Détente: Box Breathing & 4-7-8

Détente is a breathing app that gets out of the way. One shape on a dark screen, moving at the pace of the breath. No feed, no confetti. Just the technique you need and the time you have. ABOUT SIX BREATHS A MINUTE Coherence, one of the three free techniques, breathes in and out for about five and a half seconds each: close to six breaths a minute, the slow pace breathing research keeps returning to. Start there, or pick the pattern for the moment you are in. TWENTY-ONE TECHNIQUES, EACH FOR SOMETHING • Coherence — equal, unhurried breathing, about six breaths a minute • Box — four equal sides, used in military and emergency-services training • 4-7-8 — a long hold and a longer exhale, for winding down • Extended Exhale — twice as long out as in • Physiological Sigh — two stacked inhales, then a long release • Triangle — box breathing with the empty hold removed • Deep Diaphragmatic — low, slow, into the belly • Energize — quick and even, to wake up • Alternate Nostril — side cues on screen, both directions each round • Resonance Slow — five breaths a minute • Tesla Breath — three, six, nine • Root Two — one to root two • Vortex — Fibonacci, inward • Samadhi — longer by degrees • Sri Yantra — three sides, growing • Aura — hum the way out • Kumbhaka — the pause after • Detox — out, sharply • Tummo — quick, then hold • Buteyko — less, gently • Rebirthing — no pause between Or build your own pattern, phase by phase. MEASURE SOMETHING REAL Détente includes a breath-hold check: exhale, hold, and tap at the first definite urge to breathe. It is not a competition and not a maximum hold. It gives you a number you can retest in a couple of weeks to see whether anything has shifted. BUILT TO BE USED WITH YOUR EYES SHUT A chime or a gentle vibration on every phase change means you can put the phone down and stop watching it. Eyes-closed mode dims the screen and leaves the sound and the rhythm. WHAT THE RESEARCH SUGGESTS Slow breathing around six breaths a minute produces the largest heart-rate variability response in most adults. An exhale longer than the inhale can raise vagal tone, which slows the heart. In a 2023 Stanford trial, five minutes a day of cyclic sighing over a month improved mood more than the same time spent meditating. Détente is not a medical device and does not treat any condition. If you are pregnant or have a heart condition, a respiratory condition or epilepsy, tell Détente during setup and it will adjust what it offers you — and skip the breath-hold check entirely. FREE AND PRO Coherence, Box and 4-7-8 are free, unlimited, at any length, including the breath-hold check. Pro opens the other eighteen techniques, the custom pattern builder, the circle shape with chimes, voice, rain and sea, and Insights. No account. Nothing leaves your phone. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://independence.dev/mobile-apps/box-breathing/privacy