Curated by Ryan Douglas.
There is a lot of hype behind the breathwork work trend(s) – is this all too good to be true?
The answer is, #breathwork is a simple way to reach a complex system that is proving to be an accessible control mechanism for symptoms of #stress, #anxiety and #depression.
However, when anything is potentially effective and easily accessible the hype can get rolling quickly and,unfortunately, so can the exploitation.
Our biggest challenge while bringing #lighttherapy into the mainstream was not the naysayers. It was the countless companies, chasing a quick buck, who pushed past the rules and research and put products in the market that lacked scientific basis and FDA quality standards.
Not only were people put at risk, a burgeoning industry, struggling for credibility, was set back years trying to differentiate itself from the snake oil salesman.
This story ended pretty well. Light therapy is widely accepted today, reimbursed and available to those who need it. That is where I believe breathwork is headed too.
This article published by Nature.com sums it up best: “The meta-analysis found significant small-medium effects of breathwork on self-reported/subjective stress, anxiety and depression compared to non-breathwork control conditions.
“Breathwork could be part of the solution to meeting the need for more accessible approaches, but more research studies with low risk-of-bias designs are now needed to ensure such recommendations are grounded in research evidence.â€
I predict we will come to find that there are very appropriate ways to effectively deliver this therapy and, like light therapy, the best delivery will have less to do with hype and profits and more to do with recognizing individualized needs and delivering accessible health care.
