Breathing is the continuous process of taking in oxygen (O₂) and releasing carbon dioxide (CO₂) through the lungs. It is regulated by the autonomic nervous system in the brainstem. Beyond its vital role in sustaining life, the breath is closely linked to how safe or stressed we feel in any given moment.

Breathing is a dynamic regulator of the nervous and endocrine systems, influencing hormone release, autonomic balance and stress responses. It directly affects heart rate and blood pressure, shaping how the body responds to challenges and maintains homeostasis.

Different breathing patterns align with distinct nervous system states, as described by Polyvagal Theory:

• Freeze or shutdown: Shallow, restricted breathing - limits emotional and physiological processing.

• Sympathetic arousal: Rapid, irregular breathing - increases heart rate, blood pressure and tension.

• Connection and regulation: Slow, rhythmic breathing - engages the parasympathetic system, lowering heart rate, supporting cardiovascular stability and promoting emotional presence.

Breathing has profound affects on both our physiology and our psychology.

Physiologically, it influences carbon dioxide levels and blood pH, modulates blood flow to the brain, supports autonomic nervous system balance and delivery of oxygen to the muscles.

Psychologically, it shapes attention, emotional regulation and cognitive clarity.

Over time, habitual breathing patterns can either reinforce tension and dysregulation, or cultivate resilience, flexibility and a sense of grounded wellbeing.

We have two main options when it comes to improving how we breathe, something we do up to 26,000 times a day.

1. Mind based approaches: Include popular techniques such as 4-7-8 breathing or box breathing. These engage the prefrontal cortex, the executive function part of the brain, to consciously shift our breathing pattern. Research shows they can create temporary improvements in both psychological and physiological wellbeing, such as calming the mind before a big presentation or reducing short-term stress.

   To create more dynamic breathing and longer term changes, body-based methods are more effective.

2. Body based techniques: These are the antidote to how we spend most of our days. Practices such as Connected Breathing allow the body to breathe without engaging the prefrontal cortex. This opens access to the subconscious, helps us enter an altered state, and supports the emergence of more dynamic breathing patterns.

Breathing is not fixed - it constantly adapts to meet the demands of daily life. A dynamic breathing pattern is one that is able to shift fluidly depending on what the body and mind need at any given moment.

Research shows that our breathing is defined by several factors:

• Rate – fast or slow

• Depth – shallow or deep

• Location – chest or belly

• Rhythm – steady or irregular

• Pathway – nose or mouth

When breathing is adaptable, the nervous system has more capacity to regulate and recover. For example:

• A shallow breath may be useful during moments of high activity.

• A slow, nasal breath can support meditation or relaxation.

• A full belly and chest breath allows for release, sighing, or emotional expression.

Everyone has subconscious breathing habits, but with awareness and practice, the breath can become more dynamic. A flexible breathing pattern supports resilience, adaptability, and overall nervous system health.

Connected Breathing is a continuous, unbroken pattern of respiration where each inhale flows directly into the exhale. This rhythm bypasses the usual pauses in breathing, helping to access subconscious patterns, release stored tension, and bring awareness to emotional responses that influence behaviour. By inducing an altered state of consciousness, the practice creates space for deeper material to surface, supporting both psychological and physiological healing.

Facilitated Breath Repatterning (FBR) is a refined version of connected breathing that helps individuals identify and release chronic tension and restore natural breathing rhythms to create more resillience in the nervous system and create shifts in behaviour.

Physiological Effects

Connected Breathing alters blood gases and autonomic balance, releasing muscular tension, improving circulation, and enhancing tissue oxygenation. Over time, this supports tissue repair, reduces stress-related holding patterns, and promotes a greater sense of physical ease and resilience.

Window of Tolerance

Connected Breathing expands the window of tolerance - the range within which a person can experience emotions and bodily sensations without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down. For individuals with trauma-related conditions, this enhances emotional regulation, reduces hyperarousal, and increases capacity to safely process distressing experiences.

Psychological Effects

Connected Breathing calms the mind, reduces anxiety, and interrupts habitual overthinking. By inducing altered states of consciousness, it allows subconscious material to surface and be processed, improving clarity and strengthening psychological wellbeing.

Additional Benefits

• Releases stored tension and trauma-related bodily patterns

• Supports integration of emotional, physiological, and psychological states

• Reduces protective mechanisms that block emotional expression

• Improves self-regulation of stress, anxiety, and hypervigilance

• Enhances body awareness, mindfulness, and self-connection

• Fosters clarity, resilience, and overall wellbeing

For Conscious Connected Breathing (CCB), the research has started to validate what I have been experiencing in my own life:

In summary, the evidence shows that CCB can shift brain activity, improve mood, induce altered states similar to psychedelics, and create lasting improvements in stress, self-awareness, and emotional well-being.

1. Decreased CO₂ saturation during circular breathwork supports emergence of altered states of consciousness (2025)

A study compared Holotropic and Conscious Connected Breathwork while tracking physiological and psychological outcomes. Results showed that decreases in end-tidal CO₂ (caused by circular breathing) were linked with the onset of altered states of consciousness. Participants reported experiences similar to those induced by psychedelics, and the depth of these states predicted improvements in well-being and reductions in depressive symptoms.

The authors suggest that circular breathwork may reliably induce altered states through measurable physiological shifts, offering potential as a safe therapeutic tool for mental health and emotional healing.

2. Effects of Conscious Connected Breathing on Cortical Brain Activity, Mood, and State of Consciousness (2023, Current Psychology).

A study with 20 healthy adults explored the impact of connected breathwork. Results showed measurable changes in brain wave activity (notably decreased delta and theta power), along with improvements in mood, including reduced tension, confusion, and depression, and increased self-esteem. Participants also reported altered states of consciousness comparable to those seen with high doses of psilocybin.

The authors suggest that conscious connected breathing may hold promise as a therapeutic intervention for mood disorders, warranting further clinical research, particularly in populations with depression.

3. Neurobiological Substrates of Altered States of Consciousness Induced by High-Ventilation Breathwork (2025, PLOS ONE)

A study with 19 participants examined the effects of high-ventilation breathwork combined with music using fMRI. Results showed measurable changes in brain activity, including decreased blood flow in regions associated with bodily self-awareness (posterior insula and left operculum) and increased blood flow in areas linked to emotional memory (right amygdala and anterior hippocampus). Participants reported experiences such as unity, bliss, and emotional release, characteristic of altered states of consciousness.

The authors suggest that high-ventilation breathwork can reliably induce profound altered states and may have therapeutic potential for emotional processing and well-being without the use of substances.