courtesy Massachusetts General Hospital
Dr. Sara Lazar
Dr. Lazar, who also runs the Lazar Lab for Meditation Research at Mass General, noted that she would want to see a future study “done with working-age adults and with clinical populations.”
“It should also be noted that mindfulness had a bigger effect on negative affect, which could have implications for conditions such as depression or trauma,” said Dr. Lazar, who was not involved with the current research.
Also weighing in, Steven R. Thorp, PhD, professor at California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, San Diego, said in an interview the study is “really interesting and well done.”
Dr. Steven Thorp
“Although breathing exercises and breathing retraining are commonly found in psychosocial interventions, especially for anxiety disorders, there have been few empirical studies comparing different breathing protocols,” Dr. Thorp said.
In this study, the passive observation of breaths (mindfulness) and specific breathwork interventions “all worked to decrease state anxiety; but the breathwork, particularly the cyclic sighing protocol, produced a greater overall reduction in respiratory rate and increase in positive mood,” he noted.
“These techniques can be recommended by all clinicians because all clients have access to their breath at all times – and only 5 minutes of daily practice can yield the benefits. Moreover, as the authors note, the immediate benefits may encourage clients to engage with the breathwork and potentially other aspects of treatment,” Dr. Thorp said.
The study was funded by Victor and Winnie Koo and Tianren Culture and a Stanford School of Medicine Discovery Innovation Award. WHOOP donated the wrist straps used in the study, but was not involved in the study’s design or analysis. Dr. Huberman is an advisor to WHOOP. Dr. Lazar and Dr. Thorp have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.