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.
Parallel
Hypoxic breathwork plus music and messaging
BehavioralHypoxic breathwork consists of about 5 min of rhythmic breathing in a 4-in/4-out pattern followed by a breath hold on the exhale for about 1-2 min. This is repeated 1-2 times with increasing breath rate up to 2-in/2-out. The audio track also includes dynamic music that accompanies the different stages as well as positive messaging encouraging self-determination.
Hypoxic breathwork only
BehavioralHypoxic breathwork consists of about 5 min of rhythmic breathing in a 4-in/4-out pattern followed by a breath hold on the exhale for about 1-2 min. This is repeated 1-2 times with increasing breath rate up to 2-in/2-out. Other than breathing instructions and pacing, the audio track is silent.
Music and messaging meditation
BehavioralMusic and messaging meditation consists of dynamic music that is engaging and aids focus, as well as positive messaging encouraging self-determination.
EEG power and/or connectivity differences between groups
EEG features will be extracted to show the brain responses to rhythmic breathing and hypoxic breath holds that will be compared with music and positive messaging meditation. These groups will also be compared with a breathwork only condition.
Group differences in sleep EEG power and/or stage changes from baseline to the intervention period
Sleep stages and power characteristics will be analyzed during the practice week as compared to the week prior during which they have no intervention. All three experimental groups will be compared.
Group differences between physiological changes in proteomics, microbiome, and other factors from baseline following intervention
Physiological factors from blood, urine, saliva, stool and breath will be compared from before to after the 7-day intervention.
Group differences in mood and stress from before to after the intervention
Subjects will report their mood, sleep and stress levels before and after the intervention. All experimental groups will be compared. Insomnia Severity Index (0-no sleep problems to 28-very severe sleep problems) ; Perceived Stress Questionnaire (0-no stress to 40-high stress) ; Mystical Experiences-30 (0-no mystical feelings to 150-extreme mystical feelings) ; PROMIS-29 (5 subscales: Fatigue/SleepDisturbance/PainInterference range from 20-80 with 80 being the more severe; Ability to participate in social roles and activities ranges from 80-20 with 20 being more severe disruption; Pain Intensity ranges from 0-10 with 10 being the worst pain imaginable).
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