Breathwork
Therapy Techniques
What to Use, When to Use It, and How to Actually Feel Better.
Breathwork therapy sounds a bit…intense, right? But all it really means is using your breath — something you're already doing, to help your body and mind calm the hell down.
In a world of deadlines, doomscrolling and digital overload, how we breathe affects everything: our stress levels, sleep, digestion, ability to concentrate…even how snappy we get with people we love. Luckily, there's no PhD required. Just a few simple guided breathwork techniques that help your nervous system switch gears from wired to rested.
And whether you’re looking for a pre-bed wind-down, a mid-meeting moment of calm, or just want to feel less like a bag of bees inside, we’ve got you. Here's your beginner-friendly, science-backed, Clementine-approved guide to all the breathwork sessions worth knowing and when to use each one.
What Is Breathwork Therapy?
Breathwork therapy is a fancy name for controlled breathing techniques that help regulate your nervous system. Instead of shallow, stressy chest breathing (which tells your body you’re in danger), these practices shift you into a calmer state. Think fewer cortisol spikes, better sleep, and a body that isn’t constantly bracing for impact.
It’s one of the most effective tools in your wellbeing toolkit, and it's free, always available, and doesn’t require chanting or standing on your head.
🧘♀️ A Breakdown of Guided Breathwork Techniques
These are our favourite guided breathwork styles all backed by research and real-life results.
1. Box-Breathing
Also known as: Square breathing or four-part breath
How it works: Inhale (4 sec) → Hold (4 sec) → Exhale (4 sec) → Hold (4 sec)
When to use it:
- Feeling overwhelmed before a meeting
- Post-argument calm-down
- Regulating your breath during a stressy commute
Why it’s good:
Used by Navy SEALs and anxious humans alike, it gives your brain something to focus on and helps slow down your entire system. Great for grounding and refocusing.
Downside: Breath holds can be tough if you're already breathless or panicked, try another technique if that’s you.
2. 4-7-8 Breathing
How it works: Inhale (4 sec) → Hold (7 sec) → Exhale (8 sec)
When to use it:
- Bedtime wind-down
- Waking up at 3am overthinking that thing you said in 2014
- Nerves before sleep (or anything)
Why it’s good:
Bedtime breathwork at its best. It slows the heart rate and shifts the body into sleep mode. Long exhales help release tension from the body.
Downside: The 7-second hold can be tricky for beginners. Try 4-4-6 instead and build up.
3. Cyclic Sighing
How it works: Inhale deeply → Small second top-up inhale → Long sigh out through the mouth
When to use it:
- Full-blown stress spiral
- Coming off a heated conversation
- Afternoon overwhelm
Why it’s good:
This one’s backed by a Stanford study showing just 5 minutes per day can reduce anxiety and boost mood. It's simple and feels natural, like the sighs we already do when we’re maxed out.
Downside: Might feel awkward at first. That’s fine. No one’s watching.
4. Belly Breathing (Diaphragmatic)
How it works: Breathe into your belly so it rises. Not your chest.
When to use it:
- Ongoing, low-level tension
- Before meals, during breaks, any time really
- When you feel disconnected from your body
Why it’s good:
It engages your diaphragm, activates the vagus nerve, and tells your body “you’re safe.” Improves digestion, stress resilience, and emotional regulation.
Downside: Takes practice to unlearn shallow breathing, but once you get it, it’s magic.
5. Resonance Breathing (aka Coherent Breathing)
How it works: Inhale 5-6 sec → Exhale 5-6 sec (≈ 5-6 breaths per minute)
When to use it:
- As a daily practice for nervous system health
- During a lunch break reset
- Before bed or after a long day of screen time
Why it’s good:
Improves heart rate variability (HRV) and long-term stress resilience. This is like a nervous system massage.
Downside: Takes a bit longer (10-15 minutes) to really work its magic.
6. Left-Nostril Breathing (Moon Breathing)
How it works: Close right nostril → Breathe through left only
When to use it:
- Sleep anxiety
- Racing thoughts
- When you want to slow your body down now
Why it’s good:
- Taps into your parasympathetic nervous system (aka the part that calms you down).
- Used in yogic tradition - now backed by modern neuroscience.
Downside: Blocked nose = no go. Also looks weird in public, so maybe save it for home.
Which Breathwork Technique to Use When?
This for that:
Struggling to sleep ----> 4-7-8 Breathing, Moon Breathing, Cyclic Sighing
Midday tension ----> Belly Breathing, Resonance Breathing
Pre-meeting anxiety ----> Box Breathing, Left-Nostril
Panic Creeping In ----> Cyclic Sighing, 4-7-8 Breathing
Building a daily digital wellbeing habit ----> Resonance or Belly Breathing
Zoom Fatigue ----> Box Breathing or Belly Breathing
Feeling disconnected from your body ----> Diaphragmatic/Belly Breathing
😴 Bedtime Breathwork for Better Sleep
Your nervous system needs to feel safe in order to sleep. That’s where bedtime breathwork comes in — it slows the heart rate, relaxes your body, and helps release the day.
Pair one of the above techniques with our sleep sessions or guided hypnotherapy for an even deeper wind-down.
🔗 Part of Your Wellbeing Toolkit
Breathwork isn’t just for one-off freak-outs — it can become part of your daily digital wellbeing plan. Used regularly, these techniques support your nervous system, improve sleep, reduce reactivity, and help you feel more in charge of your emotions.
You can find these breathing techniques (plus audio guidance) in our breathwork therapy collection, or explore our wider wellbeing toolkit if you’re looking for movement, journaling, soundscapes or self-guided massage.
Just Start with One
Don’t overthink it. Choose one breathwork session, try it for a few minutes, and notice what changes. This is about showing up for your nervous system — not becoming a breathwork guru.
📥 Want audio guidance? Head to our guided breathwork collection and try a session tonight.
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