Breathwork · Consciousness

How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing

Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, et al. · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2018

This systematic review asked what actually happens in the body and brain when healthy people slow their breathing to fewer than ten breaths per minute. From 2,461 abstracts, 15 studies met the criteria. Across them, slow breathing was linked with higher heart rate variability, a marker of parasympathetic (rest and digest) activity, along with shifts in brain activity such as more alpha and less theta power on EEG. People also reported feeling more comfortable, relaxed, pleasant, vigorous and alert, with less anxiety, anger and confusion. The authors propose two possible mechanisms, one involving awareness of internal body states and one involving nasal breathing and the olfactory system. A clear limitation is the small evidence base: only 15 studies qualified, and the brain imaging findings rest on a single fMRI study.

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