Breathwork to Release Blockages & Tension Stored in the Body

Exploring the physiological, psychological, and therapeutic implications of deep breathing in stress and trauma recovery

Chronic stress, emotional trauma, and unresolved psychological tension not only affect the mind; they settle in the body. Today, there is a quickly growing interest in breathwork as a modality for emotional release and trauma-informed care that is grounded in ancient practices as well as increasing support by neuroscience and somatic therapy research. Clinicians and wellness professionals are investigating how intentional breathing techniques can complement mental health interventions by supporting autonomic regulation and emotional processing.

Breathwork can be broadly described as taking conscious control over one’s breathing patterns to influence their physiological and psychological states. While breathwork can be practiced spontaneously for individual sessions, there are organized programs like SOMA Breathwork’s certification, which provides a framework for practitioners that safely guides individuals through these techniques, particularly when addressing trauma or mental health concerns. Training through certification programs provide practitioners a way to thoughtfully use breathwork with a sense for both the practitioner and the participant regarding breathwork’s power and potential pitfalls, which is especially important when attempting to support vulnerable individuals.

How Deep Breathing Impacts Stress and the Brain

Simply put, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, commonly referred to as the body’s “rest and digest” response. In this way, it counteracts the heightened arousal of the sympathetic system, our fight-or-flight state, by slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and calming the mind. Slow, paced breathing improves the connectivity of regions in the brain, including the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, involved in regulating emotion, according to a 2017 Frontiers in Human Neuroscience study.

These effects are helpful in grappling with anxiety and trauma. A person suffering with post-traumatic stress or a chronic sense of anxiety may have their nervous system “locked in” to feeling hypervigilant. Deep breathing uses a bottom up process where the body communicates safety to the brain, a concept familiar to polyvagal theory and somatic modalities.

Breathwork for Emotional Release and Trauma Integration

The question of “Does breathwork release stored trauma?” is emerging in both the therapeutic and scientific communities. Early clinical and anecdotal evidence shows that some breathing practices also catalyze emotional catharsis (the spontaneous release of any accumulated, repressed, or unprocessed emotions).

Breathwork for trauma, especially for breathwork that is primarily somatic and transpersonal in orientation, primes the person to access implicit memory stored in the body. Connected breathing, rebirthing breathwork, or holotropic breathwork uses techniques that bypass cognitive defenses that can bring sensations, images, or emotions that get stored, suppressed, or repressed to the forefront of attention. These sessions, if properly facilitated, usually lead to experiences of relief or clarity as the body releases previously amassed sensations and tensions.

That said—when using emotional release breathwork, careful consideration is warranted. In cases of complexity or dissociation, the trained breathwork facilitator should be present. It is vital to work with a practitioner who uses trauma-informed breathwork practices to provide breath-led emotional exploration based on the principles of safety, consent, and presence.

Bridging Holistic Practice with Digital Health & Clinical Integration

As the distinctions between conventional wellness and modern medicine continue to blur, breathwork offers a connection point between embodied healing and evidence-based innovation. Given the prominence of digital health platforms and virtual mental health services, breathing techniques are increasingly embedded in mobile apps, teletherapy, and wearable-guided programming, creating widespread access to emotional regulation and trauma-focused support .

Mental health practitioners are starting to incorporate deep breathing practices for anxiety and breath-awareness techniques in treatment plans, usually in concert with cognitive-behavioural therapies or mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). These reports are not anecdotal, with compelling evidence continuing to demonstrate that breath regulation has neurological benefits, such as better control over emotions, decreased cortisol levels, and additional cognitive clarity.

While it’s certainly too early for formal guidelines and recommendations on breath-led interventions, there is strong potential for populations who are experiencing chronic pain, PTSD, or somatic symptom disorders to benefit from breath-led interventions that heighten psychological relief while physiologically returning them to a more balanced set-point. For innovators and implementers of health care, this leads to a larger question about breathwork as it relates to mental health and trauma recovery – it is not whether breathwork “has” a place in the conversation, rather, how do we embed breathwork into the conversation safely, ethically, and effectively?

A Conscious Breath as a Clinical Tool

Breathwork, when properly taught and responsibly integrated, is more than a wellness trend. It’s a physiological tool, a psychological bridge, and—in many cases—a deeply personal act of healing. As awareness grows around how emotional blockages manifest physically, and how trauma imprints on the nervous system, breathing practices offer a way to gently and safely unwind long-held tension.

For those navigating anxiety, trauma, or emotional overwhelm, a single conscious breath can be the first step toward regulation, awareness, and healing. And for healthcare professionals, it’s a simple yet potent resource—available anywhere, anytime, with the potential to change the course of a patient’s journey.