Essentials: Breathing for Mental & Physical Health & Performance | Dr. Jack Feldman

About this video

Dr. Jack Feldman explains how breathing is generated and how it interacts with the brain. He describes breathing as serving oxygen delivery and, critically, removal of carbon dioxide to regulate blood pH, driven mainly by the diaphragm and rib cage under the control of the pre-Bötzinger complex, a small brainstem region where every breath begins. Feldman explains that at rest exhalation is largely passive recoil, and that nasal versus mouth breathing mainly matters for how much air can be moved, as during exercise. He also describes a second respiratory oscillator discovered after the pre-Bötzinger complex. In the middle of the conversation he presents rodent work in which slowing awake mice’s breathing through a daily practice-like protocol greatly reduced their fear freezing, an effect he compares in size to a major manipulation of the amygdala, while noting mice are free of the placebo concerns that complicate human breathwork studies.

Key takeaways

• Feldman explains breathing regulates blood pH by removing carbon dioxide, not just supplying oxygen.
• Feldman identifies the pre-Bötzinger complex in the brainstem as where every breath begins.
• Feldman describes exhalation at rest as passive recoil after the diaphragm contracts.
• Feldman reports that slowed breathing in mice greatly reduced fear freezing in his study.
• Feldman notes rodent studies avoid the placebo problems that complicate human breathwork research.

Episode details: published November 13, 2025 · 110.1K views · 45:48 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The science and protocols described are Andrew Huberman’s, presented for education — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before changing your own health practices.

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