The Neuroscience of Breathwork - Using your breath to change your mind

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Martha Havenith - neuroscientist, Oxford graduate, and one of the world’s leading researchers on Conscious Connected (circular) Breathwork. Together, we explore the neuroscience behind breathwork: what’s actually happening in the brain and nervous system when we breathe intentionally, why it’s such a powerful tool for regulation, and what the future of breathwork could look like within the healthcare system. We also touch on the ethics and responsibilities of a rapidly expanding field. Whether you’re new to breathwork or deeply immersed in the practice, this conversation lays a grounded, evidence-based foundation for understanding why breathwork works and where it’s headed next.KEY TAKEAWAYSWhat Conscious Connected (Circular) Breathwork is and how it differs from pranayama and functional breathingWhat Martha’s research and facilitation experience are revealing about breath-induced altered statesThe neuroscience of breathwork: how conscious connected breathing affects the brain &nervous systemWhether gas exchange and end-tidal CO₂ changes help explain the subjective “journey”Pivotal Mental States, neuroplasticity, and entering altered states of consciousness voluntarilyWhere science and lived experience meet: balancing measurable data with subjective transformationBreathwork as an empowerment tool through the temporary loosening of perceptual and emotional filtersThe role of group settings, attuned facilitation, and supportive touch - why community mattersSafety, trauma, and emotional activation: what current research suggests and where caution is requiredWhy practitioner integrity, integration, and breather-to-facilitator ratios matterThe need for regulation, risk management, and clinical accountability in breathworkHow breathwork could responsibly enter healthcare systems through collaboration with cliniciansThe emerging evidence for breathwork’s effects on mental health, depression, and wellbeingThe future of breathwork research, including trauma-informed studies and clearer safety profilesRESOURCESThe Breathwork Handbook: Understanding, Practicing and Facilitating Breathwork -  Martha N Havenith PhD , Abdel Nemri PhD Martha's Research Studies & PapersDecreased CO2 saturation during circular breathwork supports emergence of altered states of consciousnessMartha's Instagram