Can breathing deeply improve mental and physical health? (Getty Images)

The breath is considered the foundation of most meditation practices.

And breathing coaches, like Dr. Belisa Vranich claim that deep breathing can improve our emotional health, digestive issues, hypertension, and the list goes on.

Dr. Vranich is a clinical psychologist and the author of the new book, "Breathe: The Simple, Revolutionary 14-day Program to Improve Your Mental and Physical Health."

Dr. Elyse Park queries some of these claims. Some hold up, others need more research. Dr. Elyse Park is an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and the Director of Behavioral Health Research at Massachusetts General Hospital's Benson Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine.