Shora
The library

Find your shore.

Twenty evidence-based techniques across five categories. Each one shows how solid the research is — and Shora learns which ones actually work for you.

Evidence levels Strong multiple RCTs or clinical trials Moderate published controlled research Emerging promising early or practice evidence
Several of these are featured on the Huberman Lab →

Breathing

Slow the breath; the body follows.
Cyclic Sighing
A pattern of double-inhale followed by an extended exhale, shown to rapidly reduce physiological stress.
Strong 3–11 min Read more →
Box Breathing
Equal-ratio breathing (inhale-hold-exhale-hold) used by Navy SEALs for calm focus under pressure.
Moderate 3–16 min Read more →
4-7-8 Breathing
A relaxation breath pattern (inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8) that promotes parasympathetic dominance and sleep onset.
Moderate 2–9 min Read more →
Breath Counting
Counting each exhale from 1 to 10, then restarting — a focused attention anchor for scattered minds.
Moderate 4–21 min Read more →
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Deep belly breathing that activates the diaphragm, proven to reduce cortisol and lower autonomic arousal.
Strong 1–19 min Read more →
Energizing Breath
A gentle inhale-biased breath that lifts alertness — longer active inhales, shorter easy exhales, no holds.
Moderate 2–6 min Read more →

Cognitive

Work with thoughts instead of against them.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding
A sensory grounding technique: name 5 things you see, 4 you hear, 3 you touch, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.
Strong 2–10 min Read more →
Thought Defusion
An ACT-based technique to observe thoughts as passing events rather than facts, reducing rumination.
Moderate 4–14 min Read more →
Cognitive Reframing
Guided practice in identifying and reappraising negative thought patterns to shift emotional response.
Strong 4–20 min Read more →
Gratitude Reflection
A structured practice of identifying and savoring things you are grateful for, shown to improve wellbeing.
Strong 1–10 min Read more →

Somatic

Come back through the body.
Body Scan
Systematic attention to bodily sensations from head to toe, a core MBSR practice for relaxation.
Strong 4–31 min Read more →
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Systematically tensing then releasing muscle groups to reduce physical tension and anxiety.
Strong 3–24 min Read more →
Autogenic Training
Self-directed relaxation using verbal cues of warmth and heaviness to induce deep calm and sleep readiness.
Strong 4–26 min Read more →

Visualization

Give the mind somewhere good to go.
Safe Place Visualization
Guided imagery creating a vivid internal sanctuary for safety and comfort during distress.
Strong 2–21 min Read more →
Future Self Visualization
Vividly imagine your thriving future self to build motivation and shift perspective on current struggles.
Moderate 3–15 min Read more →
Perspective Distancing
Mentally 'zoom out' from your situation to gain emotional clarity and reduce ruminative distress.
Moderate 5–15 min Read more →

Hybrid

Blends that do two jobs at once.
Structured Awareness
Alternating between focused attention and open monitoring to train flexible, stable awareness.
Moderate 3–29 min Read more →
Loving-Kindness Meditation
Directing phrases of goodwill toward self and others to cultivate compassion and reduce social pain.
Strong 3–24 min Read more →
NSDR / Yoga Nidra
Non-Sleep Deep Rest — a guided body-awareness practice that induces deep relaxation while maintaining wakefulness.
Moderate 5–41 min Read more →
Alternate Nostril Breathing
Breathing alternately through each nostril to balance autonomic arousal and improve cognitive function.
Moderate 2–20 min Read more →
Sessions

Journeys, composed from these anchors.

A session sequences two or three techniques to fit your check-in. These are the journeys beta sailors take most.

Stress Relief
8–20 min
Calm the nervous system → Release physical tension → Settle scattered thoughts
Panic Response
5–10 min
Rapid calming → Present-moment grounding → Stabilization
Mental Clarity
8–15 min
Ground scattered attention → Focus the mind → Integrate awareness
All sessions →