Deliberate respiration practices like the physiological sigh or cyclic hyperventilation provide immediate and consistent physiological effects.

“The great news is that breathwork, that is, deliberate respiration practices, are very effective at creating change very quickly. In some cases, such as the use of the physiological sigh or cyclic hyperventilation, those changes can be experienced the first time and every time because, again, these are not hacks. These are aspects of your breathing apparati, including the mechanical stuff and the neural stuff and the gas exchange stuff, all of which you were born with and that are available to you at any moment.”