Breathwork is not one intervention
The word can describe slow paced breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, cyclic sighing, fast connected breathing and many other protocols. Those methods can feel very different and should not be treated as interchangeable. Healing Rituals uses gentle, optional breath awareness rather than an intensive protocol. The point is to create space, not to push through dizziness or distress.
What the meta-analysis found
Fincham and colleagues reviewed randomized controlled trials and found small-to-medium associations between breathwork and lower self-reported stress, anxiety and depression. Read the open-access review. The authors also emphasized limitations: varied practices, risk of bias, modest study numbers and incomplete adverse-event reporting. The findings support further study, not a promise that one breathing method treats every concern.
Use response, not intensity, as feedback
A sustainable practice leaves you able to return to ordinary breathing without feeling trapped, faint or flooded. Try a comfortable pace and stop if you become dizzy, numb, panicky or unwell. People with significant heart, lung, neurological or pregnancy-related concerns should ask an appropriate clinician before beginning a structured practice. A gentle session can also omit deliberate breath change entirely.
Build a practice around transitions
Use a familiar cue: closing a laptop, arriving home or getting into bed. Take one or two unforced breaths with a slightly longer, comfortable exhale, then continue normally. The practice is the pause, not a perfect count. Read breath pacing for transitions, slow breathing and mood research, and the gentle breathwork overview.
Verified sources
- Fincham GW, Strauss C, Montero-Marin J, Cavanagh K. Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials. Scientific Reports. 2023;13:432. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-27247-y.Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials reporting small-to-medium associations with lower self-reported stress, anxiety and depression. Studies and breathing methods varied; risk of bias and sparse safety reporting require caution. Full text was accessible. No correction or retraction notice was identified during the 2026-09-18 research check.
About this reading
This educational article distinguishes the intervention studied from Healing Rituals’ personalized wellness work. It is not medical, psychiatric or relationship treatment and does not promise a clinical outcome.
Learn about Lauren and the practice