Breathing for Meditation
Settle your mind — breathwork as meditation preparation
Many people struggle with meditation because they try to still a racing mind through willpower alone. Breathing exercises offer a shortcut: 5-10 minutes of coherence breathing settles the autonomic nervous system, which in turn quiets the mind naturally. Think of it as lowering the volume of mental noise before attempting silence.
This timer uses coherence breathing (equal inhale and exhale at ~5.5 seconds) for 10 minutes. The first 5 minutes calm your physiology, and the second 5 minutes deepen into a proto-meditative state where the breathing itself becomes the object of attention. Many practitioners find this easier and more effective than jumping directly into silent meditation.
Benefits
- Settles the nervous system before meditation — quiets the mind naturally
- Easier entry point than silent meditation
- Coherence breathing itself can become the meditation object
- 10 minutes provides both calming and proto-meditative depth
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I breathe this way during meditation?
You can. Coherence breathing is itself a form of meditation in many traditions. Alternatively, use it as a 5-minute warm-up before transitioning to your preferred meditation technique.
Is this better than just meditating?
It depends. If you find meditation easy, you may not need a breathing warm-up. If you struggle to settle into meditation (most beginners), 5-10 minutes of coherence breathing first makes a significant difference in meditation quality.
Related Breathing Exercises