Pranayama Sequence Planner

Steps{{ resultsReady ? computation.values.active_steps : '—' }} Average pace{{ resultsReady ? `${formatNumber(computation.values.average_cycles_per_minute, 1)} /min` : '—' }} Hold share{{ resultsReady ? `${formatNumber(computation.values.hold_share_percent, 1)}%` : '—' }}

Sequence preset:

Presets set step order and timing; Custom keeps the current fields unchanged.

Preparation time:

0–120 seconds; 10 seconds gives a short setup pause.

Cooldown:

min

0–20 minutes; zero ends when the final breathing step finishes.

Sequence steps:

Minutes take priority when both minutes and cycles are above zero.

Technique:

Minutes:

min

Cycles:

cycles

Phase seconds:

Cue note:

Global pace:

{{ global_pace_percent }}%; the neutral default is 100%.

Inter-step rest:

0–180 seconds; zero keeps steps back to back.

Nostril cue:

The neutral default adds no nostril wording.

Cue volume setting:

{{ audio_volume }}%; zero is the neutral visual-only default.

Cue pitch setting:

100–1600 Hz; relevant only when cue volume is above zero.

The chart renderer is unavailable. Exact phase values remain in the practice plan and sequence ledger.

Step	Technique	Quantity	Cycle	Duration	Cue	Copy
{{ row.order }}	{{ row.title }}	{{ row.quantity }}	{{ row.cycle }}	{{ row.duration }}	{{ row.note }}

A written breathing ratio is a map, not a test of endurance. Counts such as 5-0-5-0 or 4-4-4-4 describe the order and relative length of inhaling, pausing, exhaling, and pausing again. The useful pace is one that stays smooth and comfortable without gasping, straining, or forcing a hold.

Pranayama is the breath-regulation part of yoga practice. Some sequences use equal inhales and exhales to support a steady rhythm. Others lengthen the exhale, add breath holds, alternate nostrils, or combine several patterns in one session. The name of a technique does not settle how it will feel: posture, congestion, stress, pregnancy, medication, respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, and prior practice can all change the experience.

Phase: One part of a cycle: inhale, hold after inhale, exhale, or hold after exhale.
Cycle: One complete pass through all phases that have a positive duration.
Ratio: The timing relationship among the phases. Scaling every phase equally changes speed without changing that relationship.
Sequence: One or more timed techniques plus any preparation, transition rests, and cooldown.

A time-based step and a cycle-based step answer different planning questions. Minutes set a fixed block in the session, even when the selected pace changes. Cycles preserve a fixed number of complete breaths, so slowing the pace makes the step longer. Mixing the two approaches is reasonable, but each step needs one clear controlling quantity.

Breath holds deserve particular care because they can make a familiar-looking ratio much more demanding. Four equal box-breathing phases spend half of each cycle in holds, while a 5-second inhale and 5-second exhale has no hold time. More hold time is not automatically more effective. Beginners should favor gentle, unforced breathing and learn stronger practices from a qualified instructor.

Breathing practice can support relaxation or mindful attention, but a timing plan does not diagnose or treat anxiety, insomnia, lung disease, high blood pressure, or any other condition. Stop the exercise and return to normal breathing if you feel dizzy, faint, short of breath, panicky, painful, or otherwise unwell.

How to Use This Tool:

Begin with a pattern that already feels comfortable, then change one timing choice at a time.

Choose a Sequence preset or select Custom. A preset replaces the step order and timing; Custom leaves the current fields unchanged.
Set Preparation time and Cooldown, then enable up to four Sequence steps. For each step, choose a technique or enter custom phase seconds.
Use Minutes for a fixed-duration step or set minutes to zero and enter Cycles. If both are above zero, minutes control the duration and the plan shows a warning.
Adjust Global pace or Inter-step rest only after the base sequence reads comfortably. Lower pace percentages lengthen every phase; higher percentages shorten them.
Check the total duration, average cycles per minute, hold share, and sequence ledger. Rehearse visually with Start, Pause, and Next step; the stored cue-volume and pitch settings do not play audio.

Interpreting Results:

The total duration includes preparation, every active breathing step, rests between active steps, and cooldown. It is therefore longer than the active breathing time whenever any of those surrounding periods are present.

Average pace summarizes the active steps. A comfortable average does not guarantee that every individual ratio is comfortable.
Hold share is the percentage of the whole session spent in breath holds. Preparation, rests, and cooldown lower this percentage because they remain in the total duration.
Phase mix shows where session time goes; use it to spot a sequence dominated by holds or by one long step.
Sequence ledger is the best place to verify each technique, controlling quantity, cycle length, duration, and cue note before rehearsal.

Technical Details:

Each active step is reduced to four nonnegative phase durations. Global pace multiplies all four phases by the same scale, so it preserves the phase ratio while changing cycle length. The timing model is deterministic and makes no physiological claim about which technique or pace is suitable for a particular person.

Formula Core

The paced cycle length equals the sum of the four base phases multiplied by 100 divided by the pace percentage.

C_{paced} = (I + H_{1} + E + H_{2}) \times \frac{100}{P}

Pranayama timing symbols and units
Symbol	Meaning	Unit
`I`	Inhale duration	seconds
`H`₁	Hold after inhale	seconds
`E`	Exhale duration	seconds
`H`₂	Hold after exhale	seconds
`P`	Global pace	percent
`C`_paced	Resulting cycle length	seconds

At the neutral 100% pace, a 5-0-5-0 cycle lasts 10 seconds. At 80%, the scale is 100 / 80 = 1.25, so the same cycle lasts 12.5 seconds. A 10-minute step remains 600 seconds either way, but the slower version contains fewer cycles. A cycle-based step instead uses cycles × C_paced.

The whole-session duration adds preparation, active-step durations, rests between enabled steps, and cooldown.

T_{total} = T_{prep} + \sum_{j = 1}^{n} T_{j} + R (n - 1) + 60 D

Here n is the number of enabled steps, R is the rest between steps in seconds, and D is cooldown minutes. No rest is added after the final active step. Displayed durations are rounded to whole seconds, while pace, averages, and phase totals are calculated from unrounded values.

Technique timing map

Named breathing patterns available as starting ratios
Pattern	Inhale	Hold	Exhale	Final hold	Base cycle
Coherent	5 s	0 s	5 s	0 s	10 s
Resonance	4.5 s	0 s	5.5 s	0 s	10 s
Box	4 s	4 s	4 s	4 s	16 s
4-7-8	4 s	7 s	8 s	0 s	19 s
Triangle or Nadi Shodhana	4 s	4 s	8 s	0 s	16 s
7-11	7 s	0 s	11 s	0 s	18 s

Valid plans require at least one enabled step, at least one positive phase in every enabled step, and either minutes or cycles for each enabled step. Phase values may range from 0 to 30 seconds, global pace from 70% to 130%, preparation from 0 to 120 seconds, and inter-step rest from 0 to 180 seconds.

Safety and Limitations:

The page schedules counts and displays a visual rehearsal. It cannot assess breathing quality, oxygen level, blood pressure, panic response, contraindications, or technique. It also does not play audio despite storing cue-volume and pitch preferences.

Keep the breath easy and unforced; never compete with a preset or countdown.
Avoid forceful breathing and demanding holds when learning without qualified instruction.
Ask a health professional or qualified instructor about modifications during pregnancy, for older adults, or when a health condition may affect safe practice.
Stop immediately for dizziness, faintness, chest pain, unusual shortness of breath, panic, or other distress.

References:

Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
Relaxation Techniques: What You Need To Know, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.