Recent research tested the effectiveness of three types of breathwork (sighing, box breathing and hyperventilation) and mindfulness meditation to see which had the most beneficial effect on mood and anxiety (physiological arousal).
The bottom line
1. Sighing is a method of breathwork worth trying when you want to reduce anxiety (access calm).
2. Breathwork, having a specific breathing pattern to follow, allows for control and access to a method when it is needed versus mindfulness meditation which involves passively observing the breath.
Study details
Participants = 108
Design: a remote randomized controlled trial
Duration = 30 days
4 Interventions
- Box breathing: inhale, hold, exhale, hold. the inhale/hold/exhale/hold ratio was 1/1/1/1. repeat the cycle for 5 minutes.
- Sighing: inhale, deepen inhale, then exhale for longer. the inhale/exhale ratio was 1+.25 (deepen)/2. repeat the cycle for 5 minutes.
- Hyperventilation: inhale for longer than exhale, then hold. the inhale/exhale/hold ratio was 2/1/.25. repeat the cycle for 5 minutes.
- Mindfulness mediation: natural breathing. no control specficied. repeat the cycle for 5 minutes.
Outcomes assessed
- Mood (positive and negative affect change)
- Anxiety (state anxiety change)
- Physiological arousal (measured by: respiratory rate, resting heart rate, heart rate variability)
Results
High-level finding
Breathwork in general, but specifically sighing, led to greater improvement in mood and a lower respiratory rate when compared to mindfulness meditation. While respiratory rate was one measure of physiologic arousal, the others (heart rate and heart rate variability) did not change.
More detailed findings
All 3 breathwork groups and the mindfulness group were compared before and after the 30-day study.
- Both the mindfulness group and breathwork groups showed reduced negative affect and increases in positive affect.
- Both the mindfulness group and breathwork groups had a significant reduction in anxiety after the 1-month study as compared to before.
Next daily differences between the breathwork groups combined and mindfulness groups were examined.
- There were no differences between the breathwork and mindfulness groups in terms of impact on anxiety or on negative affect on a daily basis.
- All groups showed significant daily improvement in positive affect, reduction in anxiety and negative affect.
- The breathwork group showed a higher increase in daily positive affect than the mindfulness group.
- The breathwork group showed a higher increase in daily positive affect the more days they had been doing the protocol.
