et al. Device-guided breathing exercises in the control of human blood pressure: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Hypertension, 2012.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22495126/)