The breath room

Breath

The breathing exercises from the AORA library: calm patterns for settling down, and the traditional inner-fire practices for waking up. Follow along at your own pace — you can pause or stop any time.

Before you begin

The animation, the music and the voice are on by default. They start only when you start a practice — never before.

AnimationThe breathing circle MusicA soft ambient bed VoiceSpoken cues, in your language

Calm

Do these seated or lying down, on dry ground and away from water. Stop if you feel dizzy and breathe normally.

9 minutes

Downshift Breathing

Extended exhale. The simplest thing that works.

A longer out-breath than in-breath, for nine minutes. Slows the heart and settles the body before sleep or after a session.

5 minutes

Box Breathing

A regulated four-count pattern, used to settle under pressure.

In, hold, out, hold — four seconds each. Steadies the nervous system quickly and sharpens attention. Useful before something hard.

12 minutes

Morning Reset

Even breathing, seated, eyes closed.

Five in, five out, for twelve minutes. A quiet start that asks nothing of you.

6 minutes

Settle before contrast

Even breathing, well away from the water.

Four in, four out, for six minutes, on a recovery day or at home. It is never done at the plunge or in the time leading up to it.

Inner fire

Energising breathwork: rapid breathing and breath holds, kept apart from everything else here.

Read this first

Never in or near water. Never before a cold plunge: rapid breathing and breath holds can make you black out without any warning, and in or near water that can be fatal.
Never while driving, and never standing up. Sit or lie down, on dry ground.
Stop at once if you feel dizzy, light-headed or unwell, and breathe normally.

Not for you if you have

Pregnancy
Epilepsy or a history of seizures
Heart disease, high blood pressure or a recent cardiac event
A panic disorder that rapid breathing has set off before
Recent surgery, or a detached retina
Anything your clinician has told you rules this out

I have read this. I will never do these practices in or near water, before a cold plunge, while driving or standing, and I will stop if I feel dizzy.

You will be asked again whenever this warning changes.

6 minutes

Tummo

Tibetan Buddhist inner-fire meditation (gtum-mo).

Rounds of vigorous breathing, then a retention on empty lungs while you picture warmth gathering below the navel and rising. The traditional practice is spiritual; this is the breathing and the image, taught plainly.

3 minutes

Bhastrika

Bellows breath, from the pranayama of hatha yoga.

Short, forceful breaths in and out through the nose, like a bellows, then ordinary breathing. Clears the head and wakes the body. Three rounds.

In the room

Holotropic Breathwork

Developed by Stanislav Grof. Accelerated breathing with music, in a group, with a sitter.

Deeper, faster breathing for an extended time, with music, to reach an altered state for emotional release. It is done in the room with a facilitator and a sitter, never alone with a phone, so there is no timer here.

Ask at the front desk to book a facilitated session.