Hum

Breathe in, then hum as you breathe out. Watch the sand on the plate gather into patterns that answer your voice.

Lower and higher notes make different patterns. There’s no right note.

How will you hum?
Rounds

How it helps

Humming makes your out-breath longer without you having to think about it, and you can feel it buzzing in your face and chest. It’s hard to hum and worry at full volume at the same time.

  1. Breathe in

    Slowly, through your nose. Keep your lips gently closed and your teeth slightly apart.

  2. Hum as you breathe out

    A low, steady “mmm”, like a bee. Only as long as feels easy, never until you’re out of breath.

  3. Rest in the quiet

    Notice the buzz fading, and the stillness after it. Then begin the next round.

This is based on bhramari, or “bee breath”, a humming exercise from yoga. Small studies suggest it can help people feel calmer, and humming slows the out-breath in the same way as other slow-breathing exercises. If you like, you can close your eyes, or rest your thumbs gently over your ears to feel the hum more.

The patterns are real physics. When a metal plate vibrates, some lines on it stay still, and sand gathers there. Scientists call them Chladni figures, after Ernst Chladni, who drew them in the 1780s. The plate here is a simulation, so you don’t need to hit an exact note.

If you feel dizzy or light-headed, stop and breathe normally.

See all moments