Breathing glossary
Short definitions of the terms used in breathwork and on this site, each with a link to the article that covers it.
4 min read
Most of the terms in breathwork come either from Sanskrit or from physiology. Below are short definitions of the ones we use on this site and in the app, each with a link to the article that covers it in full.
Coherent (resonance) breathing. About five and a half breaths a minute; the pace at which heart rate variability is highest. It shifts slightly from person to person. Coherent Breathing
Resonance pace. The coherent breathing pace that suits you best. The app can find it by measuring. Finding your own pace
HRV (heart rate variability). The variation in the time between consecutive heartbeats. It rises with slow breathing, which is why studies measure it so often. What breathing exercises are good for
Vagus nerve. The nerve running from the brain down into the abdomen that slows the heart. Its influence grows during the exhale. What breathing exercises are good for
Pranayama. Sanskrit for "managing the breath". The umbrella name for breathing techniques in yoga.
Kumbhaka (hold). The part where the breath is held after an inhale or an exhale. Techniques with holds need care with blood pressure or a history of panic. Box Breathing
Ujjayi. The sea-like sound made by slightly narrowing the throat; ocean breath. Ocean Breath
Bhramari. Exhaling with a hum; humming bee breath. Humming Bee Breath
Kapalabhati. Fast exhales driven by short contractions of the abdominal muscles; a stimulating technique. Kapalabhati
Physiological sigh. Two short inhales and one long exhale. It happens by itself too; done deliberately it is a fast way to settle. The Physiological Sigh
Diaphragm. The dome-shaped muscle under the lungs. The real engine of breathing; "belly breathing" is its consequence. What diaphragmatic breathing is
Noise floor. The sound level a room carries even in silence (dB). The app measures it at the start of a session and builds the threshold on it. How the microphone hears your breath
Threshold. How far above the floor a sound has to rise to count as breath. It is set by measuring real recordings. How the thresholds are measured against real recordings
Rhythm match. How close a heard exhale starts to the moment it was due. The heaviest component of the score. How a session is scored
Streak. The number of consecutive days with a session. A streak shield keeps a day without a session; if no shield is left the streak breaks, and a broken streak can be repaired for a limited time. Streak, milestones and the calendar