High-Ventilation Breathwork (HVB): Best Practices and Ethical Considerations - A Survey Study


Dear study participant,

you with some information about the study and the data that will be collected. Please note that the questionnaire is best completed on a larger screen with a keyboard (computer, laptop). If you are using a smartphone, please rotate the view to landscape mode.

General Information

What is the study about?

High-ventilation breathwork (HVB) has grown considerably in popularity as both a therapeutic and wellness-oriented practice; however, it largely operates outside of regulated healthcare structures. Existing international guidelines for HVB facilitators tend to remain conceptual and offer limited actionable guidance, while empirical data on actual facilitation practice is almost entirely absent. This study aims to address both gaps by systematically documenting current HVB facilitation practices internationally and comparing them against established professional and ethical standards, including the German Model Professional Code for Psychotherapists (Musterberufsordnung) and the APA Ethics Code.

How long does participation take?

The survey will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary, and you may discontinue at any time by closing your browser window without any consequences. There is no direct personal benefit from participating (no compensation is provided for participation); however, by sharing your experiences you make an important contribution to the development of practical recommendations for safe and ethically sound HVB facilitation.

Is participation anonymous?

Participation in this survey is completely anonymous and no IP addresses are stored. At the beginning of the questionnaire, some demographic information will be collected (e.g. age, gender, professional background). This information does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about your identity. The study is conducted following approval by the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Psychology at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin [2026-12-k].

Who can participate in the study?

You may participate if you meet the following criteria:

• you are at least 18 years old, 
• you are fluent in German and/or English, and 
• you are a breathwork practitioner or facilitator with experience in leading high-ventilation breathwork sessions.

Are there risks associated with participation?

The demands of participation are considered low. Completing the questionnaire takes approximately 30 minutes and requires no physical exertion.

Thank you for your interest!



Information on Data Usage and Data Protection

Responsible Entities:

Abdo Uyar
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Faculty of Life Sciences
Institute of Psychology, Psychotherapy
Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin
Email: abdo.uyar@hu-berlin.de

Prof. Dr. Ulrike Lueken
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Faculty of Life Sciences
Institute of Psychology, Psychotherapy
Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin
Email: ulrike.lueken@hu-berlin.de

Legal Basis & Ethical Guidelines

The processing of your data is based on your consent in accordance with Art. 6(1)(a) of the DSGVO. We operate on the basis of the Declaration of Helsinki and the Guideline for Good Clinical Practice, and adhere to the recommendations of the German Research Foundation (DFG) for ensuring good scientific practice.

Storage and Access:

Data are stored in fully anonymized form, without any reference to personal identity. Only study personnel have direct access to these data.

Publication:

Research results will be published in fully anonymized form, ensuring that no individual participant can be identified. Excerpts from free-text responses may be used as direct quotations in publications; however, only those that do not allow any conclusions to be drawn about a participant's identity.

Storage Duration and Secondary Use:

Data exist solely in anonymized form, with no specified deletion date. In accordance with the recommendations of the DFG and the German Psychological Society (DGPs) for research quality assurance, research data should where possible be shared with other researchers. Under the GDPR, you have the right to access your personal data, to request rectification, restriction of processing, and erasure of your data. This does not apply to free-text responses. Please note that anonymized data cannot be deleted, as no link between the data and any individual exists.

Whom can I contact for further questions? 

For any questions regarding the study, please feel free to contact Abdo Uyar at any time (Email: abdo.uyar@hu-berlin.de).

Additional project members: Dr. Martha Nari Havenith and Anneke Luebbing