Your first steps with the egg

Seesaw Health began with the vision that one of the primary reasons women experience more fluctuations in parasympathetic activity, and as a result, in mood and inflammation, compared to men, is hormonal changes associated with the menstrual cycle, especially around ovulation - when an egg is released from an ovary, and through the luteal phase and period.

During ovulation, hormone levels, especially estrogen and progesterone, but also FSH (Follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (Luteinizing hormone) fluctuate significantly.

Parasympathetic regulation, through the release of acetylcholine (the primary neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system), is generally lower during ovulation. In contrast, cortisol (a stress hormone), not a neurotransmitter, and is part of the sympathetic "fight or flight" system's response to stress
 
Each menstrual cycle therefore reduces your parasympathetic nervous system and immune function to prevent immune cells from destroying a fertilized egg and to allow for implantation.

Oh and then, well, it has the shape, or rather, the outline of an egg.

We recommend pursed-lip breathing.

allows a longer exhale channel by creating positive pressure in the airways, which helps keep them open longer, removes trapped air, and relieves shortness of breath.

This technique involves inhaling slowly through the nose and exhaling slowly through the mouth with puckered lips, making the exhalation last twice as long as the inhalation

Breathe in through your nose and breathe out slowly, yet firmly, through pursed lips – as if you're blowing out a candle.

The egg biosensor measures your breathing frequency and rhythm - which our games guide you to slow down, and parasympathetic response and tone.

You'll find more information there. 
 
Your breathing frequency is assessed through your respiratory rate (RR), expressed in Hertz - breathe in, breathe out, possibly hold and pauses.

Your breathing rhythm is your inhale-to-exhale ratio (I:E). 

To evaluate your parasympathetic response, we leverage the power of heart rate variability (HRV).

HRV is more than just measurements like RMSSD or SDNN. Advanced analytical mathematical models capture irregularities, reveal adaptive responses, while machine learning models help refine predictive analysis.

To summarize, HRV is not just “how much it varies”—it’s the patterns of variation, revealing how the nervous system adapts under load.

By the way, most smartwatches, rings, and apps assume 'higher is better' for HRV: this is a misleading simplification of physiological dynamics. 

This is why we emphasize accuracy by collecting high-resolution raw data and following a rigorous protocol where measurements are intentionally taken within a well-defined context – breath-controlled games.

In addition, how you interact with a game with the egg allows to evaluate your ability to concentrate on breathwork - cognitive load.

Acetylcholine (ACh) is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in the constant, daily regulation of inflammation.

It's a key part of the "cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway" (CAP, or CAIP), a system where your nervous system interacts with your immune system.

The CAP is a network of molecules and cells that interacts with the immune system via the vagus nerve to respond to internal and external pro-inflammatory stimuli.

The ACh cholinergic pathway plays a significant role in pain modulation: an increase in ACh levels induces analgesia - influencing pain perception.

In summary, ACh acts like a brake on the immune system, preventing it from overreacting and causing excessive, cumulative, chronic, systemic inflammation.

And when we breathe around the frequency of 0.1 Hz, we stimulate the release of acetylcholine.

No. The egg is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, monitor, or prevent medical conditions.

The egg is a wellness product that helps you stimulate, measure and track your autonomic nervous system, and specifically, parasympathetic, activity.

Seesaw Health explicitly states that its data and insights should not be considered medical advice. Always talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about your health.

First and foremost, let us repeat that you should talk to your healthcare provider before using our solution if you are pregnant.

Among others, please consider the following factors: how far along are you – you may want to avoid the first 12 weeks? Do you have a pre-existing condition – for example, low-blood pressure, epilepsy, others? Are you on any sort of medications? And of course, do you have a delicate pregnancy?

In the situations above, gentle breath practice remains beneficial to most, and it is most often ok to use our solution ‘halfway,’ for example by breathing out until the progress bar gets half blue, without exhaling all the way through full green bar.

Recent science says that 'The Cholinergic Anti-inflammatory Pathway (CAP) may play a relevant role in regulating the maternal inflammatory response during pre-eclampsia and protecting the developing fetus from inflammation-induced damage. Some studies suggest that therapeutic stimulation of this pathway may improve maternal and fetal outcomes in preclinical models of pre-eclampsia. Modulation of vagal activity influences the CAP, improving maternal hemodynamics, limiting the inflammatory response, and promoting the growth of new neurons, which enhances synaptic plasticity and improves fetal neurodevelopment.' and concludes that 'modulation of vagal activity may improve maternal and fetal outcomes in pre-eclampsia by targeting underlying immune dysregulation and promoting better fetal neurodevelopment.'
(Frontiers in Immunology, Nov 2023)

While our app's content and features are primarily focused on tracking PNS response fluctuations in the female body, you can still use the app as a male and simply disregard the features that are not relevant to your body. Data collection and analysis will remain equally accurate, regardless of your gender.

Always talk to your doctor before using the egg if you have asthma or a respiratory condition.

Deep breathing exercises can help people with asthma.

Our games can help you calm down and control your breathing, especially when you're short of breath.

In the long-term, 0.1 Hz breathing can help improve respiratory control.

The egg should have its cap on when not in use to prevent dust and debris to enter the top sensor.

You can use a clean, dry and soft cloth to wipe both sensors if needed.

Keep the device away from water and other liquids.

The battery should last 3-4 weeks on one charge when the egg is used once to a few times a day.

It is rechargable through a mini USB cable (provided).

Usage frequency, climate, charging habits may significantly impact its lifespan.

The egg is covered by a 1-year limited warranty with your initial 12-month membership.

More broadly, egg devices have a lifetime warranty with an active membership, beyond the one-year warranty, provided you have an active membership with Seesaw Health.

If your egg is defective and we’re not able to fix it, we’ll send you a new one with free shipping.

You can initiate a return request within 30 days of product delivery. The product must be unopened, unused, and in its original condition. Please contact us for return authorization.

0.1 Hz breathing, i.e., 4-second inhalation (breathing in) and 6-second exhalation (breathing out) activates your PNS.

Neurophysiology explains how controlled breathing stimulates your PNS:
- Your heart rate naturally increases as you inhale and decreases as you exhale. This phenomenon is called respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and is a marker of parasympathetic tone
- Baroreceptors are specialized pressure-sensitive sensors located within the arteries that continuously monitor blood pressure levels. When blood pressure rises, these receptors transmit signals to the brain, prompting an increase in parasympathetic nervous system activity, which in turn slows the heart rate. This regulatory mechanism typically functions at a frequency of around 0.1 Hz
- During 0.1 Hz slow breathing, respiratory sinus arrhythmia and baroreflex-driven heart rate oscillations align in phase, producing a large, regular rhythm known as resonance or cardiac coherence. This synchronized pattern reflects maximal coupling between breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure regulation around the individual’s resonance frequency
- At approximately 0.1 Hz, phase‑locked coherence markedly increases HRV and augments baroreflex sensitivity, indicating stronger vagal modulation of cardiac rhythms. This amplified vagal influence engages the parasympathetic system and supports a calm, relaxed physiological state.

Essentially, you are hacking the brain-body connection to enhance PNS response and therefore further support your efforts to get and stay healthy.

After downloading the game you want to play, start it from the Seesaw Health app.

To control and interact with the game, it's all about your breath and your breath only.

Our games guide you to inhale - when the screen gets darker, and exhale - when it lights up.
The goal is to fill the progress bar in green on each exhale (breathe out) - it is blue first, when you exhale.
It's ok to hold your breath, to pause between inhales and exhales, depending on how you feel.

For optimal effectiveness, we recommend that you breathe in through your nose and breathe out slowly, yet firmly, through pursed lips – as if you're blowing out a candle.

Think of the top sensor of the egg – 4 little mesh inlets, or 'petals,' as a soap bubble wand: blow to the left to move the character to the left in the game, and so on.

The games are about 1 minute long - they adapt to your own breathwork pace.

You can easily extend gameplay and play for a few minutes at a time. 

For meaningful insights and extended effect, use the egg daily - keep your streak alive.

Can we tell you something?

When you're starting out with breathwork, the guidance is often broad: “Aim for 5-10 minutes a day, 5 days a week.”
It’s a helpful baseline, but it’s also a blanket recommendation that doesn’t account for your unique physiology, goals, or progress.

But the moment you introduce physiological measurement, your practice transforms. You’re no longer just clocking hours; you’re tuning your effort to match your intention.

Measurement turns breathwork from a routine into a feedback loop. And with data in hand, you begin to adjust. It’s the difference between guessing and knowing. Between hoping and evolving. Because what you can measure, you can manage. And what you manage, you can master.

In general, breathwork, when practiced properly, is safe, and scientifically proven to offer numerous physical and mental benefits.

Your comfort and safety are central to the development of our solution.

However, those who do it incorrectly or ignore safety considerations could be at risk of various side effects such as hyperventilation.

Furthermore, respiratory, cardiovascular, vision conditions, recent surgery, seizures, aneurysms, the use of medications, especially antipsychotic, may require special attention.

You should talk to your doctor about your health, as the egg is not a medical device and our solution is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical conditions.

Seesaw Health provides insights into your health that you can share with your doctor.

Anyone feeling uneasy should pause immediately and likely try a more gentle breath practice with Seesaw Health, for example by breathing out (exhaling) until the progress bar gets half blue, without exhaling all the way through full green bar.

Yes! The games are and will always be free to download and play when you have an active membership.

Yes, you need to download the Seesaw Health app to launch the games, have access to your results, trends and content.

We take your data ownership and privacy very seriously.

The data you generate with Seesaw Health is very personal.

We use AES-256 (Advanced Encryption Standard) standard to secure your data - bank-level and military-grade encryption.

We will not sell your personal information to third parties for commercial purposes.

Periodically, we may process your personal data to improve the quality of our service, always keeping in mind the protection of your privacy, thanks to privacy-enhancing and privacy-protective technologies.

For improvement and statistical purposes, we will use your data in aggregated or anonymized format in which your data is no longer considered personal data.

Repeated measurements of your own digital biomarkers (breathing, parasympathetic) allows to continuously analyze how these markers change aover time, providing a highly dynamic understanding of your ever-changing parasympathetic response and adaptability, compared to single-time point or randomized measurements.

Yes! The Seesaw Health app is free to download and use, as long as your membership is active. Keep it updated.

The app and egg are compatible with all iPhone devices (iOS 14.0 and up) and Android devices (Android 10.0 and up).

It may work with older versions.