Breathwork has been utilized throughout history, from its role in spiritual practices to its modern applications in health and wellness. In the modern world, we see elements of breathwork, alongside practices that include chanting, in various consciousness exploration techniques. MRI scans revealed notable shifts in cerebral blood flow, with no adverse side effects observed. HVB generally decreased overall brain blood flow but increased activity in the right amygdala and anterior hippocampus, regions associated with emotion processing and memory. “We found that high-ventilation breathwork produced widespread reductions in blood flow across the brain,” Kartar explained.