Are there fitness-related physiological changes following a series of Rebirthing sessions?

Abstract

Objective: The current study is only the second known empirical study of Rebirthing, a holistic self-improvement therapy. The study looked at fitness-related physiological outcomes following a series of rebirthing sessions. Methods and materials: Ten healthy young women (mean age, weight, and height: 372.7 years, 54.16.4 kg, and 161.24.9 cm, respectively) underwent two identical resting pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and two two-stage all-out graded cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPETs) before (pre) and after (post) a series of 10 weekly Rebirthing treatments. The rebirthing sessions were held at the Israeli Rebirthing Center in Tel Aviv. All rebirthing treatments were performed by a single qualified Rebirthing therapist and lasted approximately 40-50 minutes each. Results: There were no significant changes (p˃0.05) in resting lung functions (PFTpost) or peak values at maximal effort (CPETpost) after the rebirthing program (except for a decrease in HRpeak). Nonetheless, the results show a significant reduction (p˂0.05) in several cardiopulmonary attributes measured during the submaximal phase of the second CPET (HRsub, VO2sub, RERsub, VEsub, BRsub; Bfsub and an increase in Vd/Vtsub). Conclusions: As the first study to investigate the effect of a series of rebirthing treatments on responses of selected fitness-related physiological measures at rest and during exercise, it is not surprising that no unambiguous answers to the research questions were found. Further studies are needed to provide reliable support and explanations for the study findings.