90-second breathwork protocol, four steps

The EYANA Reset

For a racing heart, pre-performance nerves, or a wave of stress. Ninety seconds, no equipment, no training. One physiological sigh to reset, then slow breathing to settle the cardiovascular system.

4 steps, Breath Honesty Scale 4 of 5

  • Ninety seconds: notice, one physiological sigh, seventy-five seconds of slow breathing, return.
  • The sigh clears carbon dioxide fast; the slow breathing increases cardiac vagal outflow and amplifies the baroreflex.
  • Breath Honesty Scale: 4 of 5, Promising. The components are well studied; the exact protocol is the cardiologist’s assembly of those components.
  • Who should be careful: see the Mogire Contraindication Framework below.

Four steps

Try the Reset now

1

Notice

5 seconds

Place one hand on your chest. Notice your current breath rate. You do not need to change your breath rate yet.

2

Sigh

10 seconds

A double inhale through the nose, two sniffs, first long and second a short top-off. Then a slow exhale through the mouth over eight to ten seconds.

3

Slow

75 seconds

Slow breathing at five to six breaths a minute. Inhale five seconds, exhale five seconds, or four in and six out if that is easier. No holds. Continue for about seven or eight full breaths.

4

Return

5 seconds

Take one normal breath. Notice the difference.

Physiological mechanism

Why the Reset works

The physiological sigh is not decoration. During normal breathing, small air sacs in your lungs slowly collapse. The second inhale re-inflates them, and the long exhale that follows clears accumulated carbon dioxide efficiently, which is why you feel calmer within seconds.

The slow breathing that follows does something mechanical to the pressure in your chest. Each slow exhale lengthens the window in which your parasympathetic nervous system is actively slowing your heart. At about six breaths a minute you synchronize with your cardiovascular system’s natural rhythm, amplifying the baroreflex, the feedback loop that regulates your blood pressure. The whole Reset takes ninety seconds and asks nothing of you but attention.

Breath Honesty Scale: 4 of 5, Promising

A 2023 Stanford randomized trial of 108 people found that five minutes a day of cyclic sighing improved mood and lowered breathing rate slightly more than mindfulness over a month. The Stanford result comes from one trial with self-reported outcomes. The Stanford result is a good starting point, not a final verdict. The slow-breathing component rests on stronger ground: acute increases in heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity are among the most replicated findings in the field.

Contraindications, Mogire Framework

When not to do this

The EYANA Reset uses no forced hyperventilation and no breath holds, so the Reset is gentle. Still, if you have a diagnosed arrhythmia, heart failure, severe COPD, epilepsy, or you are pregnant, read the Mogire Contraindication Framework first. Stop and seek care for chest pain, fainting, or a racing heart that will not settle. The Reset is for ordinary stress, not for a cardiac emergency.

Dr. Job Mogire · Cardiologist, Carle Health

I reach for the Reset myself before difficult conversations. The Reset will not drop your heart rate dramatically if you are genuinely in fight-or-flight, and the Reset is not supposed to. What the Reset reliably changes is the variability between your beats, and with that variability, a measure of composure. Ninety seconds is enough to feel the change.

Questions

How often can I do the EYANA Reset?

As often as you like. The Reset is ninety seconds of gentle slow breathing with no breath holds, so there is no daily limit for healthy adults. Many people use the Reset before meetings, before sleep, or whenever a wave of stress arrives.

Do I need the double inhale?

The double inhale helps but is not mandatory. The double inhale re-inflates small air sacs in the lungs and clears carbon dioxide quickly, which is why the sigh feels good. If the double inhale makes you lightheaded, skip the double inhale and go straight to the slow breathing.

Is the EYANA Reset safe?

For most people, yes. The Reset uses no forced hyperventilation and no breath holds. If you have an arrhythmia, heart failure, severe COPD, epilepsy, or you are pregnant, read the Mogire Contraindication Framework first and check with your physician.

Will the Reset stop a panic attack?

The Reset can interrupt the hyperventilation that drives panic by restoring normal carbon dioxide, which eases the dizziness and tingling. The Reset is a tool, not a treatment. If panic is frequent or severe, that is a conversation for a clinician.

Primary sources

EYANA is health education, not medical advice. EYANA does not diagnose, treat, or replace your physician, and nothing here is a reason to start, stop, or change any medication or treatment. If you have a heart or lung condition, read the Mogire Contraindication Framework first and talk to your doctor. If you have chest pain, fainting, or a racing heart that will not settle, seek medical care.

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