Sessions · Resonance breathing & HRV biofeedback · Perth

Breathe at the rhythm your heart responds to most.

Everyone has a slow breathing rate at which heart rhythm and blood pressure reflexes swing together most strongly. In a 17-minute session we measure yours with a Polar H10 chest sensor and our purpose-built Resonant app, then teach you to use it anywhere.

17 minSeated, eyes open or closedPolar H10 + Resonant app
Book a session How it works
Breathe inPace 5.75 breaths a minute
Rise with the dot to breathe in, fall with it to breathe out. Gently, through the nose.

What happens in your body

Two natural rhythms, brought into step.

Your heart speeds up as you breathe in.

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia

Breathe in and heart rate rises a little; breathe out and it falls. This normal rhythm is called respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA).

Your blood pressure reflex has its own pulse.

The baroreflex

The baroreflex keeps blood pressure steady. Because its signals take time to travel around the loop, it creates a slow rhythm of its own, roughly one cycle every 10 seconds (about 0.1 Hz).

Match the two, and they amplify each other.

Cardiovascular resonance

Breathe at about the same pace, for most adults somewhere between 4.5 and 7 breaths a minute, and the rhythms reinforce each other. Heart rate swings become much larger. This is resonance.

Breathing wave and heart rate wave over one minute 0 s60 s
BreathingHeart rate
Heart-rate swing
±4
Status
Above resonance
Resonance curve: heart-rate swing peaks at one breathing pace 412 breaths/min

Illustrative model with a peak at 5.75 breaths a minute. Your real curve, and the pace where it peaks, are measured in your session.

The baroreceptor reflex Side view of the head, neck and chest. Pressure sensors in the carotid sinus and the aortic arch send signals up the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves to the medulla in the brainstem. The brainstem then adjusts heart rate through the vagus nerve and adjusts the heart and blood vessels through sympathetic pathways. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Simplified anatomy, not to scale. Arrows show the direction signals travel.

The baroreceptor reflex

How your body regulates blood pressure.

Specialised stretch sensors in the carotid sinus and the aortic arch detect changes in arterial pressure. Their signals travel to the brainstem, where neural circuits adjust autonomic output to help keep blood pressure stable.

  1. 1
    Medulla oblongataLower brainstem. Its nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) receives the pressure signals.
  2. 2
    Carotid sinusStretch sensors at the fork of the carotid artery in the neck.
  3. 3
    Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)Carries carotid sinus signals up to the brainstem.
  4. 4
    Aortic arch baroreceptorsStretch sensors in the wall of the aortic arch.
  5. 5
    Vagus nerve (CN X)Carries aortic signals up, and carries slowing signals down to the heart.
  6. 6
    Heart and sinoatrial (SA) nodeThe heart's natural pacemaker, which sets heart rate.
  7. 7
    Sympathetic pathwayRuns down the spinal cord to the heart and blood vessels.
Solid: sensory signals travelling to the brainstem Dashed: vagal (parasympathetic) output to the heart Dotted: sympathetic output to the heart and blood vessels

The loop, step by step

  1. Arterial pressure changes. Every heartbeat, and every breath, shifts pressure in the arteries slightly.
  2. Baroreceptor signalling changes. More stretch means more signals; less stretch means fewer.
  3. The brainstem integrates the information in the medulla.
  4. Autonomic output adjusts. When pressure rises, vagal slowing of the heart increases and sympathetic drive eases. When pressure falls, the reverse happens.
  5. Heart rate and vessel tone respond, helping bring pressure back toward its usual range.
Where breathing comes in. The baroreflex runs continuously, and its response depends on the direction and size of each pressure change. Because breathing shifts pressure in the chest and arteries, the reflex responds breath by breath. Breathing at your resonance pace keeps the two in step, which produces the large, regular heart-rate swings seen in resonance breathing. In a 2003 study, ten sessions of HRV biofeedback training increased baroreflex gain, a measure of how strongly this reflex responds (Lehrer et al., Psychosomatic Medicine).
The baroreflex is one part of the story, not all of it. Breathing also affects the heart through lung stretch receptors and brainstem breathing circuits, and individual responses vary.

The vagus nerve

A two-way line between your brain and body.

The vagus nerve carries information between many internal organs and the brainstem, and contributes to parasympathetic regulation of functions including heart rate and digestion. Most of its fibres, around 80 percent, carry signals up to the brain rather than down.

  1. 1
    Brainstem (medulla)Where both vagus nerves begin and where their sensory signals arrive.
  2. 2
    Right vagus nerveDescends beside the carotid artery on the right side of the neck.
  3. 3
    Left vagus nerveIts partner on the left. The vagus is a paired nerve.
  4. 4
    Pharyngeal and laryngeal branchesContribute to swallowing and voice. The recurrent laryngeal branches loop down under the arteries before climbing back to the larynx.
  5. 5
    Cardiac branchesContribute parasympathetic slowing of heart rate.
  6. 6
    Pulmonary branchesCarry information from lung stretch receptors and influence the airways.
  7. 7
    Oesophageal plexusThe two nerves form a network around the oesophagus.
  8. 8
    StomachGastric branches participate in regulating digestion.
  9. 9
    IntestinesVagal supply reaches the small intestine and about two-thirds of the way along the colon.
The vagus nerve Front view of the neck, chest and abdomen. Two vagus nerves leave the brainstem and descend on each side of the neck beside the carotid arteries. In the chest they give branches to the larynx, heart and lungs, form a network around the oesophagus, then pass through the diaphragm to the stomach and much of the intestine. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Simplified anatomy, not to scale. The nerves are drawn in front of some organs for clarity; in the body they run behind the heart.
What this diagram deliberately leaves out. Many popular vagus diagrams show the kidneys and bladder. Bladder control relies mainly on nerves from the lower spinal cord, and salivary glands are supplied mainly by other cranial nerves, so they are not shown here. Every organ shown is also influenced by other nerves and hormones. The vagus is a major pathway, not a master switch.
The link to breathing. Breathing is one of the few ways to influence this system on purpose. Vagal slowing of the heart is strongest during the out-breath, which is part of why heart rate falls as you exhale and why slow, unhurried exhales feel calming.

Heart rate variability

The space between beats.

Your heart does not beat like a metronome. The time between beats changes slightly from beat to beat. That natural variation is heart rate variability (HRV).

A more variable rhythm is often seen at rest, when the body can adapt quickly. A flatter, more uniform rhythm is often seen under stress, fatigue or illness. Resonance breathing produces some of the largest, most regular HRV swings a person can create on purpose.

Read it carefully. HRV is shaped by age, fitness, sleep, posture, breathing and more, so it is best compared with your own baseline, not with other people. It is a useful marker of how flexibly your nervous system adapts, but it is not a direct measure of vagal activity on its own.
A typical resting rhythmAverage heart rate about 62 bpm · spread 115 ms
A typical resting rhythm: beat-to-beat intervals of 980 milliseconds, 895 milliseconds, 1010 milliseconds 980 ms895 ms1010 ms
More variableLarger beat-to-beat change · spread 150 ms
More variable: beat-to-beat intervals of 870 milliseconds, 1020 milliseconds, 980 milliseconds, 870 milliseconds 870 ms1020 ms980 ms870 ms
Less variableNear-uniform spacing · spread 5 ms
Less variable: beat-to-beat intervals of 900 milliseconds, 905 milliseconds, 900 milliseconds, 905 milliseconds 900 ms905 ms900 ms905 ms
Resonant

Measured at WBW Studio

Measured, not guessed: the Resonant app.

Most breathing apps give everyone the same pace. Your resonance rate is personal. Research has linked it to height and sex, and found it stays stable across sessions. So we measure it.

  1. Connect. A Polar H10 chest sensor streams your beat-to-beat heart data to our purpose-built Resonant app, which calculates your HRV live.
  2. Ramp down. The pacer starts at 12 breaths a minute and steps down gradually. Rise with the orange dot to breathe in, fall with it to breathe out. Gentle haptic cues mean you can close your eyes.
  3. Measure. At each pace the app tracks how far your heart rate rises and falls with every breath.
  4. Find your number. The pace that produces the largest, smoothest swing is your resonance rate.
You leave with your
Resonant Frequency Breath Rate Number
5.75breaths/min (example)
Polar H10Chest strap heart sensor that records each heartbeat
Ramp from 12Gradual step-down to find your peak
Physiological sighOptional double inhale, long exhale between rounds
Haptic pacingFeel the rhythm with your eyes closed

The research

What the science shows.

Resonance breathing and HRV biofeedback have been studied for more than two decades, led by Paul Lehrer and Evgeny Vaschillo at Rutgers University. These are the key papers behind our approach.

2006 · The mechanism

Resonance makes heart rate and blood pressure swing far more

Breathing at each person's resonant frequency produced large oscillations in heart rate, blood pressure and vascular tone. Resonant frequency varied with height and sex, and stayed constant across 10 training sessions.

Vaschillo, Vaschillo & Lehrer. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 31(2), 129 to 142. doi.org/10.1007/s10484-006-9009-3

2003 · The baroreflex

Training increased baroreflex gain

HRV biofeedback training at resonance increased baroreflex gain, a measure of how strongly the blood pressure reflex responds, along with lung function measures.

Lehrer et al. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65(5), 796 to 805.

2014 · How it works

The best-supported explanation: a stronger baroreflex

This review concluded the most supported mechanism is strengthening of baroreflex-related regulation, with vagal signals to frontal brain areas proposed as a further pathway.

Lehrer & Gevirtz. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 756. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00756

2017 · Stress and anxiety

A large reduction in self-reported stress and anxiety

Across 24 studies and 484 participants, HRV biofeedback produced a large reduction in self-reported stress and anxiety compared with control conditions.

Goessl, Curtiss & Hofmann. Psychological Medicine, 47(15), 2578 to 2586. doi.org/10.1017/S0033291717001003

2020 · 58 randomised trials

Benefits for emotional health and performance

A meta-analysis of 58 randomised controlled studies found a small-to-moderate overall benefit. The largest effects were for anxiety, depression, anger, and athletic and artistic performance.

Lehrer et al. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 45(3), 109 to 129. doi.org/10.1007/s10484-020-09466-z

2022 · 223 studies

Slow breathing raises vagally mediated HRV

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 223 studies found voluntary slow breathing increased vagally mediated HRV during practice, immediately after a session, and after multi-session programmes.

Laborde et al. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104711

2023 · The brain

Changes in emotion-regulation networks

In a randomised trial of 106 young adults, five weeks of daily training that increased heart-rate oscillations raised connectivity between the left amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex, regions involved in regulating emotion.

Nashiro et al. Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, 23(1), 66 to 83. Publication record

2020 · The method

How resonance frequency is assessed

A practical guide to finding a person's resonance frequency by comparing heart-rate responses across a series of slow breathing paces, the principle the Resonant app is built on.

Shaffer & Meehan. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14, 570400. doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2020.570400

In performance and health psychology, HRV biofeedback is taught by clinicians such as Dr Inna Khazan, a clinical psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and author of The Clinical Handbook of Biofeedback.

Read the full guide: how to find your resonance breathing rate

What the evidence supports

  • Breathing at resonance produces large, regular swings in heart rate.
  • Regular practice can raise HRV and baroreflex responsiveness.
  • HRV biofeedback reliably reduces self-reported stress and anxiety, with small-to-moderate benefits across many other outcomes.

What is still being studied

  • Whether an individually measured rate outperforms a general pace of about 6 breaths a minute. A 2024 systematic review examined this; the evidence is still developing.
  • Effects on inflammation and on specific brain regions, which are promising but early.
  • How results vary from person to person.

Inside The T×P Method™

A daily practice, built on your own number.

Resonance breathing is a core pillar of The T×P Method. Members are assessed at the start, practise at their own rate on most days, and are reassessed as fitness and HRV change. It pairs naturally with 10 Hz Alpha Vielight sessions on recovery days.

See the program
Assessment17 minutes, at WBW Studio
Your resultResonant Frequency Breath Rate Number
Daily practiceMany research programmes use around 20 minutes a day
Equipment at homeNone needed. A simple pacer is enough
ReassessmentAs your fitness and HRV change

Before your session

Resonance breathing is gentle and suits most people. The aim is to breathe slowly, not deeply: big breaths can leave you light-headed.

  • If you feel light-headed or tingly, breathe normally for a minute.
  • Tell us before your session if you have a heart rhythm condition, a respiratory condition, low blood pressure or a pacemaker.
  • If you are pregnant or have a medical condition, check with your doctor first.

Resonance breathing at WBW is for general wellness. It is not a treatment for any medical or mental health condition, and it does not replace care from your doctor or psychologist.

01How is this different from box breathing?

Box breathing uses a fixed pattern for everyone. Resonance breathing uses your own measured pace, the one at which your heart rhythm responds most strongly.

02Do I need equipment at home?

No. Once you know your number, any simple pacer, or even counting, is enough. The chest sensor is only needed for measuring.

03Will my number change?

Research suggests it is fairly stable for each person, but it can shift with changes in fitness. T×P members are reassessed during the program.

04What should I wear?

Anything comfortable. The Polar H10 strap sits around your chest under your top.

Resonance Breathing

Find your number.

17 minutes · Perth CBD

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