Breath-based meditation technique shifts brain into deeply relaxed state, study finds

A new study published in npj Mental Health Research provides evidence that breath-based meditation, specifically Sudarshan Kriya Yoga, alters brain rhythms in a way that may support relaxation and mental well-being. Using electroencephalography (EEG), the researchers tracked how different components of the technique influenced brain activity and found that rhythmic breathing gradually shifted brain dynamics into a relaxed meditative state characterized by theta and delta rhythms, reduced alpha power, and a decrease in non-repeating brain signals known as aperiodic activity.

The research was motivated by a growing need for accessible mental health interventions. Across the globe, people are facing rising rates of depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders. At the same time, access to trained mental health professionals remains limited. These challenges have prompted researchers to investigate low-cost, scalable practices like yoga, meditation, and controlled breathing. Techniques such as Sudarshan Kriya Yoga have already demonstrated benefits for people with conditions ranging from PTSD to hypertension. However, the underlying brain mechanisms during the practice remain poorly understood.

Sudarshan Kriya Yoga combines specific postures, multiple forms of breath control, and guided meditation in a sequence designed to promote physical and emotional well-being. Previous studies have noted changes in EEG patterns following yoga practice, but few have examined how brain activity shifts during the technique’s distinct stages. The new study aimed to fill this gap by recording and analyzing EEG signals before, during, and after each component of the yoga sequence.

“I have been practicing meditation for about 16 years now. I have been curious as to what happens to the brain when one meditates which has led me to explore the neuroscience of meditation using tools like EEG/fMRI etc. Breathwork allows for an easier transition to a deeper meditative state. I was interested to know how that would happen, so along with the team at the Sri Sri Institute of Advanced Research we analyzed the brain dynamics during a guided breath based meditation paradigm,” said study author Vaibhav Tripathi.

The research involved 43 regular practitioners of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga, most of whom had years of experience with the technique. The participants were recruited from a yoga and meditation center in India and asked to follow the standard Sudarshan Kriya Yoga routine while seated, with EEG recordings taken throughout the session. A separate control group of ten participants listened to calming music for the same duration, allowing the researchers to compare the effects of the breathing practice with those of passive relaxation.

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The yoga protocol included several phases: initial breathing exercises (pranayama), bhastrika (a more vigorous breath technique), om chanting, cyclical breathing (kriya), and a meditative resting phase called yoga-nidra. To ensure signal consistency, participants remained seated throughout and were guided by a prerecorded audio track. The researchers focused their analysis on five main time periods: resting before the practice, pranayama, kriya, yoga-nidra, and a post-session resting period.

EEG data were collected from 24 channels across the scalp. Using advanced signal processing tools, the researchers extracted specific features from the EEG data, including the amplitude, frequency, and width of delta, theta, and alpha brain waves. They also measured the slope of aperiodic activity, which reflects more spontaneous, non-rhythmic electrical patterns. These measures were statistically compared across the five phases of the meditation session.

The study revealed distinct patterns of brain activity linked to different phases of the Sudarshan Kriya Yoga technique. During the kriya phase, there was a noticeable increase in theta wave activity, particularly in brain areas associated with attention and emotional regulation. This pattern remained elevated through the subsequent yoga-nidra phase. Theta rhythms have been associated with relaxed alertness and internal focus in prior research, which may help explain the meditative effects observed during Sudarshan Kriya Yoga.

At the same time, alpha wave activity—a marker typically linked to sensory processing and alertness—declined sharply during the yoga-nidra period. This drop was especially prominent in parietal and occipital regions of the brain, which process visual and sensory information. The reduction in alpha amplitude and bandwidth may reflect a shift toward a less externally focused and more internally absorbed mental state.

The researchers also documented a rise in delta wave activity during the yoga-nidra stage. Delta waves are typically associated with deep sleep and unconscious processes, but can also appear during states of deep meditation. The increase in delta power suggests that the final stages of the yoga technique guide the brain into a profoundly relaxed state that resembles the early phases of sleep but with preserved awareness.

In addition to these changes, the study found a decrease in aperiodic activity, particularly during the yoga-nidra and post-resting phases. This flattening of the EEG spectrum suggests reduced random or non-repeating brain activity, possibly indicating a quieter and more stable mental state. These shifts were not observed in the control group, suggesting that the EEG changes were specific to the breath-based practice.

Interestingly, although the participants varied in how long they had been practicing yoga, the researchers did not find significant differences in brain activity based on experience level. This suggests that even among experienced practitioners, the practice induces consistent brain changes across individuals. Notably, the deepest meditative states, marked by delta-theta dominance and reduced alpha and aperiodic activity, occurred during the yoga-nidra phase, suggesting that the full sequence of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga builds toward a specific neurological outcome.

“We found that rhythmic breathing practice like Sudarshan Kriya Yoga allows an easier access to a deep state of meditation,” Tripathi told PsyPost. “EEG from participants were recorded before, during and after they were practicing the technique. EEG records brain activity which can be quantified into different rhythms like alpha, beta, theta, delta and gamma. What we found was that the breathing activated the theta rhythms in the brain which allowed a practitioner to easily transition to a relaxed state with heightened theta-delta activity. This activity is somewhere between fully awake (alpha/beta dominant) to fully asleep (slow waves and delta dominant), suggesting that the practitioner is in a relaxed yet aware state which traditional texts of meditation have referred to as Turiya (fourth state of consciousness, the others being sleeping, awake and dreaming).”

While the study provides new insights into the neurophysiological effects of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga meditation, it is not without limitations. The researchers relied on qualitative self-reports to assess relaxation rather than formal mood or state questionnaires. More precise behavioral and physiological measures—such as heart rate variability or cortisol levels—could strengthen future studies.

Additionally, the current research focused on experienced practitioners. It remains unclear whether the same EEG patterns would emerge in beginners or how long it might take for such changes to develop. Including novices in future research could help clarify how yoga influences brain rhythms over time and whether these changes correlate with psychological improvements.

“We’d like to extend this line of research to understand how different meditative practices affect the brain rhythms and if there are variations across individuals,” Tripathi said. “We would also like to categorize how the experience of meditation differs across days within the same individual and if we can find brain signals that respond to these variations. The long term goal is to have a clear biomarker of different stages of meditation which can be observed using accessible devices.”

The study, “Unlocking deep relaxation: the power of rhythmic breathing on brain rhythms,” was authored by Vaibhav Tripathi, Lakshmi Bhaskar, Chhaya Kharya, Manvir Bhatia, and Vinod Kochupillai.