What peer-reviewed studies actually found about each breathing technique — briefly, without exaggeration, with sources.
A month-long study by a team around Andrew Huberman compared four breathing practices, and fast double inhales followed by a long exhale came out as the most effective at improving mood and lowering resting breathing rate.
The Navy SEALs technique improves mood and perceived anxiety, but in direct comparison it lags slightly behind the physiological sigh — it shines mainly at sustaining attention under pressure.
Breathing at a pace of around six breaths per minute increases heart rate variability markers linked to parasympathetic nervous system activity.
A prolonged exhale stimulates the vagus nerve and switches the body from "fight or flight" into a calm, parasympathetic mode.
Smaller but promising studies show improvements in anxiety, sleep and attention — from diaphragmatic breathing through Dr. Weil's 4-7-8 technique to yogic alternate-nostril breathing.
Slow ambient music with no strong beat doesn't force the body to match the tempo of the track, which is why it pairs so well with the pace set by the breathing orb.
This is just a short overview of the topics. The full texts with specific numbers, study authors and sources are available directly in the app, in the Breathing articles section. This is general information, not medical advice.
With study sources and a link to the breathing exercise.