Turning a breath ratio into a length of time
Pranayama patterns are usually written as count ratios such as four to four to eight. A ratio on its own does not tell you how many seconds one cycle takes or how many minutes twelve repetitions add up to. This page takes the counts for four phases and how many seconds you count per beat, works out the cycle length and the total session time, and lays out how many seconds each phase takes and what share of the cycle it occupies. Changing the ratio is a quick way to see how the time grows.
How the counting works
The four phase counts are added into a cycle count and multiplied by the length of one count to give seconds per cycle. Multiplying by the number of cycles gives the total session time, and dividing 60 by the cycle length gives breaths per minute. No official recommended figure exists for the ratio or the count length, so neither is hard-coded and both are values you type in (as of October 2026).
What this page does not do
This page counts breaths and session length only; it claims no health effect and no improvement in any symptom. It does not judge which ratio suits you either. Holding the breath for long periods can make you light-headed, so stop at once if that happens and speak with a professional. It is a different tool from a practice timer that counts pose holds and rests.
Frequently Asked Questions
No official recommended ratio exists, so this page does not suggest one. Enter the ratio from the practice you are being taught and only that is applied.
No. It counts breaths and session length only, and it does not cover health effects or symptom improvement.
Enter 0 for that hold count and the phase is counted as zero seconds and shown as such in the table. Inhale and exhale must be above 0.