Can you breathe stress away?

It won’t hurt to try. But scientists are only beginning to understand the links between the breath and the mind

SEVERAL TIMES a day groups of young-professional types gather at 7Breaths, a meditation studio in central London, simply to breathe. The studio offers yoga and meditation sessions but their signature class is focused on “breathwork”. Those attending sit cross-legged atop small cushions in the warm, minimalist space, as an instructor gently guides them first to pay attention to their breath and then to gradually lengthen the inhales, the exhales and the pauses in between. The goal: to de-stress.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Can you breathe stress away?”

From the January 25th 2025 edition

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