Exhale Inhale
Just breathe... It's going to be OK!
It took me some time to get me back on track, but I figured I still have some song stories to complete. In this letter we have come to track number eight on her previous album The Gods We Can Touch; namely Exhale Inhale.
Trigger warning:
This letter touches on themes of mental health, anxiety and climate anxiety.The name pops out to me as kind of curious. Especially since the song itself is so quiet and peaceful in the way it’s presented. Normally, when we ask people to relax and breathe, we tell them to inhale first, and then exhale. But the title here plays it the other way around. Exhale first. I only know about one state of mind when I exhale before I inhale: it’s in the state of anxiety.
Exhale Inhale - Song facts
Exhale Inhale is the rightful track number eight1 on Aurora’s album The Gods We Can Touch, which was released the 21st of January 2022. All of the songs on this album were inspired by Greek gods and mythology. Exhale Inhale is dedicated to Oizys, the goddess of Misery and inner suffering, and to Thanatos who is the personification of Death in Greek Mythology. 234
Inspiration from Greek mythology
As already stated: Aurora devoted each song to one god, though “Artemis” was the only one who really got the name in the song title. Aurora did a track-by-track talk-through of most of the songs during a livestream session you can see below. About Exhale Inhale, she said:
Exhale Inhale is a very it’s a very complicated song, and it’s inspired by Thanatos. He was a god that was the personification of death, and the meaning of this is that this whole song is about that. It’s so important to reach out for help or to offer help before it’s too late…
The song opens with Aurora humming softly, before it eases into a slow synth arrangement that creates a calm, almost meditative atmosphere. It evokes the feelings of a quiet moment of reflection, gently touching on the anxieties many of us carry; about the climate changes and about our own inner struggles. Aurora has described it as a reminder to breathe and to face and accept those emotions of worry, both for ourselves and for the world around us.5
In her book that accompanies The Gods We Can Touch album. She wrote extensively about this song. The whole page can be found at Aurora Wiki on Fandom, but I’d like to highlight a few passages here:6
I have anxiety. Sometimes among people, in crowded places and sometimes when I’m alone… I have anxiety for the world often… I think the planet, and our body, are very similar…
Originally I named the song “Pollution” but then I realized “Exhale, Inhale” is so much better. Because it is not “only” an environmental song about our dying world, it is also about feeling like you’re going to die.
When everything is closing in around you, it is something we carry alone. But still, let me hold your hand. I’m here.
Just.... exhale.. inhale.... Just breathe..... It’s going to be okay.
Yes… I think I will leave it at that. Just breathe… It's going to be okay.
Community Spotlight
My lord… I’m just dying to hear what you think about this (to me) massive, goosebumps-inducing cover of this masterpiece.
Credits for Exhale Inhale:
Composer: Aurora, Magnus, Glen Roberts
Producer: Aurora, Magnus
Vocals: Aurora
Piano/Organ: Magnus
Synths: Magnus
Strings/Violin/Cello: Askjell, Magnus
Guitars: Fredrik Svabo
Mixing/Mastering: Magnus
If you want to read the other song stories written so far from this album:
Fabrice’s Corner
Fabrice’s newsfeed is a collection of the latest updates from across the Aurora fan community. Here you will find the 10 most recent post from various selected sources, including Aurora’s YouTube channel, fan forums, Reddit discussions, Tumblr posts, and Fabrice’s own curated playlists of newly discovered videos.
Each entry links directly to its original post or video, making it easy to follow new content as it appears. A great way to to stay updated on the Warriors & Weirdos community.
Final words
I have tickets for the cinema at the 4th of March!!!
See you in ❓ weeks.
Have a day 💚
Rune
By the way - Here’s yet a reminder of the app:
Sources
Looking at the tracklist, it looks like track number nine, but Aurora said that the first intro track doesn’t count: Aurora. 2021, December 5. Instagram Livestream (ft. aurorafranceoff). Livestream uploaded by Kenzo. Retrieved 2025, May 8 from Https://www.musicianwages.com/w2/the-meaning-behind-the-song-the-innocent-by-aurora
History Cooperative. 2025. Oizys: Greek Goddess of Misery and Suffering. Retrieved 26.02.2026 from https://historycooperative.org/oizys/
Britannica Editors. “Thanatos”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Nov. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanatos-Greek-mythology. Accessed 26 February 2026.
The Aurora Aksnes Wiki. 2022. Exhale Inhale. FanDom. Retrieved 2026, February 22 from https://aurora-aksnes.fandom.com/wiki/Exhale_Inhale
Genius. Aurora - Exhale Inhale lyrics. https://genius.com/Aurora-exhale-inhale-lyrics
The Aurora Aksnes Wiki. 2022. Exhale Inhale. FanDom. Retrieved 2026, February 22 from https://aurora-aksnes.fandom.com/wiki/Exhale_Inhale
Another good one guys. Keep up the good work!
Thank you Rune.
This song mean so much for me
The best song on the album and top five overall🦊🦊