Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal
Cell Reports Medicine January 1, 2023 Melis Yilmaz Balban, Eric Neri, Manuela M. Kogon et al. 261 citations
A month-long remote randomized controlled trial compared three daily five-minute breathwork exercises—cyclic sighing (prolonged exhalations), box breathing (equal inhale, hold, exhale), and cyclic hyperventilation with retention (longer inhales, shorter exhales)—against mindfulness meditation. Cyclic sighing produced greater improvements in mood and greater reductions in respiratory rate than mindfulness meditation. The findings suggest that brief, exhale-focused breathwork may be an effective stress management tool.