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Breathe along · Buteyko
Small Breaths timer: breathe along online
Breathe in for 2, breathe out for 2, rest for 2. The orb breathes, you follow. Free, no sign-up, no cookies.
Ready?
A slight urge to breathe is fine
in 2 · out 2 · rest 2
If anything feels uncomfortable, just stop and breathe normally.
How it works
- Take a small, natural breath in while the orb grows: 2 seconds.
- Breathe out, relaxed and not forced, while the orb shrinks: 2 seconds.
- Let your breath rest for a moment, relaxed, while the orb stays small: 2 seconds.
- A slight urge to breathe is fine, nothing more.
That’s one round, and it takes 6 seconds. Three minutes is plenty to start. Then just breathe normally.
Only practice with a slight urge to breathe, never with holds to your limit, and never with the goal of lowering your blood oxygen. Never practice in or near water, including the bathtub, or while driving. If you get dizzy or it makes you anxious, just stop and breathe normally. Buteyko has mainly been studied in people with asthma, and it doesn’t replace treatment. Never change prescribed medication, including your inhaler, on your own, and follow your action plan if symptoms come up. For shortness of breath, chest pain, or a racing heart that doesn’t settle, don’t practice; call 911 or your local emergency number. If you’re pregnant or have a heart or circulation condition, high blood pressure, epilepsy, glaucoma, or panic disorder, skip the pauses or check with your doctor first. Children shouldn’t do exercises with breath holds and air hunger.
Small but natural
Small Breaths takes only the gentle parts of the Buteyko method. Your breaths are small and natural, not forced and not deliberately shallow. After you exhale, your breath rests briefly. This pause only goes as far as a slight urge to breathe, never to your limit.
What studies show
No study has tested this exact pattern. A related finding comes from slow, paced breathing: 46 college students overbreathed only about half as much when they were asked not to breathe excessively deep but naturally, and they had fewer symptoms.1 In another study, simply telling people to breathe more shallowly made them more anxious than other instructions did.2 These studies tested the technique, not the nowa app.
So the aim is small, natural breaths, not forced ones. More on this, including where the method comes from: The Buteyko method explained: the idea, the exercises, and the studies.
This page shares general information about breathing exercises for relaxation and well-being. It is not medical advice and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a licensed professional. nowa is a wellness app. It is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Only practice while it feels comfortable. If you feel dizzy or short of breath, or notice a racing heart, chest pain, or strong anxiety, stop and breathe normally. If you have a medical condition (for example a heart or lung condition, or epilepsy) or are pregnant, talk to your doctor or midwife before trying new breathing exercises. Never change prescribed treatment on your own.
Embed on your site
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Sources
- Szulczewski MT (2019). An anti-hyperventilation instruction decreases the drop in end-tidal CO2 and symptoms of hyperventilation during breathing at 0.1 Hz. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback 44(3):247–256. doi.org/10.1007/s10484-019-09438-y
Randomized study, 46 college students - Conrad A, Müller A, Doberenz S, Kim S, Meuret AE, Wollburg E, Roth WT (2007). Psychophysiological effects of breathing instructions for stress management. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback 32(2):89–98. doi.org/10.1007/s10484-007-9034-x
Lab study, 43 people
All sources last checked on November 3, 2026.