Effects of Breathwork and Meditation on Addiction Recovery

Part of paid clinical trials in Sanborn, New York.

Sponsor
University of California, Los Angeles
Study ID
NCT07510256
Status
Completed

Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • SKY Breathing Program — BEHAVIORAL
    The main breathing technique taught in SKY Recovery program consists of multiple, staged components for progressively deeper relaxation and mental clarity. The first component involves a slow breathing technique (ujjayi or "ocean breath") that increases airway resistance during inspiration/expiration and controls airflow to prolong each breathing cycle to an exact count. The subjective experience is physical and mental calmness with alertness. In the second component ("bellows breath"), air is rapidly inhaled and forcefully exhaled at a rate of 30 breaths/minute, leading to excitation followed by calmness. The last component, Sudarshan Kriya ("proper vision by purifying action"), involves cyclical slow/medium/fast breathing. Together, these techniques can take 20 min and is followed by a 5 min rest period (total: 25 min). The program also includes training in mantra-based meditation (Sahaj Samadhi) - invoking a word ("mantra") to redirect the mind towards a meditative state.

Study Details

Emotional wellness can play a vital role in supporting recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). Developing skills to regulate emotions and manage stress during early stages of recovery can help manage triggers and prevent relapse. Controlled breathing (i.e., intentional manipulation of rate and/or depth of breathing over time - often referred to as "breathwork") can enhance emotion regulation, but their effects have been minimally studied in individuals recovering from SUD. This randomized controlled pilot study will examine the impact of breathwork and meditation training program ("SKY Recovery") designed for people in substance use recovery. It will take place at a residential substance use recovery treatment center in upstate New York with patients in recovery who have elected to participate in the SKY Recovery program delivered at the treatment center. The study will compare two groups (SKY Recovery vs. Control) to assess the intervention's impact on emotional well-being and craving. Participants randomized to the SKY group will complete a 5-day intensive workshop followed by weekly follow-up sessions. The Control group will receive the same intervention after a delay. Validated measures of emotion regulation, craving, and sleep quality will be collected at baseline, one week after the program, and again 3 weeks after the program to determine efficacy and feasibility for a larger trial.

Key Dates

Start date
Nov 18, 2024
Status verified
Mar 2026
Primary completion
Oct 2, 2025
Completion
Oct 2, 2025

Study Design

Enrollment
100 participants (actual)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Arms

  • Experimental: SKY Recovery Intervention
    The SKY Recovery program centers around a breathing meditation technique, called Sudarshan Kriya Yoga, which consists of multiple, staged components designed to progressively deepen relaxation and bring mental clarity. Participants also learn a mantra-based meditation technique that complements the breathwork. The program also includes education on emotion regulation practices (e.g., cognitive reframing).
  • No Intervention: Delayed-start Control
    The delayed-start control group will receive the SKY Recovery program after all measurements have been obtained from the SKY group. Measurements will be taken before and after the intensive 5-day SKY Recovery program, one week later, and at the end (4 weeks after initiation) of the weekly guided practice period.

Primary Outcome Measure

Emotion regulation [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ]

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Horizon Health Inpatient and Residential Addiction RecoverySanbornNew York90024-

Find similar trials in Sanborn, NY

By condition
Substance use disorder
By specialty
Behavioral healthAddiction medicine
By research site
Horizon Health Inpatient and Residential Addiction Recovery· Sanborn, NY

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