BreathFlow - Breathing Exercises
BreathFlow helps you slow down and breathe on purpose. Instead of choosing between technique names, you start from how you feel: Want to Relax, Want to Sleep, Want Energy, Want Focus or Reduce Anxiety. The app opens a matching exercise and guides each breath with a large animated circle and a countdown.
The circle grows as you breathe in, holds still while you hold, shrinks as you breathe out, and changes colour with every phase, so you can follow along with your eyes half closed. You choose how many cycles to do, from a quick three to a longer fifteen, and can pause or end at any time.
BreathFlow is a simple self-care tool for short breaks during work, winding down before bed or settling nerves before a meeting. It runs in your browser with no account.
The app runs entirely in your browser. What you enter is saved only on this device.
How to use BreathFlow
- Read the note on first use. The first time you open BreathFlow on the web, a short disclaimer explains that it is a wellness tool and not medical advice. You can read it again in Settings.
- Pick how you feel. On the home screen tap one of the cards: Want to Relax, Want to Sleep, Want Energy, Want Focus or Reduce Anxiety.
- Choose the number of cycles. Select 3, 5, 8, 10 or 15 sets. One set is one full round of the pattern, for example breathe in 4, hold 7, breathe out 8.
- Breathe with the circle. Tap Start Session. Follow the word on screen (Inhale, Hold, Exhale) and the seconds counting down, letting the circle set your pace. The bar at the top shows your progress.
- Pause or stop. Use Pause if you are interrupted. End Session stops early; if you were more than a tenth of the way through, the session is added to your statistics.
- Check your statistics. The Statistics tab shows today's sessions, a running total and your streak of days in a row, with a short encouraging message.
Features
- Five starting points: relax, sleep, energy, focus and anxiety
- 4-7-8 breathing for relaxing and falling asleep
- Box breathing (4-4-4-4) for focus
- Slow belly breathing (5 in, 5 out) for calm
- Quick bellows breaths for an energy boost
- Animated circle and colour for each phase
- Choice of 3 to 15 cycles, with pause and end
- Statistics with today's sessions and day streak
- Disclaimer always available in Settings
A short guide to the breathing patterns
Why slow breathing can feel calming
Breathing is one of the few automatic body functions you can also control directly. Slowing down, and especially lengthening the out-breath, is widely used in relaxation practices because many people find it reduces the feeling of being rushed or tense. Counting also gives the mind something simple to focus on, which can quiet racing thoughts for a few minutes.
4-7-8 breathing
Breathe in quietly through the nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and breathe out slowly through the mouth for 8. The long exhale is the key part. Because the hold is long, beginners often find a few rounds enough at first. BreathFlow uses this pattern for both the Relax and Sleep cards; for sleep, try it lying down with the lights low and fewer distractions around you.
Box breathing
Box breathing uses four equal steps: in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, and pause for 4, like tracing the sides of a square. The even rhythm is easy to remember and is often used to steady attention before a task that needs concentration.
Belly breathing
For belly, or diaphragmatic, breathing, place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach. Breathe in for 5 seconds so that the lower hand rises more than the upper one, then breathe out for 5. Sitting upright or lying on your back makes it easier to feel the movement.
Bellows breathing
Bellows breathing is a fast pattern of short, active breaths in and out, about one second each. Some people use it for a quick sense of alertness. It is more intense than the other exercises and can cause light-headedness, so do it sitting down, keep sessions short, and stop if you feel dizzy. It is not recommended if you are pregnant or have heart, lung or blood pressure problems unless a doctor has said it is fine.
Practising safely
Breathe comfortably rather than forcefully, never hold your breath to the point of strain, and return to normal breathing whenever you want. Do not practise while driving or in water. Breathing exercises can support everyday well-being, but they are not a treatment for anxiety disorders, sleep problems or any medical condition; talk to a healthcare professional if these affect your daily life.
Frequently asked questions
Where is my data stored?
Your session history is stored in this browser's local storage on your device. There is no account and nothing is uploaded. Clearing site data removes it, and it does not sync between devices. The Reset Data button in Statistics also deletes it.
Why did a finished session not appear in my statistics?
At the moment, sessions are recorded when you stop with End Session after passing about 10% of the session. Sessions that run all the way to Session Completed are not added. The practice-time figure currently counts cycles rather than exact minutes.
Can I choose a technique directly?
You choose by situation. Relax and Sleep use 4-7-8 breathing, Focus uses box breathing, Reduce Anxiety uses belly breathing and Want Energy uses bellows breathing.
Is there sound or vibration?
The web version is visual: follow the circle, the phase word and the countdown. Vibration is not available in most desktop browsers.
I feel dizzy. What should I do?
Stop and breathe normally. Dizziness usually means you are breathing too fast or too deeply. Choose a slower exercise next time, and speak to a doctor if it keeps happening.
What is different from the phone app?
The exercises are the same. The iPhone and Android apps can add vibration cues and show ads that a one-time purchase removes; the web version has no ads or purchases.
Limitations of the web version
- Statistics only count sessions ended with End Session after about 10% progress
- No vibration cues in most browsers
- History is stored only in this browser
- Timing can slow down if the tab is in the background
Disclaimer
BreathFlow is a general wellness tool. It is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Stop if you feel dizzy or unwell, and consult a doctor before trying breathing exercises if you are pregnant or have a heart, lung or other health condition.
Phone app
BreathFlow is also available as an app for phones and tablets: