A few minutes of calm: red light and slow breathing

A simple way to use your time in the pod for slow, easy breathing, and what research on slow breathing has found.

Last reviewed: October 2026 · Based on the latest research available at the time of review

Many people tell us the session itself feels like a break: 12 to 15 warm, quiet minutes with no screen and nobody asking anything of you. If you'd like to use that time, slow breathing is one of the simplest things you can do while lying in the pod. Here's what research on slow breathing found, and how to try it.

In plain words

Your nervous system has an "on" side, which gets you ready for action, and a "rest and digest" side, which helps you settle. The vagus nerve is the main nerve of the "rest and digest" side.

Researchers often look at heart rate variability (HRV): the small, natural changes in time between one heartbeat and the next. Some HRV measures are used as a sign of how active the vagus nerve is. Your heart rate rises slightly as you breathe in and slows slightly as you breathe out, and slow breathing makes this rhythm more pronounced.

Slow breathing simply means fewer than about 10 breaths a minute, often around 6. To be clear: the studies below are about breathing, not about red light. The pod gives you a quiet, comfortable place to practise.

What the research found

Slow breathing and heart rate variability

A large meta-analysis by Laborde 2022 brought together 223 studies of voluntary slow breathing. HRV measures linked to the vagus nerve went up during slow breathing, straight after a single session, and after programmes of several sessions.

How people felt

Zaccaro 2018 reviewed 15 studies in healthy people breathing fewer than 10 times a minute. Slow breathing went with higher HRV and a stronger breathing-linked heart rhythm, and participants reported feeling more comfortable, relaxed and pleasant, as well as more alert and full of energy.

What happens in the body

A review of slow breathing in healthy people by Russo 2017 describes effects on breathing efficiency, heart rate variability and the balance between the "on" and "rest and digest" sides of the nervous system.

Results vary from person to person and research is ongoing. We can tell you what studies found; we can't promise the same result for you.

Check first

Slow breathing should feel easy. Don't hold your breath or force it. If you feel dizzy, light-headed or short of breath, go back to breathing normally. If you have a heart or lung condition, or you're pregnant, ask your doctor before trying breathing exercises.

For red light, check with your doctor first if you're pregnant, take medication that makes you sensitive to light, or have a skin or medical condition.

At AURORA

Sessions take place in a private room. You lie in one of our 3 full-body pods, which cover your whole body, front and back, with red and near-infrared light at 633, 660, 810, 850 and 940 nm (more on each on our wavelengths page). The pods are ventilated, so you feel a gentle warmth rather than heat. A session usually lasts 12 to 15 minutes, adjusted to you.

Every room has two sizes of goggles, small and larger. They're optional: you can simply keep your eyes closed, which many people like to do while they breathe slowly. If you're sensitive to light, you'll probably find the goggles more comfortable.

Try it during your session

1. Settle in. Lie on your back and let your arms rest. If you like, place one hand on your lower belly so you can feel it rise and fall.

2. Breathe in gently through your nose for about 4 seconds, letting your belly rise.

3. Breathe out slowly through your nose or softly parted lips for about 6 seconds.

4. Keep it easy. That's about 6 breaths a minute. No holding, no pushing. If 4 and 6 feel too long, try 3 and 5.

5. When your mind wanders, and it will, bring your attention back to your belly rising and falling.

You don't need to breathe like this for the whole session. A few minutes is fine, and you can simply rest for the rest of the session.

Come and see us

We're at Carrer del Comerç 31, in El Born. Walk in to see the pods and ask us anything, or see prices. You can read more about full-body red light therapy on our site.

This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. AURORA is a wellness centre, not a medical clinic.

Sources

1. Laborde S, et al. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2022;138:104711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104711

2. Russo MA, et al. Breathe (Sheff). 2017;13(4):298–309. https://doi.org/10.1183/20734735.009817

3. Zaccaro A, et al. Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:353. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353

Changelog: Oct 2026 · Updated to our 2026 style; outdated information corrected or removed. New title and address (previously "Red Light Therapy + Vagus Nerve Breathing").

May 2026 · Published.