The Evidence Behind The Language of Breath

Research & Citations

Breathwork attracts a lot of confident claims and very little sourcing. We publish ours. Every source below is drawn directly from the bibliography of The Language of Breath (North Atlantic Books) or from our own peer-reviewable white paper, with a working link to the original study or publication.

Autonomic & Stress Physiology Breathing Mechanics Interoception & Emotion Performance & Recovery Tactical & Law Enforcement Books & Foundational Texts

None of these citations are simplified into a marketing bullet point here. Read them the way we did: some support the physiological mechanisms breathwork touches, some describe the limits of what's currently known, and a few are included specifically because they show where the evidence is thinner than the popular narrative suggests. That is on purpose. A field this young deserves honesty about what is settled and what is still a working theory.

Category

Autonomic & Stress Physiology

  • Bandelow, Borwin, and Sophie Michaelis. "Epidemiology of Anxiety Disorders in the 21st Century." Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience 17, no. 3 (2015): 327–35. doi.org/10.31887/dcns.2015.17.3/bbandelow
  • Bechara, Antoine. "The Role of Emotion in Decision-Making: Evidence from Neurological Patients with Orbitofrontal Damage." Brain and Cognition 55, no. 1 (2004): 30–40. doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2003.04.001
  • Chovatiya, Raj, and Ruslan Medzhitov. "Stress, Inflammation, and Defense of Homeostasis." Molecular Cell 54, no. 2 (2014): 281–88. doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2014.03.030
  • Girotti, Milena, Samantha M. Adler, Sarah E. Bulin, Elizabeth A. Fucich, Denisse Paredes, and David A. Morilak. "Prefrontal Cortex Executive Processes Affected by Stress in Health and Disease." Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry 85 (2018): 161–79. doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.07.004
  • Klein, Donald F. "False Suffocation Alarms, Spontaneous Panics, and Related Conditions." Archives of General Psychiatry 50, no. 4 (1993): 306. doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1993.01820160076009
  • Luethi, Mathias. "Stress Effects on Working Memory, Explicit Memory, and Implicit Memory for Neutral and Emotional Stimuli in Healthy Men." Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 2 (2009). doi.org/10.3389/neuro.08.005.2008
  • Meuret, Alicia E., Thomas Ritz, Frank H. Wilhelm, and Walton T. Roth. "Voluntary Hyperventilation in the Treatment of Panic Disorder." Clinical Psychology Review 25, no. 3 (2005): 285–306. doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2005.01.002
  • Nerurkar, Aditi, Asaf Bitton, Roger B. Davis, Russell S. Phillips, and Gloria Yeh. "When Physicians Counsel about Stress: Results of a National Study." JAMA Internal Medicine 173, no. 1 (2013): 76. doi.org/10.1001/2013.jamainternmed.480
  • Porges, Stephen W. Polyvagal Safety: Attachment, Communication, Self-Regulation. New York: W. W. Norton, 2021.
  • Savulich, George, Frank H. Hezemans, Sophia van Ghesel Grothe, Jessica Dafflon, Norah Schulten, Annette B. Brühl, Barbara J. Sahakian, and Trevor W. Robbins. "Acute Anxiety and Autonomic Arousal Induced by CO2 Inhalation Impairs Prefrontal Executive Functions in Healthy Humans." Translational Psychiatry 9, no. 1 (2019). doi.org/10.1038/s41398-019-0634-z
Category

Breathing Mechanics & Respiratory Physiology

  • Antosova, M., D. Mokra, L. Pepucha, J. Plevkova, T. Buday, M. Sterusky, and A. Bencova. "Physiology of Nitric Oxide in the Respiratory System." Physiological Research 66, Suppl. 2 (2017): S159–72. doi.org/10.33549/physiolres.933673
  • Brian, Johnny E. "Carbon Dioxide and the Cerebral Circulation." Anesthesiology 88, no. 5 (1998): 1365–86. doi.org/10.1097/00000542-199805000-00029
  • Chaitow, Leon, Dinah Bradley, Christopher Gilbert, Jim Bartley, and David Peters. Recognizing and Treating Breathing Disorders: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier, 2018.
  • Covelli, Henry D., J. Waylon Black, Michael S. Olsen, and Jerome F. Beekman. "Respiratory Failure Precipitated by High Carbohydrate Loads." Annals of Internal Medicine 95, no. 5 (1981): 579. doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-95-5-579
  • Gilbert, Christopher. "Interaction of Psychological and Emotional Variables with Breathing Dysfunction." In Recognizing and Treating Breathing Disorders, edited by Leon Chaitow, Dinah Bradley, and Christopher Gilbert, 79–91. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier, 2018.
  • Kim, SeYoon, JuHyeon Jung, and NanSoo Kim. "The Effects of McKenzie Exercise on Forward Head Posture and Respiratory Function." Journal of Korean Physical Therapy 31, no. 6 (2019): 351–57. doi.org/10.18857/jkpt.2019.31.6.351
  • Lundberg, J. O. N., G. Settergren, S. Gelinder, J. M. Lundberg, K. Alving, and E. Weitzberg. "Inhalation of Nasally Derived Nitric Oxide Modulates Pulmonary Function in Humans." Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 158, no. 4 (1996): 343–47. doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-201x.1996.557321000.x
  • Scholz, H., H.-J. Schurek, K.-U. Eckardt, and C. Bauer. "Role of Erythropoietin in Adaptation to Hypoxia." Experientia 46, no. 11–12 (1990): 1197–1201. doi.org/10.1007/bf01936936
  • Strohl, K. P., J. L. Arnold, M. J. Decker, P. L. Hoekje, and E. R. McFadden. "Nasal Flow-Resistive Responses to Challenge with Cold Dry Air." Journal of Applied Physiology 72, no. 4 (1992): 1243–46. doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1992.72.4.1243
  • Svensson, Sophie, Anna Carin Olin, and Johan Hellgren. "Increased Net Water Loss by Oral Compared to Nasal Expiration in Healthy Subjects." Rhinology 44, no. 1 (2006).
  • Weitzberg, Eddie, and Jon O. N. Lundberg. "Humming Greatly Increases Nasal Nitric Oxide." American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 166, no. 2 (2002): 144–45. doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200202-138bc
Category

Interoception, Emotion & the Unconscious

  • Khalsa, Sahib S., Ralph Adolphs, Oliver G. Cameron, Hugo D. Critchley, Paul W. Davenport, Justin S. Feinstein, Jamie D. Feusner, Sarah N. Garfinkel, Richard D. Lane, Wolf E. Mehling, et al. "Interoception and Mental Health: A Roadmap." Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging 3, no. 6 (2018): 501–13. doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.12.004
  • Lapate, Regina C., Bas Rokers, Tianyi Li, and Richard J. Davidson. "Nonconscious Emotional Activation Colors First Impressions." Psychological Science 25, no. 2 (2013): 349–57. doi.org/10.1177/0956797613503175
  • Nummenmaa, Lauri, Enrico Glerean, Riitta Hari, and Jari K. Hietanen. "Bodily Maps of Emotions." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111, no. 2 (2013): 646–51. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1321664111
  • Price, Cynthia J., and Helen Y. Weng. "Facilitating Adaptive Emotion Processing and Somatic Reappraisal via Sustained Mindful Interoceptive Attention." Frontiers in Psychology 12 (2021). doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.578827 — see also Dr. Cynthia Price's discussion of interoception on the ABMP podcast, Episode 141.
  • Westen, Drew. "The Scientific Status of Unconscious Processes: Is Freud Really Dead?" Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association 47, no. 4 (1999): 1061–1106. doi.org/10.1177/000306519904700404
  • Wilson, Timothy D. Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press/Harvard University Press, 2004.
  • Young, Emma. "Lifting the Lid on the Unconscious." New Scientist, July 26, 2018. newscientist.com/article/mg23931880-400
  • Rhinewine, Joseph P., and Oliver J. Williams. "Holotropic Breathwork: The Potential Role of a Prolonged, Voluntary Hyperventilation Procedure as an Adjunct to Psychotherapy." Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 13, no. 7 (2007): 771–76. doi.org/10.1089/acm.2006.6203
Category

Performance, Sleep & Recovery

  • Beales, David. "Breath, Buffers and Performance." Functional Sports Nutrition, March–April 2014: 8–10.
  • Ferrie, Jane E., Meena Kumari, Paula Salo, Archana Singh-Manoux, and Mika Kivimäki. "Sleep Epidemiology—A Rapidly Growing Field." International Journal of Epidemiology 40, no. 6 (2011): 1431–37. doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyr203
  • Laborde, Sylvain, Thomas Hosang, Emma Mosley, and Fabrice Dosseville. "Influence of a 30-Day Slow-Paced Breathing Intervention Compared to Social Media Use on Subjective Sleep Quality and Cardiac Vagal Activity." Journal of Clinical Medicine 8, no. 2 (2019): 193. doi.org/10.3390/jcm8020193
  • Lehrer, Paul M., Evgeny Vaschillo, and Bronya Vaschillo. "Resonant Frequency Biofeedback Training to Increase Cardiac Variability: Rationale and Manual for Training." Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback 25, no. 3 (2000): 177–91. doi.org/10.1023/a:1009554825745
  • Lomax, Mitch, Ian Grant, and Jo Corbett. "Inspiratory Muscle Warm-up and Inspiratory Muscle Training: Separate and Combined Effects on Intermittent Running to Exhaustion." Journal of Sports Sciences 29, no. 6 (2011): 563–69. doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2010.543911
  • Park, Jung Ha, Ji Hyun Moon, Hyeon Ju Kim, Mi Hee Kong, and Yun Hwan Oh. "Sedentary Lifestyle: Overview of Updated Evidence of Potential Health Risks." Korean Journal of Family Medicine 41, no. 6 (2020): 365–73. doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.20.0165
  • Shimozawa, Yuka, Toshiyuki Kurihara, Yuki Kusagawa, Miyuki Hori, Shun Numasawa, Takashi Sugiyama, Takahiro Tanaka, Tadashi Suga, Ryoko S. Terada, Tadao Isaka, and Masafumi Terada. "Point Prevalence of the Biomechanical Dimension of Dysfunctional Breathing Patterns Among Competitive Athletes." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2022). doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000004253
  • Steffen, Patrick R., Tara Austin, Andrea DeBarros, and Tracy Brown. "The Impact of Resonance Frequency Breathing on Measures of Heart Rate Variability, Blood Pressure, and Mood." Frontiers in Public Health 5 (2017). doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00222
Featured White Paper

Tactical & Law Enforcement Applications

Coomer, Jesse, and Jared McKee. "Breathwork//Tactics: A Rationale for Structured Breath Training in Law Enforcement." White paper, Breathwork//Tactics (Midwestern Method LLC), Chicago, Illinois. Version 1.0, published August 10, 2026. CC BY-NC 4.0.

Read the full white paper →

Selected references from the white paper's own bibliography, on the physiology of decision-making under stress:

  • Andersen, J. P., Di Nota, P. M., Beston, B., Boychuk, E. C., Gustafsberg, H., Poplawski, S., & Arpaia, J. "Reducing Lethal Force Errors by Modulating Police Physiology." Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 60, no. 10 (2018): 867–74. doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000001401
  • Buijze, G. A., Sierevelt, I. N., van der Heijden, B. C. J. M., Dijkgraaf, M. G., & Frings-Dresen, M. H. W. "The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial." PLoS ONE 11, no. 9 (2016): e0161749. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0161749
  • Karaduman, E., Bostancı, Ö., Karakaş, F., Kabadayı, M., Yılmaz, A. K., Akyildiz, Z., Badicu, G., Cataldi, S., & Fischetti, F. "Pistol Shooting Performance Correlates with Respiratory Muscle Strength and Pulmonary Function in Police Cadets." Sustainability 14, no. 12 (2022): 7515. doi.org/10.3390/su14127515
  • Nieuwenhuys, A., Savelsbergh, G. J. P., & Oudejans, R. R. D. "Shoot or Don't Shoot? Why Police Officers Are More Inclined to Shoot When They Are Anxious." Emotion 12, no. 4 (2012): 827–33. doi.org/10.1037/a0025699
  • Nieuwenhuys, A., Savelsbergh, G. J. P., & Oudejans, R. R. D. "Persistence of Threat-Induced Errors in Police Officers' Shooting Decisions." Applied Ergonomics 48 (2015): 263–72. doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2014.12.006
  • Yadav, G., & Mutha, P. K. "Deep Breathing Practice Facilitates Retention of Newly Learned Motor Skills." Scientific Reports 6 (2016): 37069. doi.org/10.1038/srep37069
  • Gershon, Robyn R. M., Briana Barocas, Allison N. Canton, Xianbin Li, and David Vlahov. "Mental, Physical, and Behavioral Outcomes Associated with Perceived Work Stress in Police Officers." Criminal Justice and Behavior 36, no. 3 (2009): 275–89. doi.org/10.1177/0093854808330015

See the full 27-reference bibliography in the complete white paper.

Category

Books & Foundational Texts

  • Coomer, Jesse. The Language of Breath. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2026.
  • Coomer, Jesse. A Practical Guide to Breathwork. Midwestern Method LLC.
  • Coomer, Jesse. Becoming the Ethical Breathworker. Midwestern Method LLC.
  • Gilmartin, Kevin M., and Alexis Artwohl. Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement: A Guide for Officers and Their Families. Tucson: E-S Press, 2002.
  • Grossman, Dave, and Loren W. Christensen. On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and Peace, 2nd ed. Belleville, IL: PPCT Research Publications, 2007.
  • Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.
  • Wilson, Timothy D. Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press/Harvard University Press, 2004.

The complete bibliography, with full notes and citation context, appears in Jesse Coomer's book:

The Language of Breath (North Atlantic Books)

Learn More About the Book

We show our sources. Most of the field doesn't.

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