Everyone has their own natural breathing pace which is comfortable for them. The Breath Pacer starts out at a default pace (10 breaths/minute-5 in and 5 out), but if you find the speed of the Breath Pacer to be too fast or too slow, just breathe at a steady relaxed pace that is comfortable for you. Every person is different and it’s more important to adjust the breath cycle to a comfortable pace. We recommend breathing a little slower and deeper than you normally would.
emWave2 (Hand held unit)
The Breath Pacer is displayed as Blue lights, rising to the top and falling back down to the bottom of the Heart Action Strip. The Breath Pacer will gradually adjust its rate to your breathing rate, provided that you maintain medium or high coherence for 60 seconds or more. Only the pacing rate is adjusted — you must still synchronize your in and out breathing with the up and down motion of the pacer. The pacer cannot be adjusted manually.
emWave Pro (and Plus), emWave2 Software
There are several ways to view the Breath Pacers in the software:
- Just to the right of the main HRV graph screen. (Only visible when running a session) The lights will rise and fall. Click the + or – signs to adjust it to your comfort level. The Breath Cycle Time number will be displayed in the User tab.
- Using the Coherence Coach (Located in the Games section). The Coherence Coach can be adjusted using the controls on the display.
Tips:
If you click on the time, on the right side of the screen in the Inspector-User tab-Breath Cycle Time, a small window opens and allows you to “dial-in” the precise level that you choose.
You can either click the up or down buttons or type in the exact time that is the most comfortable for you, eg: 9.3 instead of 9.0. But, if you were to click the plus or minus buttons after that everything goes to increments of .5, eg: 9.8 etc.
Note: When changing the breath pacer, a larger number means fewer breaths per minute or a slower breath rate, a smaller breath cycle number means more breaths per minute which is a faster breath rate.
emWave2 Tips
Using the emWave2 software, you can change the breath pacer by clicking on Edit at the top of the screen and the selecting Edit User’s Breath Cycle Time.
If you are using the emWave2 while not connected to the computer, there aren’t any breathing pacer adjustments on the handheld unit. Sometime after 2 minutes of session time, the Breath Pacer will begin to gradually adjust its rate to your breathing rate, provided that you maintain medium or high coherence for 60 seconds or more. Only the pacing rate is adjusted — you must still synchronize your in and out breathing with the up and down motion of the pacer.
Inner Balance
To adjust the Breath Pacer in Inner Balance:
- Open the Inner Balance app
- Tap – Settings (Gear icon)
- Swipe down to see the Breath Pacer
- Drag the Slider, right for slower and left for faster
Using the Inner Balance Breath Pacers
Inner Balance has 3 Breath Pacers designed to help you regulate your breath rate at your personal comfort level. All of the pacers are adjusted from the same place in the Settings view. The higher the number – the more breaths you take in one breath cycle (inhale & exhale). The default setting is 10. That’s the count of 5 inhale and the count of 5 exhale. We recommend breathing a little slower and deeper than you normally would.
- Mandala: The Mandala is the Inner Balance home view. Inhale as it contracts and exhale as it expands.
- Chaser: Swipe to the left to see the following view with the Chaser feature. Inhale as the shades rise and exhale as they lower.
- Moving Ball: As you move on to other views in the Inner Balance app and only when you are running an active session, do you see the Moving Ball breath pacer. It will be at the top of the view and moving from side to side at the breath rate that you have it set for.
Note: Both the Mandala and the Chaser, may be turned off in the Session Views settings but the Moving Ball pacer will still function.