A Short History of Breathing Practices
From ancient yoga to early 1900s relaxation methods to today's apps, people have always looked to the breath for calm.
Photo by Peter Herrmann on Unsplash
Breathing practices feel modern because they are everywhere on our phones. But they are among the oldest wellbeing practices we know.
Ancient roots
In India, yoga traditions developed many breathing practices, called pranayama, over thousands of years. Chinese traditions such as qigong and tai chi combine slow movement with slow breathing. Many prayer and meditation traditions, from Christian monks to Buddhist teachers, connected the rhythm of breath with prayer or attention.
Early modern books
In the early 1900s, books on breathing became popular in the English-speaking world. Writers described simple daily practices for "deep breathing" and calm. Some of their claims went far beyond what was known, but their basic advice to breathe slowly and fully was similar to what many teachers suggest today.
Relaxation methods
In the 1920s and 1930s, Dr. Edmund Jacobson developed progressive muscle relaxation. Later, doctors such as Herbert Benson at Harvard described the "relaxation response," a calm state that slow breathing and simple meditation can encourage.
Today
Today, researchers study slow breathing, heart rate variability and the nervous system with modern tools. The research is growing, with many small studies and some mixed results. Apps, videos and classes make breathing practices available to anyone.
What has stayed the same
Across centuries and cultures, the core idea has stayed simple: slow down the breath, especially the out-breath, and the body often follows. It costs nothing, and it is always with you.
