Beyond hot air: The science of breathwork for managing stress

We've all seen wellbeing trends come and go, and breathwork is often dismissed as just another fad. But research shows that conscious breathing can lower cortisol levels, regulate the nervous system, and boost cognitive function. So how does it actually work? To find out, ROW sat down with Jenafer Matthews, a breath awareness and meditation coach.

 

The Science Behind the Breath

"The breath is that bridge between the nervous system and the mind," explains Matthews, who turned to breathwork after burning out in her corporate marketing career. "I found that the more consciously I breathe, the better I feel overall - better in my body, the better my digestive system works, better I feel in my mind, the more steady I feel."

And science backs this up.