Brief Structured Respiration Practices Enhance Mood and Reduce Physiological Arousal
nervous-system · Cell Reports Medicine 4(1): 100895 · 2023
Stanford RCT (n=114) showing that a daily 5-minute cyclic sighing practice — one full inhale, a second short inhale on top, then a long slow exhale through the mouth — reduces respiratory rate and improves mood more than box breathing, cyclic hyperventilation, or mindfulness meditation. This is the mechanism paper behind the "long exhale" step in Pollack's 60-second conflict reset.
Authors
{"Melis Yilmaz Balban","Eric Neri","Manuela M. Kogon","Lara Weed","Bita Nouriani","Booil Jo","Andrew D. Huberman","David Spiegel"}
Research lens
Stanford RCT (n=114) showing that a daily 5-minute cyclic sighing practice — one full inhale, a second short inhale on top, then a long slow exhale through the mouth — reduces respiratory rate and improves mood more than box breathing, cyclic hyperventilation, or mindfulness meditation. This is the mechanism paper behind the "long exhale" step in Pollack's 60-second conflict reset.
- breathwork
- vagal-tone
- cyclic-sighing
- stress
- conflict
- workplace
- regulation