Category: Mind + Spirit

Forty-two hospitalized patients reported gains in

Intracranial recordings from nine epilepsy patients show that

Healthy young adults needed more mental effort and performed less efficiently on memory tasks when a supervised respiratory challenge induced acute anxiety.

A review of 22 studies suggests that responses to the discomfort of a voluntary breath hold could help researchers investigate how anxiety shapes the perception of internal bodily signals.

Breath prayer is a short, repeatable form of prayer that pairs a phrase with the rhythm of breathing. As interest grows in breathwork and nervous-system regulation, breath prayer offers a distinctively spiritual version of embodied calm.

Prayer is often associated with comfort, coping and emotional support, but research on prayer and well-being is complex. Studies suggest prayer can be linked to stress buffering and daily coping, while also showing that the effects depend on context, belief and the type of pra…

Prayer and breathing have been linked in spiritual traditions for centuries, and one well-known study suggests that some rhythmic prayers naturally slow respiration in ways that may affect cardiovascular rhythms.

Box breathing has become one of the best-known structured breathing practices, often taught as a simple pattern: inhale, hold, exhale and hold again for equal counts. Its popularity is growing, but research suggests the effects may depend on context and physiology.

Mindfulness and meditation are often discussed alongside breathing because many practices begin with attention to the breath. Research suggests mindfulness may help with some mental and physical health concerns, but federal health authorities emphasize that the evidence varies…

Breathing exercises are widely promoted for stress, but research suggests the details matter: how long people practice, how they are guided and which breathing pattern they use can all affect results.