Physiological responses during a single rebirthing (Breath work) session

Abstract

Objective: The present report aimed to look at the physiological responses during a typical single Rebirthing session. Material and Methods: Ten healthy young women participated in the study. Their mean age, weight, and height were 37±2.7 years, 54.1±6.4 kg, and 161.2±4.9 cm, respectively. The Rebirthing sessions took place at the Israeli Rebirthing Center in Tel-Aviv. The treatments were carried out by a qualified Rebirthing therapist that has experienced thousands of rebirthing sessions during the last 15 years. Sessions were performed in a dark, quiet room and executed in a one-to-one set-up with the same trained therapist. After around 40-50 minutes, the session approached its end. Metabolic, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and gas-exchange variables were measured breath-by-breath using a commercial portable metabolic system. All data were transmitted wirelessly to an adjacent room in the clinic and continuously monitored by the study's chief researcher. Results: The primary study findings demonstrated that a typical Rebirthing session involving long (45-50 minutes) voluntary hyperventilation generated VO2, RER, HR, and O2 pulse matching well with the physiological demands of the procedure (breath work). At the same time, the ventilatory-related responses exhibited, as expected, exaggerated outcomes, illustrated by the high session's peak and average values of the depth (tidal volume), breathing frequency, and minute ventilation. Gas-exchange attributes showed extremely shallow end-tidal CO2 levels, high end-tidal O2, high respiratory exchange ratio, and very high levels of O2 and CO2 ventilatory equivalents. No significant grievances regarding participants' physical and mental/emotional feelings were reported in the present study. Conclusions: The present study could not solve the apparent divergence between the observed (acute) physiological responses (mainly severe Hypocapnia) and the subjective participants' pleasant emotional state, and in many cases, spiritually uplifting, at the end of each treatment session.