No mysticism. No magic numbers. Just what is true.
The wellness world is full of beautiful claims that fall apart the moment you look closely. We took the opposite path. Everything in a session is here for a reason. Below is the evidence for each part, with links, and where the evidence is thinner, we say so.
Of everything in a session, the breathing does the most work. Slow breathing with a longer exhale can shift your body out of a stressed state and into a more settled one (a review of the research). In a 2023 Stanford study, five minutes of daily breathing practice improved mood over a month (the study).
That is why every session is anchored on breath, and why the pattern you are given is matched to your state rather than picked at random. Ten techniques, each with a specific job. The one you receive is chosen for where you actually are.
At the start of each session, we will ask you to rest a hand on your chest or your belly. This comes from somatic practice: working with the body's own sensations rather than only with thoughts.
A hand on your chest helps you notice what is going on inside. A hand on your belly helps you feel your breath.
Gentle self-touch like this has been studied on its own, without any breathing. In a 2021 randomized trial, which tested self-soothing touch, not breathing, people who used a brief soothing touch, such as one hand on the heart and one on the belly, had a smaller stress hormone (cortisol) response to a stressful task than people who didn't. It's a small, simple thing, and that's the point.
Slow, steady sound can make it easier for your breath to lengthen. That is the only thing we claim.
What you will never find here are the myths the wellness world loves. We do not tell you a particular frequency repairs your cells or tunes you to the universe, because that is not true, and your trust matters more than a tidy story. The sound is here to help you settle. Nothing more, and nothing less.
At the end of your session, you are given one affirmation. Not a big claim that fights how you actually feel, because research has found that can backfire for people who are already feeling low about themselves (the research). Something honest and permission based, like ‘I am allowed to slow down’.
We will not tell you this cures anxiety, depression, or anything else. We will not promise a number on a chart we cannot prove. States of Bliss is a tool for slowing down when things feel like too much, in the moment and, we hope, over time, for a steadier baseline. That is a real and valuable thing. It is also the truth, which is the only thing we are interested in selling.
And if your check-in suggests you are in real distress, we only offer calming techniques, and we show you where to find support.