Join us as we reveal the science of breathwork and wellbeing.
As millions around the world have experienced, SKY breath meditation is a powerful tool for decreasing anxiety and stress, building resilience, and enhancing overall happiness. Breathwork truly is a gift – one that we carry inside of us and can access any time we need to relax and center ourselves.
I am convinced that if more people were aware that there are actual scientific links between breathwork, meditation, and health and wellbeing, they would embrace it, and the world would be a healthier, happier, more peaceful place.
What if research could prove that breathwork and meditation strengthens our immune systems? What if research could provide evidence that would convince doctors to prescribe meditation along with medication? Just imagine how that would change the world. These are the scientific questions my team and I are working on – and we invite you to be a part of it by supporting this important research.
I am Ritu Aneja, PhD, a scientist with over two decades of experience in biomedical research in breast cancer, and I have been practicing SKY Breath Meditation since 2013. In the Aneja lab at UAB, we are now focused on uncovering the science behind breath meditation, and we need your help.
Why is it important to pursue research on breath meditation?
We are living in challenging times. The anxiety and stress that we experience daily accumulates in our bodies and, as a result, disconnects us from our bodies. Our brain is always listening to our body’s state. But we can only make sense of our bodies’ signals when we quieten our mental chatter and listen. That is the first step of awareness: to feel and know our inner world. We cannot do this when we are anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed. Our bodies are very clever – they disconnect from the chaos, and we numb ourselves and begin to live in our heads.
Chronic stress throws our bodies into survival mode, dysregulates our nervous system, and disrupts our physical and mental health. What we really need to be healthier and to develop resilience in the face of stress are tools that can deliver calm, peace, and deep rest. How can we take control of our minds and bodies and, as a result, our health and longevity? For centuries, breathwork and meditation practices have been known to calm the mind and heal the body. However, science does not yet understand the biological mechanisms that drive these health benefits. Our research is poised to change this.
Promising results from a short eight-week SKY Breath Meditation pilot study
We recently completed a randomized controlled pilot trial in healthy subjects to study the effects of SKY Breath Meditation over eight weeks. Participants were divided into two groups: an intervention group that followed SKY Breath Meditation and a control group that did not partake in any breathwork exercises. Early results showed that participants who followed SKY Breath Meditation had a significant reduction in anxiety and large improvements in social connectedness and overall sleep scores.
The next phase of breathwork and wellbeing research
The next phase of this research – which we invite you to support – will delve into the mechanisms underlying SKY Breath Meditation’s effects on health and wellbeing at the molecular, cellular, neurological, and physiological levels using multi-omic data and cutting-edge technologies. Our studies will focus on:
- Understanding the impact of a regular SKY practice on biological aging in long-term practitioners of meditation
- Exploring potential applications for SKY in managing chronic diseases and improving patient outcomes for diseases like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, and cancer
- Exploring how SKY Breath Meditation changes the brain structure to improve sleep and other cognitive functions
Your support will help us conduct the cutting-edge research that will answer our questions about the impact of SKY Breath Meditation on health and wellbeing.
Read more about the science of breathwork.
