The 4-Minute Alchemy™Privacy policy
This policy explains what information atayero.org (“the site”) and the companion pages for The 4-Minute Alchemy™ books collect, why, and the choices you have. The site and books are published by AAA. Atayero, PhD (“I”, “me”).
What the site does not collect
- The breathing guide, quizzes and flashcards run in your browser. Your answers and scores are not sent anywhere.
- The site sets no advertising cookies and does not track you across other websites.
The 4-Minute Alchemy™ app
The app at atayero.org/app works without an account. Your journal, notes, streaks and unlocks stay on your own device, unless you switch on Sync (described below).
- One anonymous count a day. Once a day the app, and the website pages that show the day counter, send a counting service a random number made on your device, whether the visit came from the app or the website, and the tag of the link you came by, if it had one (for example “whatsapp”). It never includes your name, your email or anything you wrote. I use it to know how many different people open the app and which links brought them. Nothing is sent if your browser says Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control, and you can switch it off in the app’s Settings. The counting service runs on Cloudflare.
- Payments. Payments are made on Paystack’s own pages, so I never see or store your card details. To unlock the app, it sends your payment reference (the Paystack reference) to the same service, which checks with Paystack that the payment was completed, for how much and whether it was refunded. It does not ask for or keep your name, email address or address from Paystack. It notes which devices (again random numbers) have used the payment, so that a payment or a gift opens only as many devices as it allows.
- Sync between your devices (optional, free for every reader, off until you switch it on). If you switch on Sync in the app’s Settings, the app makes a 16-character key on your device and uses it to encrypt your days done, start date, streak data, journal entries and notes before they leave your device. Only the encrypted copy, a random identifier derived from the key, a version number and the time of the last save are stored on my service (Cloudflare). The key itself, and anything that could read the copy, never reaches me, so I cannot read your journal and cannot recover the key if you lose it. Your reader codes and payment references are not synced; you unlock each device yourself. The copy is kept until 800 days after you last used Sync, or until you choose “Switch off and delete the server copy” in Settings. You can also back up and restore your progress as a file without any server.
- Feedback. If you send feedback from the app, what you write, with the edition, day and rating you chose, is saved so that I can read it. It is not linked to your name. Please do not put your name, email or health details in it unless you want me to have them.
This part of the policy applies from the day the app opens, 26 October 2026.
Information you choose to send
- The 33-Day Breath Journal™, Share Your Breath Story and Help Shape the Next Edition forms. These are Google Forms. What you enter (for example your journal entries, your story, your feedback, and your name or email if you give them) is stored by Google on my behalf and is read by me. Each form says how your entries may be used, and you choose whether I may quote you. I publish a story only in the way you have chosen, and I never pay for or reward testimonials. Google’s own privacy policy also applies.
- The weekly newsletter. If you subscribe, your email address is stored by my email provider and used only to send the newsletter. Every email has an unsubscribe link.
- Messages you send me through the contact page are used only to reply to you.
- Payment records. Paystack keeps its own record of each sale, including the name and email address you gave it. I can see that record in my Paystack account and I keep it for my accounts. If a payment cannot be confirmed by the app on its own and you email me your receipt, I use the details on it only to help you and to keep a record of the sale. Paystack handles your card or bank details under its own privacy policy; I never see them.
- Engagement requests. If you send a request through the form on the Academic page (your name, email address, phone or WhatsApp number, organisation, role, country and the details of your request), the form is handled by Netlify, which hosts the site, and is stored there on my behalf. I read it and use it only to reply to you and to plan the engagement you ask about. I do not add it to the newsletter unless you ask me to.
Health information
The journal form asks about things such as sleep, stress and, if you choose, health readings. This is sensitive information. Please share only what you are comfortable sharing. I use it to see whether the practice helps readers, and I publish it only in a form that does not identify you, unless you have said otherwise. Nothing on the site is medical advice.
Links to other sites
The site links to Amazon (to buy or gift the books), to the free full texts of the 33 studies, to the Huff app and to other pages. Those sites have their own privacy policies; I do not control what they collect.
How long I keep information
I keep form entries and newsletter details for as long as the project runs or until you ask me to delete them, whichever comes first. An encrypted Sync copy is kept for 800 days after it was last used, and you can delete it yourself at any time from the app’s Settings.
Your choices and rights
You can ask me to show you, correct or delete what you have sent, or withdraw permission to quote you, at any time, through the contact page. Depending on where you live, data-protection laws may give you further rights, and I will honour them.
Children
The site and books are written for adults. I do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has sent me information, please tell me and I will delete it.
Changes
If this policy changes, the new version will appear on this page with a new effective date.
Contact
Questions about privacy: use the contact page.