According to a study that was published in Scientific Reports, doing breathing exercises can reduce stress and enhance mental health.

Background
Vase breathing in Tibet, Tai chi in China, and yoga in India are all examples of traditional breathwork techniques. It has been passed down through the years for its positive effects on physical, mental, and spiritual health and wellbeing.
Currently, medical professionals and researchers support breathwork, and it is steadily gaining acceptance, particularly in industrialised countries. Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak and subsequent respiratory side effects, the therapeutic benefits of breathwork practise have gained increased recognition. Despite its well-known advantages, breathwork has not received significant research.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), stress is a significant cause of non-communicable diseases, which can result in a variety of mental health conditions (such as anxiety and depression) and physical disorders (such as hypertension). The use of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as a therapeutic method for such mental illnesses has received widespread endorsement. It requires extensive treatment and counselling with a qualified therapist, but it does not provide a permanent cure. Breathwork training may be delivered quickly and remotely, whether online or offline, making it far more affordable and available.
Researchers have identified a number of systems that play a role in the advantages of slow breathing exercises. These include enhanced parasympathetic activity, polyvagal theory, interoception and enteroception, increased heart rate variability through ANS modulation, and central nervous system (CNS) pacification.
Depression, stress, and anxiety reduces HRV and impairs ANS activity. Changing one's breathing affects the neurological signals that the respiratory system sends, which in turn affects the brain regions in charge of controlling thoughts, emotions, and behaviour.
Slow breathing also synchronises brain waves, enhancing communication between various brain regions. Fast breathing, on the other hand, causes temporary stress that helps with stress resilience.
Recent research suggests that one session of slow, deep breathing reduces anxiety in adults and improves vagal tone (as determined by HRV). Breathwork is comparable to mindfulness and meditation techniques, so to speak. HRV is improved through meditation and five to six breaths per minute.
Similar to the electronic biofeedback gadget that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved is this. Meditation and breath exercises can be practised to a ten-fold greater effect.
Concerning the study
In comparison to non-breathwork controls, this research examined various effects of breath modification on subjective stress levels. The effects of altered breathing on stress were also investigated in this study.
RCTs were the only type of experiment covered in this study. It included sub-analysis of the research population and the controls according to their health condition, the way the breathwork was performed, how it was delivered, and the outcome metrics used. Stress-related dose-response effects were assessed.
The clinical trial registers - ISRCTN and ClinicalTrials.gov - as well as the PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest databases were all thoroughly searched. Up till February 2022, 12 RCTs comprising 785 adults were included in the meta-analysis.
Findings
The meta-analysis's findings showed a strong correlation between the breathwork intervention and lower stress levels when compared to the control group. Despite the lack of data, the results of the included research appeared to be consistent. Additionally, the nonclinical samples showed comparable results, with the exception of individuals who had physical and mental health problems. When taught alone as opposed to in groups, the benefits on stress were notable after the slow-paced breathing intervention. In addition, the quick breathing intervention's advantages were rather modest.
Whether the method was taught in-person, remotely, or both, it appeared to be effective. The results showed that breathwork therapies including slow breathing had a high safety profile. As a result, it can be recommended to people who are under a lot of stress as well as groups that are.
Notably, the interventional strategy and method of breathing modifications delivery had no bearing on the results. As a result, its varied modalities may be successful. Another benefit was in both the active and inactive controls, the breathwork demonstrated reduced stress. As a result, the intervention can be described as somewhat general and approachable.
Conclusions
In comparison to non-breathwork control groups, these results demonstrated a significant reduction in self-reported anxiety, sadness, and stress in people who practise breathwork. Although breathwork is a well-liked therapeutic strategy for reducing stress, more research is necessary to separate "hype and evidence" and comprehend the therapeutic potential of breath changes.
This study offers preliminary proof that breathwork should be further studied before being regularly used to enhance public health.
Journal reference:
Fincham, G. et al. (2023) "Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials", Scientific Reports, 13(1). doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-27247-y. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-27247-y
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