Somatic Healing & Nervous System Breathwork | Breath Science Lab

Sign in Subscribe

Abstract neon nervous system graphic with title text “Somatic Experiencing + Breathwork: Science of Trauma Healing."

Somatic Healing

Somatic Experiencing Meets Breathwork: What the Science Really Shows About Healing Trauma in the Body

When trauma is trapped in the body, a deep breath can feel impossible. A 2017 clinical trial proved Somatic Experiencing restores balance. Here's how gentle, trauma-safe breathwork mirrors the science to relax the chest and reset your nervous system.

Feature image for blog post 'Breathwork That Lowers Blood Pressure', showing calm breathing concept with soft wellness and health design elements.

Breathwork Featured

Breathwork for Blood Pressure: A 15-Minute Practice with Promising Evidence

Get HeartMath Inner Balance You probably weren’t looking for a nervous system intervention at 30,000 feet. I wasn’t either. But there I was, stuck on a transatlantic flight, watching my 3-year-old son spiral into a full-blown meltdown, across the aisle, on top of two inflatable footrests that

Woman in the forest taking a deep relaxed breath

Somatic Healing Featured

Somatic Breathwork Reset: A Simple 5-Minute Protocol That Actually Works

You’ve most likely heard the saying: “the body keeps the score”. It’s not just a saying. It’s the foundation of somatic healing. When your nervous system stores stress, it doesn’t always show up as memories or thoughts. It lives in tight shoulders. Shallow breathing. That wired-but-exhausted

Faceless person lying down with hand on chest, representing nervous system regulation through breathwork

Somatic Healing Through Breathwork: A Nervous System Reset Backed by Scientific Research

If you’re like me and tried to meditate to calm down but ended up feeling more anxious or angry, this post might be for you. For many years I have used meditation in my daily life - on lunch breaks, in the mornings as a part of a routine

Starry night sky with the text: “Can nasal breathing at night transform your sleep and mental health?” centered over a silhouette of trees and a calm lake.

nasal breathing

Can Nasal Breathing at Night Transform Your Sleep and Mental Health? The Science-Backed Guide to the 2025 Viral Sleep Hack

The Viral Sleep Hack That's Spreading Like Wildfire If you use TikTok or go on wellness forums, you’ve probably seen people taping their mouths shut before bed, swearing it’s the key to deeper, more restorative sleep. What started as a quirky trend is gaining serious traction

Cozy bedroom with soft lighting at sunset, promoting nasal breathing for better sleep and recovery.

nasal breathing

Nasal Breathing for Better Sleep: Why Mouth Breathing Sabotages Your Recovery (and What Science Says to Do Instead)

Sleep is when your nervous system resets, your tissues repair, and your stress hormones finally downshift. But here’s the part most people miss: The way you breathe at night directly affects how well your body recovers. If you’re a chronic mouth breather during sleep - or experimenting with

Couple relaxing in bed with soft lighting and the text 'Calm Your Nervous System and Fall Asleep Faster,' representing breathwork techniques for improved sleep quality.

Breathwork for Sleep: Science-Backed Strategies to Calm Your Nervous System and Fall Asleep Faster

For a lot of us, sleep problems aren’t just about bad habits or too much screen time. They’re about something deeper: a nervous system stuck in high alert. If you’ve ever laid in bed with your heart racing, breath shallow, and mind buzzing - even though you’

Gentle waves, flowing lines, or soft light patterns moving in and out of a stylized silhouette, symbolizing airflow and calm

Breathwork for Recovery

Breathe Better, Feel Better: My Real-Life Guide to Breathwork for Stress, Mood, and Recovery

Discover how breathwork can reduce stress and boost your mood—backed by science and real-life experience. Learn my favorite techniques for calming down fast and showing up as your best self, even after a tough day.

Person meditating at dawn in blue and magenta light, symbolizing a calming morning breathwork routine

Breathwork for Recovery

My Busy-Dad Morning Reset: Wim Hof, Nasal Breathing, and the Nitric Oxide Advantage

If you’re like me, you’ve probably felt stuck in that wired-but-tired state - especially after a bad night’s sleep. Chasing the “perfect” morning routine often just makes things worse. After a lot of trial and error, I finally found a routine that actually works for me, and

Simple illustration showing how anxiety can cause chest tightness by restricting diaphragm movement.

Can’t Breathe? It Could Be a Tight Diaphragm from Anxiety

If you're like me - you might have had times where you can't take a deep breath - you know something is wrong. You might have even gone to your family doctor, got sent for lung tests - only to be told "your lungs are

misty mountain peaks with bold title text: “3 BREATHS - Backed by Science. Proven to Calm Faster Than Meditation.” Techniques are Sighing, Box Breathing, and Hyperventilation.

When Meditation Doesn’t Work - This 5-Minute Breath Reset Might

Let’s be honest: some of us just can't meditate, yet. You sit down to be still, focus on your breath...aaaand instead of peace, you get more tension. More thoughts. A sense that your body’s stuck in wound-up and doesn’t know how to relax. If

Smartwatch showing a drop in CO₂ levels during breathwork—visualizing the science behind how changing your breath can change your state of mind.

How Circular Breathwork Lowers CO₂ to Unlock Altered States of Consciousness - And Why Gentle Breath Might Be Your Best First Step

Breathwork isn’t just a wellness trend. The science is clear: how you breathe can shift your nervous system, change your mood, and even spark altered states of consciousness. But if you’re hoping for fireworks the first time you try circular breathwork, here’s a dose of reality from

Feeling Wired but Tired? Breathwork Might Be the Reset Your Nervous System Needs

Feeling Wired but Tired? Breathwork Might Be the Reset Your Nervous System Needs

If meditation hasn’t worked for you, slow breathwork might. Backed by a 2023 meta-analysis, this protocol helps lower stress, anxiety, and depression — and it starts with just 5-second breaths.

Woman standing calmly at sunrise in a lavender field, with glowing light tracing the vagus nerve from her neck to chest, symbolizing inner peace and parasympathetic activation

The Vagus Nerve: Your Body’s Built-In Recovery Switch (Explained with Science + Simplicity)

A calm, practical guide to the vagus nerve — how it helps you relax and recover, and how to activate it naturally with breath, movement, and more.

Calm man standing in morning light, holding coffee and grounding himself with breath before the day begins.

Quick Vagus Nerve Hack: Why Boosting HRV Improves Your Decisions Fast

Two minutes of 4‑8 breathing can raise HRV, engage your vagus nerve, and sharpen decision‑making when every second counts.

The 5-Minute Breathwork Routine That Outperforms Meditation (Backed by Stanford)

The 5-Minute Breathwork Routine That Outperforms Meditation (Backed by Stanford)

Just 5 minutes of exhale-focused breathwork improved mood and lowered stress more than meditation, according to a Stanford RCT. Here's the protocol.

If Breathwork Hasn’t Worked for You, You're in the Right Place

If Breathwork Hasn’t Worked for You, You're in the Right Place

Many people try breathwork and feel worse, not better. At Breath Science Lab, we specialize in trauma-informed, science-backed breathing practices that rebuild trust with your body — one safe, measurable step at a time.

How to Breathe for Deep Sleep

How to Breathe for Deep Sleep

Use this 3-minute parasympathetic breathing technique to fall asleep faster and improve deep sleep. Backed by HRV and vagus nerve science.

When Breathwork Backfires: Why It Doesn’t Work for Everyone (And What to Try Instead)

Trauma-Informed

When Breathwork Backfires: Why It Doesn’t Work for Everyone (And What to Try Instead)

Breathwork has become a go-to tool for improving stress, recovery, and mental clarity. It’s often promoted as universally effective — but for some, the experience is anything but calming. If breathwork leaves you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or physically uncomfortable, you're not alone. At Breath Science Lab, we specialize

Why Your Nervous System Isn’t Recovering (And How to Fix It With Breath)

Parasympathetic

Why Your Nervous System Isn’t Recovering (And How to Fix It With Breath)

You do the ice baths. You stretch. You take magnesium. But you still wake up feeling tight, wired, and restless. You’re not lazy, unmotivated, or broken.

The Parasympathetic Reset

Two athletes practicing breathwork meditation post-workout in a modern gym setting, symbolizing parasympathetic recovery, nervous system reset, and inner calm.

Breathwork for Recovery

Breathwork for Recovery: Unlocking the Power of Parasympathetic Activation

Discover how slow, intentional breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, boosts HRV, improves CO₂ tolerance, and accelerates recovery from stress or exercise.

The Diaphragm Dilemma: Why Breathing Exercises Make Some People Anxious

The Diaphragm Dilemma: Why Breathing Exercises Make Some People Anxious

Why do breathing exercises make some people anxious? This post unpacks the hidden tension in your diaphragm—and offers a safer, trauma-informed way to start.

Breathwork for Recovery: The Science Behind Parasympathetic Activation

Breathwork for Recovery

Breathwork for Recovery: The Science Behind Parasympathetic Activation

Let’s be honest: modern life doesn’t give your body much room to reset. With stress coming at us from all directions—work, family, even our own expectations - true recovery can feel almost impossible to find. Most of us try to “do all the right things” - work