Guided Breathing for Stress Reduction and Nervous System Regulation

Breathing is one of the most powerful tools for regulating the nervous system, managing pain, and improving respiratory health. But for many patients, learning and sustaining effective breathing techniques takes practice, feedback, and focus.

Breathe XR brings evidence-based breathing exercises into an immersive, headset-based format designed for use across physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), and speech-language pathology (SLP) settings.

Why Breathing Matters in Rehabilitation

Whether helping a patient manage anxiety, prepare for a challenging therapy session, or reduce pain perception, controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering heart rate, reducing muscle tension, and promoting a state of calm. Clinicians use breathing interventions to help address:

  • Stress and anxiety

  • Pain modulation

  • Pre-session emotional regulation

  • Post-exercise recovery

Breathe XR offers a simple, headset-based tool to help deliver these benefits with minimal setup and high patient engagement.

Breathe XR includes eight distinct environments, giving clinicians and patients the flexibility to choose a visual setting that fits the patient’s mood, preferences, or therapeutic goals:

  • Orb – A minimalist, abstract visual anchor for breath pacing

  • Beach – Soft waves and open horizons for a calming coastal experience

  • Lakehouse – A serene lakeside cabin scene with water reflections and natural textures

  • UFO – A playful, sci-fi-themed environment with rhythmic light pulses

  • Garden – A peaceful koi pond and garden scene for a restorative visual focus

  • Windmills – Rolling hills with slowly turning wind turbines for gentle visual motion

  • Snow Monkeys – A tranquil hot spring setting featuring Japanese macaques in snowy surroundings

  • Tiki – A tropical island scene with lanterns and warm night lighting

Eight Immersive Environments to Support Calm and Focus

Patients can select from four clinically validated breathing patterns, each designed to target specific therapeutic goals:

4-7-8 Breathing (Inhale 4s – Hold 7s – Exhale 8s)

Goal: Parasympathetic activation and deep relaxation
Use Cases: Anxiety, pain modulation, sleep preparation

4-4-4-4 Breathing (Box Breathing)

Goal: Stress resilience and cognitive control
Use Cases: Focus, stress reduction, return-to-work programs

3-1-6 Breathing (Inhale 3s – Hold 1s – Exhale 6s)

Goal: Emotional regulation and acute stress management
Use Cases: Panic reduction, grounding during anxiety spikes, speech therapy breath control

Deep Inhalation with Breath Hold (DIBH)

Goal: Respiratory muscle strengthening and breath awareness
Use Cases: Thoracic surgery recovery, stroke rehab, radiation treatment, voice therapy

Session Length Options

Clinicians can select from:

  • Five-Minute Sessions – Ideal for quick interventions

  • Unlimited Duration Mode – Allows open-ended practice for longer relaxation or training periods

Four Evidence-Informed Breathing Presets

Deployment Options

Breathe XR is available for deployment via MDM platforms like ArborXR and ManageXR.

Clinics can license it as a standalone app or as part of The Relief Suite, which also includes Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) and Soundscape Distraction.

Note: Breathe XR will be available on the Quest store in August.