Authors: Alicja Heyda, Marek K Jurkowski, Andrzej Czuba, Magdalena Głowala-Kosińska, Krzysztof Składowski
Maria Sklodowska – Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology Gliwice Branch, Poland

A growing body of evidence shows that early life stress and breaking the mother-newborn bond (early maternal neonatal separation) cause damage to the natural breathing pattern, the immune response and to the general reaction to stress. Research on immune effects of emotional expression (Pennebaker), psychosomatic network (Pert et al.), mindfulness, pranayamas and neurobiology research on periaqueductal gray with associated neuro philosophy (Damasio, Watt) suggest beneficial impact of rhythmic conscious breathing on endocrine, immune and nervous system, counteracting early life stress.

The goal of this study was to create a new form of body psychotherapy for cancer patients – Integrative Breathwork Psychotherapy (IBP) and compare its psycho-physiological, immune and endocrine outcomes to the results of a matched control group.