Cyclic sighing: what the evidence says
Cyclic sighing is a double inhale through the nose followed by a long, slow exhale, repeated for about five minutes. In a 2023 randomized trial of 108 people, five minutes a day for a month improved positive mood more than mindfulness meditation and lowered resting breathing rate. It is one promising trial, not yet an established finding.
Cyclic sighing - a double inhale and a long exhale - improved mood more than mindfulness in a 2023 Stanford trial. How to do it and how strong the evidence is.
Beiing evidence map
Evidence: Limited for improving day-to-day mood
Try it with the breathing pacer (extended exhale)How to do it
- Breathe in slowly through your nose.
- When your lungs feel full, take a second, shorter sip of air through the nose to top them up.
- Breathe out slowly and fully through your mouth, longer than the inhales together.
- Repeat for about 5 minutes.
What the research shows
Balban and colleagues randomly assigned 108 adults to five minutes a day of cyclic sighing, box breathing, rapid breathing with breath holds, or mindfulness meditation for 28 days.
All groups improved in mood and anxiety. Cyclic sighing produced the largest gain in positive mood and the only significant difference from mindfulness, and its benefit grew with more days of practice. It also lowered resting breathing rate more than mindfulness.
The authors describe the study as exploratory: it was registered after it began, groups were small, practice was self-reported at home, and follow-up lasted four weeks. A larger pre-registered trial is planned.
What "Limited" means here: A small number of small or early studies. Promising or plausible, not established. Rated for: Improving day-to-day mood.
Key studies
- Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal
Balban MY, et al. Cell Reports Medicine, 2023 · Randomized controlled trial, 108 adults, 5 minutes a day for 28 days
Cyclic sighing improved positive mood more than mindfulness meditation; anxiety fell similarly in all groups.
Safety notes
- Keep the breaths comfortable. Stop if you feel dizzy.
- One wearable maker supplied devices for the trial, and one author later advised that company; the authors disclose this.
Common questions
Is cyclic sighing better than meditation?
In one trial it improved positive mood more than a mindfulness practice of the same length. Anxiety improved equally in both. One trial is not enough to call it better in general.
Checked against the studies above on October 28, 2026 by Beiing's editorial and research team (writers and researchers, not licensed clinicians). How we review · For clinicians
More from the evidence map
- Slow breathing (about 6 breaths a minute) Moderate
- Box breathing (4-4-4-4) Limited
- 4-7-8 breathing Limited
- Nature sounds Moderate
- Music for stress Strong
- White, pink and brown noise for focus Limited
- White noise for sleep Insufficient
- Binaural beats Limited
- 528 Hz and solfeggio frequencies Insufficient
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