What if we told you that there is a proven way to attain calm and clarity whenever you need it? Well, there is. What’s more, you already have the ability to do this. You just need some guidance on how, and meQ has a new tool to help―the Breathe Coach.

But first, some information on why this ability is so important. It comes back to how our bodies respond when we believe we’re in danger. Your autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary body functions (think blood pressure and heartbeat), is a key player. It governs both your stress response, which helps you respond to perceived challenges and threats, and your relaxation response, which helps you stay calm and recover from threats.

We thrive when these two responses are in sync: We become alerted to a perceived threat, and once it has passed, we calm down. However, the body rarely does this on its own. More often, it defaults to or remains in high gear, getting us stuck in the stress zone.

A technique called resonance breathing, however, can help you hit the brakes when needed. And now you can practice this type of breathing right in your meQ mobile app with your very own Breathe Coach.

How does resonance breathing help? It balances your nervous system by aligning your breathing with your heart rate. Whether you realize it or not, your heart rate is always changing. As you inhale, your heart beats faster, and as you exhale, it beats slower. It’s happening even as you’re sitting and reading this post, and this variability helps you adapt to complex situations.

Resonance breathing helps you increase and strengthen the variations between heartbeats, which in turn strengthens your ability to handle challenges and recover from high-pressure situations. The practice has been around for 2,500 years, and it has more than 30 years of research behind it.

The meQ Breathe Coach was adapted from a tool created by venture architect Anders Søndergaard and mindfulness practitioner Helga Halkjær. “The body plays a core role in our mental well-being,” says Halkjær. “This tool is a way of bringing ourselves back into our bodies by giving us a window into our own physiology.”

You can access Breathe Coach from the dashboard of the meQ mobile app. Once there, all you have to do is touch your index finger to your smartphone’s camera lens, which will transform into a biometric sensor, analyzing your breath and heart rate. Breathe Coach will then guide you through the practice of resonance breathing, helping you align your heart rate with your breath cycles.

We recommend that you start by completing the introductory training modules, which will walk you through guided sessions. Like with any skill, resonance breathing is something you strengthen with practice. To build a habit, plan your practice―it just takes a few minutes―before or after something you already do regularly, such as your morning coffee.

Resonance breathing has already helped many people reclaim control, keep stress at bay, and even—some studies show—reduce symptoms of IBS, asthma, and other anxiety-related health conditions. “Personally, this practice has served as an anchor through stressful times for me, helping me reconnect with myself,” says Halkjær.

For Søndergaard, the science behind the practice has helped him find confidence and reassurance—by showing him that he has tools at his disposal to regulate stress. What will resonance breathing do for you? Get started to find out.

About the Author
Elior Moskowitz

Elior Moskowitz is a frequent Cup of Calm contributor and also writes for various major business journals and lifestyle publications. She holds a B.A. in psychology and English, with special training in positive psychology and mental health counseling, and is working on an M.S. in clinical mental health counseling at Johns Hopkins University.

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