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Trauma is not just a mental imprint, it is a physiological disruption that lodges itself in the nervous system, often persisting long after the triggering event has passed. As neuroscience continues to deepen our understanding of trauma, breathwork for trauma has emerged as a powerful, evidence-based method for restoring balance in the body and mind.
This article explores the mechanisms behind breathwork healing, reviews the scientific literature, and highlights effective breathing exercises for trauma, including clinical protocols used in trauma-informed breathwork training.
Understanding Trauma and the Nervous System
When a person experiences trauma, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) shifts into a heightened state of sympathetic arousal, commonly known as the fight-or-flight response. If unresolved, this state becomes chronically activated, leading to dysregulation, emotional instability, sleep disturbances, and somatic pain. This pattern persists because trauma can become “stored” in the body, particularly in the limbic system, vagus nerve, and fascia.
A crucial component of releasing trauma from the body exercises is engaging the parasympathetic nervous system to restore homeostasis (the body’s way of keeping internal conditions stable and balanced). Breathwork does this by modulating heart rate variability (HRV), reducing cortisol levels, and enhancing vagal tone, the latter of which plays a major role in emotional resilience and recovery.
The Science Behind Breathwork
Controlled breathing alters the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the ANS. Slow, diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which then downregulates the stress response. This mechanism lies at the core of the science behind breathwork, which demonstrates that even short-term breath control can induce measurable changes in emotional regulation, cardiovascular coherence, and trauma resolution.
Multiple studies have demonstrated that breathwork for trauma can:
- Reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Increase emotional regulation through cortical-subcortical integration
- Improve HRV, that helps assess how flexibly the nervous system responds to stress.
For example, a 2020 study showed that participants practicing slow breathing (5.5 breaths/minute) over eight weeks exhibited significant improvements in HRV and reductions in anxiety symptoms1. Another randomized controlled trial found that holotropic Breathwork led to measurable improvements in trauma-related anxiety and personal growth metrics2.
Evidence-Based Breathwork Techniques for Trauma
1. Coherent Breathing
This technique involves breathing at a rate of approximately 5-6 breaths per minute. It is ideal for trauma recovery as it synchronizes the baroreflex— a cardiovascular reflex responsible for blood pressure regulation, with the respiratory cycle, enhancing vagal activity.
- Benefits: Reduces heart rate, lowers cortisol, improves sleep, calms hyperarousal
- Use: 20 minutes per session, 4–5 times per week
- How to Perform: Sit or lie down comfortably. Inhale gently through the nose for 5–6 seconds, then exhale for 5–6 seconds without pausing. Use a timer or guided app to maintain a steady rhythm of 5–6 breaths per minute. Stay relaxed and breathe diaphragmatically throughout.
2. Box Breathing (4-4-4-4)
Box breathing involves inhaling, holding, exhaling, and pausing for equal counts. Originally used by Navy SEALs, it is effective in managing acute stress and anxiety.
- Benefits: Enhances focus, builds distress tolerance, stabilizes the nervous system
- Use: Short sessions (5–10 minutes) during emotional distress
- How to Perform: Inhale deeply through the nose for 4 seconds. Hold the breath for 4 seconds. Exhale slowly through the mouth for 4 seconds. Hold again for 4 seconds. Repeat the full cycle for 5–10 minutes, keeping the breath smooth and even throughout.
3. 4-7-8 Breathing
Popularized by Dr. Andrew Weil, this technique activates the parasympathetic nervous system by extending the exhalation phase.
- Benefits: Induces sleep, reduces rumination, supports trauma reprocessing
- Use: Best practiced before sleep, during anxiety episodes, or as a daily calming ritual.
- How to Perform: Inhale quietly through the nose for 4 seconds. Hold your breath for 7 seconds. Exhale audibly through the mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat this cycle up to 4 times in one sitting, preferably before bed or during anxious moments.
4. Conscious Connected Breathing
This involves continuous, rhythmic breathing without pauses between inhalation and exhalation. It may stimulate cathartic emotional release, making it one of the more intense breathwork healing practices.
- Benefits: Facilitates emotional release, enhances body-mind connection, helps access repressed trauma, and supports deep breathwork healing.
- How to Perform: Lie down in a safe, comfortable space. Begin circular breathing—inhale fully through the mouth, then exhale without pausing. Maintain a continuous rhythm without gaps between breaths. Continue for 15–30 minutes. Emotional releases may occur, so grounding afterward is essential.
Use Caution: Best guided by a practitioner trained in trauma-informed breathwork training
5. Holotropic Breathwork for Trauma
Developed by Stanislav Grof, this method uses accelerated breathing to induce altered states of consciousness. Often combined with evocative music and ideal for individuals seeking deep reprocessing in a structured setting., it facilitates access to subconscious material and unresolved trauma.
- How to Perform: Under professional supervision, breathe deeply and rapidly through the mouth in a continuous, unbroken rhythm. Music is played to guide the journey. Sessions typically last 2–3 hours and include integration time. Never attempt unsupervised due to its intense emotional effects.
Important Note: Due to its intensity, this should only be done under supervision.
Integrating Breathwork into Trauma Therapy
Breathing exercises for trauma should not be used as standalone treatments for complex trauma but can powerfully complement therapeutic modalities like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), somatic experiencing, or CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy).
A trauma-informed facilitator understands how to pace sessions to avoid re-traumatization, adjust intensity, and offer grounding practices as needed. Effective trauma informed breathwork training also emphasizes:
- Creating safety in the body before initiating catharsis
- Recognizing signs of dysregulation (e.g., dissociation, hyperventilation)
- Offering post-session integration support
Frequently Asked Questions About Breathwork For Trauma
How to remove trauma from body?
Healing trauma from the body requires regulating the nervous system and accessing stored emotional patterns. This can be done through somatic therapies like breathwork, EMDR, trauma-informed yoga, and bodywork. Breathwork healing serves as a bridge between the physiological and emotional realms, making it an effective technique for gradually discharging trapped survival energy.
How to release trauma from the nervous system?
To release trauma from the nervous system, you must shift from a state of sympathetic dominance (fight/flight) to parasympathetic safety (rest/digest). Techniques like coherent breathing, holotropic breathwork, and vagal toning exercises help restore balance, reduce cortisol, and promote neuroplasticity. Consistent practice, especially under guidance from someone certified in Trauma Training for Breathwork Practitioners, is key.
Breathing as a Gateway to Healing
Breathwork for trauma is not a quick fix, but it offers a reliable, science-backed path toward emotional resilience. Through consistent, mindful engagement with the breath, individuals can gain access to profound internal healing, better nervous system regulation, and a sense of embodied safety.
Whether it’s gentle diaphragmatic breathing or deep holotropic breathwork for trauma, these techniques hold enormous potential. For those seeking deeper recovery, working with someone certified in trauma-informed breathwork training can make all the difference.
References
- Lehrer, P. M., et al. (2020). Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Improves Emotional and Physical Health. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2020.00265/full
- Rock, J. (2010). Holotropic Breathwork and its effects on psychological well-being. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 42(2), 203–220.
- Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
- Zaccaro, A., et al. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psychophysiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353.
- van der Kolk, B. (2015). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books.
