How the library is organised
The premise: "breathing exercise" isn't a single thing. What works to pull you out of a panic spike won't work to keep you composed through a two-hour focus block, and neither one is the right tool for the ten minutes between lights-off and sleep. The library groups protocols the way you actually search for them — by what you're trying to do, not by what tradition the technique comes from.
For acute stress
5 protocolsCyclic sighing→
Double nasal inhale, long mouth exhale. Balban et al. (2023) reported group-level gains in positive affect and respiratory-rate reduction after daily five-minute practice over 28 days; it did not test PulseWave.
4-7-8 breathing→
Andrew Weil's exhale-weighted pattern, rooted in pranayama. Four rounds is the starting dose.
Pre-Speech 4-6→
A five-minute pre-performance protocol designed for the moments before public speaking.
Triangle (4-4-6)
Simpler than box breathing; useful when you want to skip the bottom hold.
Vagal Reset→
The repository name for a long-exhale practice; the label is not proof of fast vagal or parasympathetic activation.
For sustained focus and performance
7 protocolsBox breathing (4-5-5-5)→
Equal-ratio breathing with two holds. Used in special operations training; useful before any task demanding sustained composure.
Coherent breathing (0.1 Hz)→
Six breaths per minute is a common starting rate. Formal HRV biofeedback assesses individual resonance frequency, which varies.
Cognitive Activation→
A short alternating-nostril variant for executive function priming before deep work.
Wim Hof Style→
Three rounds of accelerated breathing plus retention. Energising, not calming — use accordingly.
Two-cycle Focus→
A short pre-meeting pacing sequence; no heart-rate outcome is promised.
Equal Ratio 6-6-6-6→
Box breathing's deeper sibling — for users with already-developed lung capacity.
Ujjayi Pranayama→
Ocean breath — slight throat constriction, audible, traditional yogic technique for stamina.
For sleep onset and recovery
8 protocolsSleep Ladder 3-6-9→
Three rounds of progressively lengthening exhales. Designed for the ten minutes before sleep.
Long Exhale 4-12→
Single ratio, no rounds, no holds. The simplest sleep-onset pattern in the library.
NSDR Breath Bridge→
Breath-only opening sequence for entering Non-Sleep Deep Rest practice.
3am Reset→
For the middle-of-the-night wake-up. Reduces cognitive engagement.
Yoga Nidra Prep→
Five minutes of breath conditioning before a longer Yoga Nidra session.
Bhramari (Bee Breath)→
A humming-exhale practice. Mechanism and outcome claims remain evidence-limited.
Recovery 5-10→
A comfortable post-training pacing sequence, not a measured recovery intervention.
Soft Belly→
Diaphragmatic emphasis. Useful for chronic shallow-breathers.
Micro-protocols (60–90 seconds)
6 protocols60-Second Sigh→
A single round of cyclic sighing, timed. The shortest useful intervention in the library.
Three Breaths→
Three slow paced rounds — for transitions between meetings.
Pre-Email Reset→
Before opening a difficult message. 90 seconds.
Pre-Conversation→
Before a hard conversation. Lengthens the exhale only.
In-Car→
Passenger seat or parked. Eyes can stay open.
Post-Workout→
A 90-second transition from training to an unforced breathing pace.
Every pattern has a stated evidence level
PulseWave links a pattern to the closest relevant source and labels the relationship as direct, adjacent or practice-level. Cyclic sighing points to Balban et al. (2023); slow breathing near 0.1 Hz points to Lehrer and Gevirtz's HRV-biofeedback review; app-authored cadences are identified as untested. The Wim Hof method is discussed as an excluded higher-risk practice, not shipped as a PulseWave protocol. No cited paper evaluated PulseWave itself.
How PulseWave runs the breathing
A pacer that doesn't require staring at it.
The visual breathing guide is the obvious thing. The less obvious thing — and the one most people end up using more — is the haptic option. Optional vibrations at each phase transition mean you can close your eyes, lie down, or run the pacer with the phone in your pocket. The whole library works that way.
- Visual orb or haptic ticks — pick either, or both.
- Adjustable counts — every protocol can be tuned within safe bounds.
- Citation visible in-session — research linked, not hidden.
- Background-friendly — pairs with the sound studio for layered sessions.
- Repository launch plan — no account for the core breathing library and offline pacing; verify the final entitlement on the live App Store sheet.
