BreathSesh: Box Breathing

Box breathing, 4-7-8, resonance, and breath retention — one purchase, no subscription, no account, fully offline. Start free with Calm Breathing.

Box breathing, 4-7-8, and more — a breathing timer and guided breathwork sessions for calm, focus, and stress relief. One-time purchase, no subscription, no account, fully offline. Now in English and German.

Breathwork is one of the fastest-acting tools you have for shifting your state. Box breathing slows your nervous system before a hard meeting. The 4-7-8 technique quiets a racing mind before sleep. A breath retention sequence resets your energy after a long afternoon. BreathSesh puts all of that in one quiet, offline app — and you pay for it once.

WHO IT'S FOR

BreathSesh is for people who want a focused breathing tool, not another wellness platform. If you already know what box breathing or 4-7-8 is and just want a clean way to do it, this is the app. If you're new to breathing exercises, the guided sessions walk you through each pattern step by step.

You don't need to log in. You don't need a profile. Nothing is sent to a server.

THE PATTERNS

Calm Breathing — free A slow, extended exhale that activates your body's rest response. No timer pressure. A good starting point.

Premium is a one-time purchase and unlocks the rest:

Box Breathing Four equal counts: inhale, hold, exhale, hold. Used widely for stress management and pre-performance focus. The technique that gave BreathSesh its name.

4-7-8 Breathing Inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8. A longer exhale ratio that promotes deep relaxation. Often used as a pre-sleep routine.

Power Breathing (breath retention) Rhythmic deep breathing followed by breath holds. An energizing sequence for mornings or a low-energy afternoon reset.

Alternate Nostril Breathing A pranayama pattern that alternates nostrils each cycle. Balances focus and calm.

Resonance Breathing A 5.5-second inhale and 5.5-second exhale rhythm associated with improved heart rate variability.

2-4 Breathing A short inhale, twice as long exhale. The simplest way to slow your nervous system.

Plus a custom pattern builder for your own ratios.

Once you unlock premium, it's yours. No renewal, no lapse, no re-purchasing on a new device (restored via App Store).

ON YOUR DEVICES

iCloud sync carries your streaks, history, and preferences between iPhone and iPad. Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets, Live Activities, and Dynamic Island show your streak. Siri and Spotlight start a session by voice or from search — "Hey Siri, start a Box Breathing session."

LANGUAGES

English and German. The app follows your device language automatically.

ACCESSIBILITY

VoiceOver across the full app. Dynamic Type scales every screen. Bold Text and Increase Contrast supported. Reduce Motion is respected throughout — animations fall back to static gradients. Color contrast tested against WCAG AA.

A NOTE ON SAFETY

Breathing exercises are generally safe for healthy adults. Breath retention techniques involve brief voluntary breath holds — do not practice them in water, while driving, or in any situation where loss of consciousness would be dangerous. If you have a respiratory or cardiovascular condition, check with your doctor before starting breath retention practice. Nothing in this app is medical advice.

TECHNICAL

• Works fully offline — no internet connection required after download
• iCloud sync for streaks, history, and preferences
• Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets, Live Activities, Dynamic Island
• App Intents for Siri and Spotlight
• Universal iPhone and iPad with adaptive layouts
• No account, no login, no analytics
• Session history stored on-device via SwiftData, backed up to your iCloud
• One-time purchase — no subscription
• iOS 26+

Download BreathSesh and run your first breathing session in under two minutes.