you took three breaths.
three breaths is the smallest possible thing that actually helps someone. one button, three breaths, no accounts, no tracking. a moment of calm should be free, instant, and available to everyone regardless of ability.
every design decision was shaped by accessibility standards (wcag 2.2 aa). visual, audio, and screen reader guidance run together so the same core experience reaches you whether you are sighted, blind, deaf, or motor impaired.
breathe in for 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold for 4. used by navy seals and athletes to reduce stress and sharpen focus. the equal phases create a steady rhythm that calms quickly.
a yogic breathing practice. breathe in for 4, hold for 7, breathe out for 8. the long hold and the extended exhale draw the body toward rest and quiet the mind. especially good for easing anxiety and settling into sleep.
equal phases of about 5 seconds to optimize heart rate variability. the symmetric rhythm helps the autonomic nervous system find balance between activation and rest. sometimes called resonance breathing.
research shows as few as three slow breaths can activate the parasympathetic nervous system and lower stress hormones. that is why this app does exactly three. enough to shift your state, short enough to actually do.
yes. it was built accessibility first with wcag 2.2 aa conformance. screen reader users get a spoken announcement for every phase. tested with voiceover, nvda, and talkback.
yes. after your first visit the whole app is cached on your device and works in airplane mode. you can install it to your home screen on iphone and android.
native apps for the app store and google play are coming soon. until then, the web app works on any device and installs to your home screen, so you already have an app-like experience that runs offline.
three breaths is free and will stay free. if it has helped you and you want to give something back, here are two organizations doing work worth supporting.
musicians performing in skid row, jails, and recovery centers across los angeles. music as a tool for dignity and connection.
one of the oldest human services organizations in los angeles. shelter, recovery, job training, and meals for people experiencing homelessness.
if you would rather connect than donate, send a note.
three breaths collects nothing about you. no accounts, no cookies, no tracking pixels, no advertising, no analytics scripts, no third parties of any kind.
your preferences (chosen pattern, audio and haptic settings) are saved in your browser's local storage. they never leave your device and we cannot see them. clearing your browser data removes them.
when the app loads, it increments a single global visit count so the footer can show a number. alongside that count we record only a timestamp and the general browser, operating system, and device family (for example "safari, ios, mobile"). no ip address, no identifier, no location, and nothing that could connect a visit to a person is stored.
there are none. the app loads no external scripts, fonts, or resources. everything is served from threebreaths.app.
the ios and android apps, when released, will follow this same policy.
write to lucas@threebreaths.app.
last updated june 10, 2026