This project will study changes that occur during a short period of intensive daily slow-paced breathing and breath hold practice (i.e., "breathwork"). On the first and last days of the week-long practice, investigators will conduct high-density EEG recordings during breathwork to evaluate spectral power, coherence, and causality dynamics of the brain when it is naïve to breathwork and after adaptation to a breathwork practice. Breath, blood, urine, saliva, stool samples, biometric data, and sleep EEG will be collected before the start of daily breathwork practice and again after 1 week of breathwork practice to examine the effect of breathwork on full body biochemistry, molecular biology, and sleep. Investigators will also use questionnaires to assess the impact of breathwork on stress and sleep quality.
Persons, aged 18-45
Availability for the duration of the study
In good general health as revealed by self-report
Stated willingness and capability to adhere to the breathwork regimen
Current or past regular breathwork practice
Current use of psychoactive medications (e.g., anti-depressants or anxiolytics)
Pregnancy
Bedtime past 11:30pm or regularly getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night.