Breathing Pacer
A gentle visual guide for the breath — let the circle grow as you breathe in and ease back as you breathe out. It is a modern pacing aid for people practising mindfulness of breathing, not the practice itself: anapanasati, the breath meditation the Buddha taught most fully, asks you to follow the breath as it already is rather than count it. Use a rhythm here to settle, then let it go. Free, no account, with an optional soft bell — nothing plays until you choose it.
Longer out-breath — settles a busy or anxious mind.
A simple aid for mindfulness of breathing — not medical treatment. If breath-focus ever makes you light-headed or anxious, simply stop and breathe naturally.
Breathing as meditation
In Buddhism the breath is the most trusted anchor for the mind. You are not trying to control it so much as to keep it gentle company — and when the attention wanders, to bring it back, kindly, again and again. That returning is the practice. A pacer like this is only training wheels; the aim is to breathe and simply know you are breathing.
So it is worth being plain about the rhythms offered here. A counted pattern is not itself anapanasati: across the sixteen steps of MN 118 there is no count, no ratio and no held breath — the meditator knows the breath as it arrives (heavy or light, in Bhikkhu Sujato’s rendering) rather than setting its length. Box and 4·7·8 come from modern breathwork rather than from the suttas. They are good at what they do, and there is no harm in using them as what they are: follow one until the body loosens, then let the count go and let the breath be as it is. That is where the practice begins.
Learn the full method in our guide to anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing), start with how to meditate, or explore all of Buddhist meditation. For where a counted pattern ends and the Buddha’s own breath meditation begins, see breathwork vs Buddhist breathing. If you came here to steady an anxious moment, see Buddhism and anxiety. For more aids, see all our free tools.
Frequently asked questions
What is this breathing tool?
It is a free, no-signup visual breath guide: a circle that gently expands as you breathe in and contracts as you breathe out, pacing your breath at a calming rhythm. The paced rhythm is a modern calming technique rather than a Buddhist one, so treat it as a way in to mindfulness of breathing — anapanasati, the Buddha's own core meditation — rather than as anapanasati itself, which asks you to follow the natural breath instead of counting it.
What is anapanasati?
Anapanasati means 'mindfulness of breathing.' It is the meditation the Buddha is recorded as practising himself and teaching most fully in the Anapanasati Sutta (MN 118): simply being aware of the natural breath as it comes and goes, using it as an anchor for a settled, clear mind. This tool only offers a steady rhythm to settle by; the sutta prescribes no counts at all, so once you are settled, let the pacing go and simply follow the breath as it is.
Which breathing pattern should I use?
Start with 'Calm' — its longer out-breath tends to settle a busy or anxious mind, and it's a good default. 'Even' is a balanced, simple rhythm; 'Box' (equal four counts) supports focus and composure; '4·7·8' is a long, slow release some people use before sleep. All four are modern calming patterns rather than anything the suttas prescribe — 'Box' and '4·7·8' belong to contemporary breathwork — so use them as steadying aids and let the counting go once the breath settles. Pick whatever feels easy — breathing should never be forced.
Can this help with anxiety or stress?
Slow, steady breathing — especially a longer exhale — can be genuinely calming, and many people find it helpful in an anxious moment. But this is a contemplative aid, not medical treatment or therapy. If breath-focus ever makes you light-headed or more anxious, simply stop and let your breath be natural. If you are in distress, please reach out to a doctor or a crisis line.
Is anything stored about me?
No account and nothing sent anywhere. Your chosen pattern and bell preference are saved only in your own browser, and the sound (if you turn the bell on) is generated locally — there are no audio files and no autoplay.