Archive · 10 Oct 2026
Can Structured Breathing Help Adolescents Heal From Childhood Trauma?
Vaishnavi had a difficult childhood, including her parents’ divorce and moving between homes.
She says meditation and a program called the Intuition Process helped her feel calmer and focus.
A study in California looked at a breathing program called SKY Breath with 174 teenage girls.
The program used guided, rhythmic breathing.
After eight weeks, girls who had faced more difficulties reported feeling more connected to other people.
The article says this kind of breathing practice may help some young people manage stress.
The study does not show that breathing erases painful experiences.
Vaishnavi says she learned to grow beyond what happened to her.
Vaishnavi Gowda says meditation and Art of Living’s Intuition Process helped her feel more stable and focused after a difficult childhood.
A study of 174 girls aged 14–18 at two Southern California high schools examined Art of Living’s SKY Breath program.
After eight weeks, social connectedness among participants with higher adversity improved by approximately 8% from baseline.
The study compared SKY Breath with techniques the schools had previously used, focusing on emotional regulation, resilience and social connection.
The article cites other research linking childhood adversity with later mental-health difficulties and reports frequent loneliness among adolescent girls.
- Who
- Vaishnavi Gowda and 174 adolescent girls aged 14–18 who participated in the UCLA study.
- What
- An article examines whether Art of Living breathwork and meditation may support adolescents affected by childhood adversity.
- When
- The study lasted eight weeks; the article does not give its dates.
- Where
- The study took place at two high schools in Southern California, USA.
- Why
- Researchers compared SKY Breath with schools’ previous techniques to examine emotional regulation, resilience and social connection.
Potential benefits
Limits and context
Breathwork and adolescent wellbeing
Potential benefits
The article reports that after eight weeks, girls who had faced greater adversity showed improved social connectedness, and Vaishnavi says meditation and the Intuition Process helped her feel stable and focused.
Limits and context
The reported study involved 174 girls at two schools and measured outcomes over eight weeks; the article does not establish that breathwork alone heals childhood trauma or that its findings apply to all adolescents.
- Study participants
- 174 girls aged 14–18
- Study setting
- Two high schools in Southern California
- Program studied
- SKY Breath, short for Sudarshan Kriya Yoga
- Study duration
- Eight weeks
- Reported social-connection change
- Approximately 8% improvement from baseline in the cohort described as having higher adversity
- Vaishnavi’s age
- 20
- Vaishnavi’s degree
- Bachelor of Management Studies, specialising in Marketing