Rick Rubin's Breathing Method Coherent Breathing at Six Breaths a Minute

Rick Rubin's breathing story traces to one podcast appearance

The entire on-the-record source for "Rick Rubin's breathing method" is one podcast appearance: December 2023, the Huberman Lab show. ^[1]11Huberman Lab podcast, 2023 Rubin described using slow breathing to raise his heart rate variability (HRV); Huberman Lab's own show notes tag that part of the conversation "Coherence Breathing," timestamped at 6:27 into the episode. No branded program, no protocol, no second interview on the subject since.

Per Huberman Lab's own recap and independent write-ups, Rubin practices eyes closed, roughly six breaths a minute, once or twice a day, five to twenty minutes - and reports a noticeable HRV improvement. ^[2]22Huberman Lab AI recap

Rubin has no relationship with Brizzy. He has not endorsed, reviewed, or mentioned this app.

Rubin's practice is coherent breathing, about six breaths a minute

Strip away the celebrity framing and Rubin's habit is a specific, well-documented pattern: an even, unhurried breath at roughly five to six breaths a minute, eyes closed - a pattern with no holds. That is what this Library already calls coherent breathing (also studied as resonance-frequency breathing) - the same practice covered here in full, with the mechanism, the tempo options, and a guided session.

Rubin's numbers sit squarely inside that range. Nothing about his description asks for a different technique, a different pace, or a new name.

The practice predates Rubin's podcast by nearly twenty years

This pace is not a Rubin invention or a Huberman discovery. Cardiovascular research already described how a slow, steady rhythm near this range amplifies heart-rate oscillations, long before Rubin's podcast appearance. ^[3]33Russo et al., 2017 Nearly twenty years earlier, engineer Stephen Elliott founded Coherence LLC in 2004 and trademarked the consumer term "Coherent Breathing," teaching a nominal five-breaths-a-minute version of the same idea. ^[4]44Elliott, Coherence LLC

The HRV rise holds up; a unique stress benefit doesn't

What is NOT proven

• That this exact rhythm beats other slow-paced breathing for stress, anxiety, or mood: not proven - the largest placebo-controlled trial (N=400) found no advantage over a matched breathing placebo. ^[6]66Fincham 2023
• That Rubin's practice is Stephen Elliott's specific trademarked method, rather than the same idea under a shared generic name: not shown - no public source we could check connects them.
• That the benefit holds without regular practice, or generalizes beyond one podcast conversation: not established - this is one account, not a trial.

What holds up is narrower and still real: an even, slow pace near six breaths a minute reliably raises HRV while you are doing it.

Try coherent breathing, the way Rubin describes it

You do not need special equipment or a personal ritual to try this. Brizzy's guided coherent session paces an even five-to-six-breath-a-minute rhythm, eyes open or closed, so you can try the same rhythm Rubin described.

1. Get comfortable - Sit or lie down, shoulders relaxed.
2. Inhale - Breathe in slowly through your nose for about 5 seconds.
3. Exhale - Breathe out slowly for about 5 seconds, through your nose or mouth.
4. Keep the rhythm going - No pauses at the top or bottom - let one breath roll into the next, the same pace Rubin described.

For the full dose guidance - session length, how to adjust the pace, when to stop - the coherent breathing article owns those details.

FAQ

What app does Rick Rubin use for breathing?

Rubin has not publicly named an app; Brizzy has no relationship with him, and nothing here is an endorsement. What he described - six breaths a minute, eyes closed - is exactly what Brizzy's guided coherent session paces for you.

Is Rick Rubin's breathing method the same as Wim Hof breathing?

No - they sit closer to opposites. Rubin's pace is slow and even, around six breaths a minute, and the pattern carries no holds. Wim Hof breathing uses fast cycles and long breath-holds, chasing a jolt of activation, not a slow settle.

How many breaths per minute does Rick Rubin breathe?

Around six breaths a minute, per Huberman Lab's own recap - roughly five seconds in, five out. ^[2]22Huberman Lab AI recap The pattern has no holds, and that pace sits at the slower end of the resonance range, which varies a little person to person.

Does Rick Rubin's breathing method lower stress?

No, not demonstrably beyond a matched breathing placebo - the largest trial of this pace (N=400) found no added benefit on stress, anxiety, depression, or wellbeing. ^[6]66Fincham 2023 What IS well supported: the pace reliably raises HRV while you practice it - just not proof this exact rhythm is special for stress.

The full technique - dose guidance, tempo options, and safety notes - lives in coherent breathing. For how Brizzy reads the evidence behind each claim on this page, see How Brizzy looks at the evidence. For other techniques matched to calm and anxiety, see the calm hub.