15:27

5.5 Breaths/Minute (15 Minutes)

by Allison Terrell

Rated
4.9
Type
guided
Activity
Meditation
Suitable for
Everyone
Plays
2.1k

This meditation utilizes steady rhythm and simple harmony to cue each breath at a rate of 5.5 seconds per inhale and exhale. This pacing results in 5.5 breaths-per-minute, the ideal breathing rate for optimal health (increased heart rate variability, parasympathetic nervous system activation, increased lung expansion, etc.). I begin the meditation with some verbal guidance to help us settle into the rhythm, and let the music do the rest.

BreathingHealthHarmonyMusicHeart Rate VariabilityParasympathetic Nervous SystemLung ExpansionMusical BreathingPaced BreathingBreathing For HealthGuided MeditationsRhythms

Transcript

Hi,

My name is Allison.

Thank you for joining me for this musically guided breathing meditation.

I'm going to start us off with some instruction and then I'll let the music do the rest.

In the music,

You hear two chords or sounds that change every four beats.

So a higher pitched one,

1,

2,

3,

4,

And a lower one,

1,

2,

3,

4.

This chord change signals when to inhale and when to exhale.

So during that higher pitched chord,

We'll inhale like this,

And exhale on the lower pitched chord.

Great.

So this pace is at a rate of 5.

5 breaths per minute,

Which breaks down to five and a half seconds for the inhale and an equal five and a half seconds for the exhale.

Research suggests that this is an ideal breathing rate for our bodies and for optimal health.

So we will continue with me counting along to get us settled into this rhythm,

And then we'll let the music guide us until the very end.

So get comfortable,

Relax your shoulders,

Feel your body in whatever space it's in,

And we'll inhale 1,

2,

3,

4,

Exhale 1,

2,

3,

4,

Inhale 1,

2,

3,

4,

Exhale 1,

2,

3,

4,

Inhale 1,

2,

3,

4,

Exhale 1,

2,

3,

4,

Inhale 1,

2,

3,

4,

Exhale 1,

2,

3,

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Inhale 1,

2,

3,

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Exhale 1,

2,

3,

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Inhale 1,

2,

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Exhale 1,

2,

3,

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Inhale 1,

2,

3,

4,

Exhale 1,

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3,

4,

Inhale 1,

2,

3,

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Exhale 1,

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3,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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3,

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Exhale 1,

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3,

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Inhale 1,

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3,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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3,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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3,

4,

Exhale 1,

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3,

4,

Exhale 1,

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3,

4,

Inhale 1,

2,

3,

4,

Exhale 1,

2,

3,

4,

Inhale 1,

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3,

4,

Exhale 1,

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3,

4,

Inhale 1,

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4,

Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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3,

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Inhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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3 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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4,

Exhale 1,

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4,

Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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3 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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4,

Exhale 1,

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4,

Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Inhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Exhale 1,

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Meet your Teacher

Allison TerrellVirginia, USA

4.9 (80)

Recent Reviews

Katy

November 15, 2025

Thank you Alison - I now feel such a different rhythm in my body and mind, much more balanced and peaceful . 🙏

AnneD

September 22, 2025

Amazing. Thank you. I was exhausted,( but couldn’t get my mind to stop. I feel very relaxed now

Heather

August 30, 2024

Simple and straight forward, not distracting! Good!

Barb

April 23, 2024

I'm loving these different lengths and different music to follow for 5.5 breaths per minute. Great on their own, to calm the mind before meditation or to fall into a deep listening to. Thank you!

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© 2026 Allison Terrell. All rights reserved. All copyright in this work remains with the original creator. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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