Todd Steinberg was determined to come up with a practical way to integrate deep breathing into everyday routines, “we wanted to design something that can help with waking up, falling asleep, beating pain and cravings—anything that happens in the normal cycle of a day.” Their “ah-ha moment” would come at a neighborhood art fair, where they met a local artisan selling Shakuhachi flutes used by 17th century Japanese “Komuso” monks as a meditation tool. The couple combined Vanessa Steinberg’s fashion design experience with Todd Steinberg’s entrepreneurial spirit to create a necklace inspired by the Shakuhachi flutes that would replicate the straw breathing technique.

A model wears a gold Komuso Shift necklace in a tropical forest.

The Komuso Shift necklace is designed to encourage deeper, more conscious breathing.

COVID-19 may have brought our most vital function—the breath—into the spotlight, yet most people continue to compromise their mental and physical health by relying on shallow breathing. Husband-wife duo Todd and Vanessa Steinberg are determined to change this with The Shift—a necklace designed to make conscious, deep breathing a regular habit. “Our dream is to create a breathing revolution,” Todd Steinberg tells Forbes.

A man breathes through The Komuso Shift necklace in a forest.

Deep breathing has been shown to reduce blood pressure and calm the parasympathetic nervous system.

What makes shallow breathing harmful? It increases your heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol—the stress hormone your body needs for adrenaline in a “fight-or-flight” situation. “You don’t need cortisol when you’re responding to an email, trying to sleep or be creative,” Todd Steinberg tells Forbes.

 Conversely, deep, controlled breathing slows the heart rate, reduces blood pressure and stimulates the parasympathetic, “rest-and-digest” system, relieving the mind and body of stress. “We can’t control our digestion, thoughts, the temperature in the room, but we can control our breath,” says Todd Steinberg, “By having a physical tool, it allows you to realize those benefits more often.”
Komuso co-founders Vanessa and Todd Steinberg.

Komuso was founded by husband-wife duo Vanessa and Todd Steinberg.

Todd Steinberg’s journey to finding that tool started in 2015, when, upon the advice of his friend Daniel Epstein, a psychotherapist, he tried meditating to relieve his anxiety. Steinberg couldn’t get into it—he found sitting cross-legged uncomfortable and none of the meditation apps clicked. Dr. Epstein suggested he try breathing through a straw instead. Todd Steinberg was instantly wowed by the results, “My heartrate slowed, my shoulders dropped; I felt lighter, and calmer,” he says.

The Shift Komuso necklace in four shades.

The Shift was designed with insight from psychologist Dr. Daniel Epstein to support a 10-second … [+]

Vanessa Steinberg worked on the cosmetic design while Dr. Epstein determined the dimensions by testing the ideal exhale length on his patients with anxiety. “We wanted to make the piece minimalist, no technology—no batteries, widgets,” Todd Steinberg tells Forbes, “as simple as possible, to echo the ethos of our business which is to just breath.” The final product? A sleek stainless steel pendant with a Japanese inscription on the back that translates to “be still”—a fitting sentiment for a necklace designed to support a 10-second exhale.

A hand holds a gold Komuso Shift necklace.

The Shift features the Japanese inscription “be still,” inspired by the flute breathing practice of … [+]

The two-inch pendant—available in silver, gold, matte slate and rose gold—is attractive enough as a standalone necklace, but its functionality is what sets it apart. Todd Steinberg tells Forbes it invites both compliments and curiosity; that it catalyzes conversations about the importance of deep breathing. But the entrepreneur is hesitant to take the necklace’s functionality too far. Amidst a booming market of self-monitoring devices, he resists feedback that Komuso should add a chip to measure body signals. “We’re saying let’s get away from the pings, dings, rings and notifications,” the co-founder says, “put your phone down, get your mind and body re-acquainted so you’re functioning on a higher level.”

A woman breathes through a Komuso Shift necklace in a canyon.

Komuso resists turning The Shift into smart tech, advocating instead for connecting with the body … [+]

While the respiratory nature of COVID-19 may have highlighted the importance of the breath to some, Todd Steinberg thinks it’s actually done the opposite, “it’s caused people to focus more on their breath but in the wrong way;” as a symptom of illness, rather than a preventative measure, he says. The co-founder believes if people had a regular practice of exercising their lungs and diaphragm—the largest muscle in the body—with breathing exercises, “we could’ve saved tens of thousands of lives.”

Todd Steinberg insists The Shift isn’t a magical cure-all, but amidst the collective grief and spike in mental health disorders, the simple tool can help. “When you’re able to divert your attention from sadness to your breath, that empty feeling comes and passes,” says Todd Steinberg, citing one testimonial that the necklace feels like “wearing their therapist around their neck.”

A woman breathes through a gold Komuso necklace next to a man wearing The Shift necklace.

Co-founder Todd Steinberg tells Forbes customers say The Shift feels like “wearing their therapist … [+]

In a time when some people can’t breathe, the co-founder says having a reminder of this overlooked biological function can provide an instant uplift, “If we’re able to appreciate those effortless breaths; the fullness and vastness of our breath, we can’t feel gratitude and sadness in the same state, we’re already in a better state of mind.”

A close-up of a woman breathing through the Komuso Shift necklace.

By calming the nervous system through deep breathing, The Shift aims to improve our overall mental … [+]

But the heightened stress of the pandemic isn’t the only reason Komuso is suited to our current moment. “During COVID our conversations are with computers all day,” says Todd Steinberg. The entrepreneur has noticed his breathing patterns are the worst when he’s on the computer. The constant bombardment of notifications signals our nervous system, causing our breaths to shorten and muscles to tense. Rather than relying on, what Todd Steinberg calls the “rescue breath” when stress reaches a breaking point, the entrepreneur says conscious breathing—taking “preventative breaths”—better equips the mind and body to handle the constant flow of incoming information.

A woman breathes through a gold Komuso Shift necklace while lying down.

Instead of relying on “rescue breaths,” co-founder Todd Steinberg says The Shift encourages taking … [+]

It didn’t take a year of people attached to their screens for The Shift to become relevant—Komuso saw an increase in demand early on. Their sales doubled in March of last year, despite cutting their advertising in half at the time. “Our ads were hitting because of the stress; people were inside and looking for something that wasn’t Pharma or involved drugs,” says Todd Steinberg, “they wanted something natural.” They’ve sold out several times since, which has enabled them to expand the company. What was, a year ago, a business run entirely by Steinberg and his wife, is now a team of seven.

A hand holds The Shift Komuso necklace.

Komuso saw sales surge in March of last year, despite making cuts to advertising.

They’re building off the momentum, continuing to innovate with three new products. In the coming months, they plan to launch a pure gold Shift, a bracelet version of the necklace and the Youth Shift in a variety of colors for the 6-14 age range. While they still want to keep the necklace from becoming a gadget, they’re developing a Komuso app to serve as an educational guide, with practical breathwork strategies for every type of need. They also plan to target particular emotional needs—from anxiety to autism—through a partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

A woman holds the Komuso Shift necklace next to a man breathing through the Shift necklace

Komuso continues to innovate with an accompanying app, new product designs and partnerships in the … [+]

Prior to launching, Todd Steinberg worried Komuso would become a laughing stock, “it’s essentially a straw on a string,” skeptics would say upon hearing the concept. But the entrepreneur kept coming back to “but it’s helped me.” His persistence has paid off—the entrepreneur tells Forbes he “still gets emotional” hearing how the necklace has helped others too, “From people quitting smoking after 30 years to helping with panic attacks, it always makes me smile.”