What is power breathing?
Power breathing is an energizing breathing exercise: full, deep inhales and easy, unforced exhales at a faster pace than normal breathing. In Hima one breath takes three and a half seconds—two in, one and a half out. It belongs to a family of breathwork styles based on controlled, rapid breathing.
How to do power breathing
- Sit or lie down. Never do it standing, driving or in water.
- Inhale deeply for about 2 seconds, through the nose or mouth, filling belly and chest.
- Let the air go for about 1.5 seconds. Do not push it out; just release.
- Keep the rhythm steady. When you finish, return to normal breathing for a minute before you stand up.
What power breathing helps with
- Morning sluggishness and the mid-afternoon slump.
- Getting ready for a workout or a task that needs energy.
- Breaking a low mood when you feel flat rather than anxious.
Why it works
Faster, deeper breathing activates the sympathetic, “get going” side of the nervous system and lowers carbon dioxide in the blood. You may feel warmth, tingling in the hands or face, or slight lightheadedness—these are normal signs of over-breathing and pass when you breathe normally again. Research on training programs that combine this kind of breathing with meditation and cold exposure has shown measurable effects on the stress response (Kox et al., 2014).
Where power breathing is used
Energizing breathwork is used in modern breathwork classes, sports warm-ups and traditional practices such as kapalabhati in yoga and tummo in Tibetan meditation.
How long and when to practice
1 to 3 minutes, in the morning or before activity. Not before sleep. Safety first: skip power breathing if you are pregnant, have epilepsy, heart disease or high blood pressure, or if you are prone to panic attacks—choose coherent breathing instead.
Power breathing in Hima
Open the Recharge tab, choose Power Breathing and pick how long you want to breathe—anywhere from 1 to 60 minutes, with one-tap 3, 5, 10 and 15 minute options. A calm animation shows each phase, so you can follow it with your eyes half closed.
- Background sounds. Thirteen to choose from: Ocean Waves, Rain, Forest, Wind, Flowing Stream, Fireplace, Pink Noise, Brown Noise, Om Chant and four binaural beats—Delta 2.5 Hz, Theta 5 Hz, Beta 16 Hz and Gamma 40 Hz (use headphones for these).
- Vibration. Light or strong haptic cues mark each phase, so you can breathe with your eyes closed.
- Reminders. Set a daily reminder for your breathing practice at the time and days you choose.
- A breath before the scroll. The same calm breath appears when you open an app you have chosen to pause—one breath between you and the feed.
Sources
- Kox M. et al. Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans. PNAS, 2014. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1322174111
Hima is a wellness app, not a medical device. Breathing exercises are not a treatment for any condition. If you feel dizzy, short of breath or unwell, stop and breathe normally. If you have a heart, lung or anxiety condition, are pregnant, or have epilepsy, talk to your doctor first.