July 10, 2026
Lohani Noor
Sexual anxiety, whether from trauma, performance shame, or arousal dysregulation, hinders intimacy, pleasure, and connection. Breathwork, as a foundational somatic practice, provides an accessible method to regulate the autonomic nervous system, reduce anxiety, and anchor present-moment awareness—core elements for healthy sexual engagement. In psychosexual therapy, structured breathing fosters embodiment, somatic safety, and trust, helping clients reconnect with sensation and desire.
Yoga Science & Spirituality
June 30, 2026
Fedra Nasoku
Dr. Mukund Vinayak Bhole (1935–2021), a physician and yoga researcher at Kaivalyadhama, the first yoga research institute, integrated traditional yogic knowledge with modern biomedical science. His physiological investigations of asanas, pranayama, kriyas, bandhas, meditation, and mantra practices used clinical and laboratory methods. He developed the Bhole Approach (Anubhava) to yoga therapy and created therapeutic protocols for bronchial asthma, hypertension, diabetes, chronic low back pain, anxiety disorders, cardiac rehabilitation, and stress-related illnesses. His work interpreted traditional concepts such as prāṇa, vāyus, chakras, and Pancha Kosha within a modern biomedical framework while preserving their experiential significance. His legacy continues to influence evidence-based yoga and integrative medicine.
medRxiv
June 24, 2026
Dhruv Adhia, Deepali Raithatha, Arron Ferguson et al.
A mobile breathwork system called Vayu, which uses an Apple Watch and iPhone app, delivers slow breathing guided by wrist-based haptic cues, adapts pacing to heart rate variability (HRV), and includes reflective journaling. In a 4–6-week pilot with 199 adults across Canada, the United States, and India, participants did daily 5–10-minute sessions. Average adherence was 4.1 sessions per week, with 71% of active users doing at least 3 sessions weekly. By week four, perceived stress decreased by 2.5 points on the PSS-10, resting heart rate fell by 7.4 bpm, and HRV increased by a median of 28.6% from baseline, along with mood improvements. No adverse events occurred. The findings suggest the system is effective and well-tolerated.
Frontiers in Psychology
June 10, 2026
Guy W. Fincham, Edward Caddye, Amy Kartar et al.
A single session of high ventilation breathwork produced larger altered states of consciousness—including mystical experience, emotional breakthrough, and feelings of oneness—than body scan meditation in 24 healthy adults. One week later, breathwork was associated with greater psychological insight and self-reported behavioral change. Both groups showed improvements in stress, anxiety, depression, and well-being over time. These preliminary findings suggest breathwork can induce psychedelic-like effects and support further confirmatory research.
The Korean East West Mind Science Association
May 31, 2026
SungShin Hong, Sunghyun Park
Holotropic Breathwork, developed by Stanislav and Christina Grof, is an experiential technique whose psychotherapeutic mechanisms are theoretically explored using Charles T. Tart's model of altered states of consciousness. Tart's concepts of set, setting, and trigger, along with stages of consciousness change, are linked to the session structure of Holotropic Breathwork. Therapeutic change may involve disrupting and reorganizing rigid psychological patterns through a new discrete state of consciousness (d-SoC), which are then reintegrated upon returning to ordinary consciousness. The quality of set and setting, rather than the altered state itself, is critical for determining whether the experience leads to therapeutic benefit or psychological crisis. This analysis aims to strengthen theoretical foundations for clinical application in transpersonal psychotherapy.
Open MIND
May 28, 2026
Josephine Jörke, Lena Erdmann, Michael A. Rapp et al.
High ventilation breathwork (HVB) can reliably induce altered states of consciousness similar to those produced by psychedelics and has shown positive effects on mental health, yet its safety profile remains poorly characterized. This project will conduct a longitudinal online survey in which participants report on a recent HVB session (within nine days), including side effects, subjective experiences, contextual factors, and demographic and risk-related variables. Side effects are classified as acute (during or directly after the breathing phase), subacute (within 48 hours), and delayed (48 hours to three weeks). Prevalence rates will be estimated as percentages, and hierarchical multiple regression will predict side effect severity. The goal is to inform evidence-based guidelines for responsible HVB use.
Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine
May 1, 2026
Steven D. Pratscher, Lloyd Lalande, Allison Davis et al.
A single session of Guided Respiration Mindfulness Therapy (GRMT), an integrative breathwork intervention involving one hour of conscious connected breathing with somatically focused mindfulness and relaxation, was highly acceptable and satisfying to adults with chronic pain. Among 11 enrolled participants, 10 completed the session; all recommended the intervention to others. Large, clinically meaningful improvements in pain intensity and pain interference occurred from baseline to 2-week and 6-week follow-ups, with mean differences of -2.9 and -3.5 respectively. The findings demonstrate proof of concept and warrant further research.
Stress and Health
March 5, 2026
A. G. Little, Matthew J. Stainer, Alex Sandy MacQuarrie et al.
1 citation
Student paramedics who practiced the A52 Breath Method—a structured slow-diaphragmatic-breathing protocol (5-second inhale, 5-second exhale, 2-second hold) twice daily for 12 weeks—reported significantly lower stress, anxiety, and depression and higher resilience compared to a control group, with medium to large effect sizes. Insomnia and psychological wellbeing did not change significantly. Qualitative feedback indicated benefits for emotional regulation and perceived psychological safety, though some challenges with practice engagement were noted. The findings suggest breathwork may serve as a scalable upstream intervention to support mental health during paramedic training.
Counselor Education and Supervision
March 1, 2026
Yangyang Liu, Ting‐fen Lin, Dilian Rolins et al.
A virtual breathwork meditation program called Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) improved overall wellness in 42 counselors-in-training. Participants showed significant gains in overall wellness and in the sub-domains of Creative Self, Coping Self, and Essential Self immediately after the program and at a one-month follow-up.
Frontiers in Psychology
February 25, 2026
Natalie L. Dyer, Meredith Sprengel, Ivo V. Stuldreher et al.
A feasibility study monitored 23 adults with multiple sensors during guided loving kindness meditation and breathwork. Biofield measures changed as expected for some participants. After meditation, participants reported lower arousal and increased control, boundarylessness, and non-duality. After breathwork, participants reported increased arousal and decreased boundarylessness, connectedness, and non-duality. Strong correlations (r > 0.5) appeared between ultraweak photon emission from both hands, and moderate correlations (r > 0.4) between infrared nose temperature and left hand ultraweak photon emission. The authors conclude that simultaneous multi-sensor monitoring is feasible and that meditation and breathwork produce nearly opposite effects, but larger samples and control groups are needed.