How breath shapes emotions: a fresh take on regulation

The Theory of Constructed Emotion, developed by neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett, challenges the classical view that emotions are universal, hardwired responses. What if your emotions weren't reactions but able to be used as predictions? That’s the core idea behind the Theory of Constructed Emotion, a groundbreaking model by neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett. And it’s a game changer for those of us guiding others through practices like pranayama, Yoga Nidra, and mindfulness.

Emotions are Constructed, not hardwired

For years, we’ve been told that emotions are automatic and universal. Anger looks like a furrowed brow. Fear = wide eyes. Joy = a smile.

But research tells us something different: there’s no single “fear face” that shows up the same way in everyone. Instead, your brain creates emotions on the fly, shaped by your internal sensations, your past experiences, and the context you’re in.

Joy, disgust, anger and sadness from Pixar’s’ inside out

1. Emotions are not universal

They are not biologically fixed with specific facial expressions or bodily responses. For example, there’s no single, universal “anger face” or “fear response” hardwired into all humans.

2. Emotions are constructed

We construct emotions in the moment based on:

• Interoception (our internal bodily sensations)

• Past experience (how we’ve felt in similar situations)

• Context and culture (what the situation means to us)

• Language and concepts (our brain uses emotion concepts like “sadness” or “joy” to make sense of what we feel)

3. The brain predicts, not reacts

The brain works predictively, I often share with students that this is both the wonder and curse of being human. We use past data to guess what’s happening in your body and environment, then constructs an emotion to make sense of those sensations. This means:

You don’t react with fear, you feel fear because your brain predicted danger and shaped your body’s response to match.

4. Emotions are real but not fixed things

They’re real experiences, but not distinct, automatic “packages” that we simply express. They’re more like mental events we co-create, based on many influences. Which means we can change these reactions over time.

Why this matters for yoga, breath, and regulation:

• Breath changes how the body feels → which changes how the brain predicts → which influences emotion.

• Teaching ourselves or our students to tune into breath and body can reshape how they interpret internal sensations, leading to more emotional resilience, or the opposite!

• Instead of saying “breathing calms you down,” this theory invites a more nuanced view: breathing changes your body’s signals, which gives your brain a new context to construct calmer emotions.

Emotions are made up on the spot

That might sound strange at first. But stick with me.

We often think of emotions as automatic responses. Something happens, and we feel, sad, angry, nervous, joyful. End of story.

But new science says otherwise: your brain doesn’t just react. It predicts, like a weather forecast. It pieces together signals from your body (like your breath or heart rate), your memories, and the situation you’re in and then it builds an emotion to match.

In other words:

Emotions aren’t hardwired. They’re constructed.

Built from scratch in real time, based on what your body is saying and what your brain thinks it all means.

Importantly, if they are constructed, that means they can be reconstructed.

So where does breath come in?

Let’s walk through it:

1. Your breath changes your bodily signals.

   A slower exhale, a balanced ratio, or simply awareness of the breath—each of these shifts what your body is saying to your brain.

2. Your brain receives these signals and starts predicting.

   “What’s going on here? Are we safe? Are we tired? Is this familiar?”

3. It pulls from your past, your cultural framework, and your emotional vocabulary.

   If your system is used to rushing or feeling overwhelmed, calm might feel unfamiliar at first.

4. Then it constructs an emotion to make sense of it all.

   It might label the sensation as peace, stillness, even joy—or if the sensations are too unfamiliar, maybe even unease at first.

   
   

   Teacher takeaway: Your breath cues matter

   
   

   As yoga teachers, we’re not just guiding movements, we may alos be influencing what students feel, notice, and ultimately how they interpret their inner experience. When we teach breath practices, we’re offering a new internal rhythm. A new sensory input. A new prediction.

   
   

   When you invite students into equal-ratio breathing or extend their exhale, you’re not just regulating their nervous system. You’re gently shifting their internal data, giving the brain new information to build from.

   
   

   It’s subtle. It’s powerful. And it’s deeply compassionate.

   As students, this may be why we feel different before and after pranayama.

This is why breathwork isn’t just about “calming down.” It’s about changing the conversation between body and brain.