A 2023 meta-analysis published in Scientific Reports examines how breathing exercises (breathwork) affect stress and mental health. The study pools data from 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a total of 785 participants.

What does the latest research on breathwork show?

  • Stress reduction: Conscious breathing led to a significant reduction in self-perceived stress compared to control groups. The effect was small to medium in size but statistically significant.
  • Reliability: Differences between the individual studies were moderate but not statistically meaningful. The effect is genuinely attributable to the breathing exercises themselves.
  • Anxiety and depression: Secondary analyses covering 20 studies on anxiety and 18 studies on depressive symptoms also showed significant small-to-medium effects in favor of breathwork.

Conclusion

Conscious breathing is no miracle cure, but a proven effective method for reducing stress – with additional potential to alleviate anxiety and depression. And all of this without side effects.

The research supports what many Wim Hof Method practitioners experience every day: targeted breathing exercises measurably change your physical and mental state.