What is Coherent Breathing?

If we consider our breath as a powerful key to unlock the nervous system, coherent breathing is one of the most potent practices of all. Becoming more and more popular amongst yoga and medical communities alike, this technique is as simple as it is powerful.
Coherent breathing quite simply involves inhaling for a count of 6 and exhaling for a count of 6⁠-that’s it! This breath cycle correlates to five breaths per minute, with an even ratio of inhalation to exhalation.
And yet, despite its simplicity, coherent breathing has a wide range of physiological and psychological benefits, including:
Reduced inflammation
Increased cognitive flexibility
Improved psychological resilience
Synchronicity in overall brain activity
Increased sense of calm
Improved cardiovascular health
Increased heart rate variability
In fact, one of the unique features of this breath practice is that it increases heart rate variability more than any other type of breathing. Here, founder of The Minded Institute, Heather Mason, explains the remarkable relationship between coherent breathing and heart rate variability.