What research tells us about cyclic sighing

When we’re stressed or anxious, our breathing often changes. We may breathe more quickly or shallowly, and those physical changes can contribute to how we feel. But there’s an interesting relationship between our breath and our nervous system: breathing is automatic, but we can also consciously change it.

That makes the breath a remarkably accessible tool for influencing how we feel.

A 2023 randomized controlled study published in Cell Reports Medicine explored whether brief, structured breathing practices could affect mood, anxiety, and physiological arousal. Participants practiced their assigned breathing technique for five minutes a day for one month.

One practice caught my eye: cyclic sighing.

What is cyclic sighing?

Cyclic sighing is a simple breathing technique that emphasizes a long, slow exhalation:

• Inhale through your nose.

• Take a second, deep, inhale.

• Slowly and fully exhale through your mouth.

• Repeat for five minutes.

In the study, the breathing groups experienced reductions in anxiety and negative mood. The cyclic-sighing group showed the greatest improvement in positive mood and also had a significant reduction in resting breathing rate. That’s an interesting finding because it suggests that the practice wasn’t simply changing how participants breathed while they were practicing. Their resting breathing rate changed as well. This practice holds promise as an effective stress management exercise.

Try it for yourself

One of the things I appreciate about this research is how accessible the practice is. Here’s a demonstration of cyclic sighing: Watch the breathing practice on YouTube⁠. The study used five minutes of practice each day for 30 days.

Why this matters to me

Breathing practices have been part of yoga traditions for centuries. I’m fascinated by the growing research exploring how these practices may influence our mood, physiology, and experience of stress.

For me, research doesn’t replace the wisdom of traditional yoga practice. It gives us another way to understand it…

Just Breathe!

Research: Balban, M. Y., Neri, E., Kogon, M. M., Weed, L., Nouriani, B., Jo, B., Holl, G., Zeitzer, J. M., Spiegel, D., & Huberman, A. D. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell reports. Medicine, 4(1), 100895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100895