Breathwork

Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials

Fincham GW, Strauss C, Montero-Marin J, et al. · Scientific Reports, 2023

This meta-analysis pooled randomised controlled trials that compared breathwork, meaning deliberate control of the breath, with non-breathwork control conditions. For the main outcome, self-reported stress, the authors combined 12 trials with 785 adults. Breathwork was associated with lower stress than control conditions, a small-to-medium effect. Secondary analyses of anxiety (20 trials) and depressive symptoms (18 trials) showed effects of a similar size. The authors conclude that breathwork may help with stress and mental health, but they explicitly urge caution so that public enthusiasm does not run ahead of the evidence. The honest limitation is in the studies themselves: most were judged to be at moderate risk of bias, and results varied between trials, so better-designed research is still needed.

Our summaries describe what each study found. They are not medical advice, and the practices at Halcyon are not a treatment for any condition.