Blinding You With Science
The yogic rationale for slower breath rates Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. -- Thich Nhat Hanh Ya know how I'm always blabbing on and on about breathing and breathing through your nose and breathing more slowly?
Well, this week I'm going to share a little bit of yogic science about what's actually happening when we bother to cultivate deeper, slower breaths. All of the information you will read comes from the Aquarian Teacher training manual by the Kundalini Research Institute. These benefits are not proprietary to that style of practice, but the Kundalini yogis do have a knack for explaining this stuff.
Let's begin with the fact that the typical female breath rate is 18 to 20 cycles per minute (a cycle is one inhale and exhale combined). For men, the typical breath rate is 16 to 18 breaths per minute. This rate increases, of course, during exertion, anxiety or stress. Bringing the breath rate down has the following positive effects:
Slowing the breath to 8 cycles per minute Feeling more relaxed. Relief from stress and increased mental awareness. Parasympathetic nervous system begins to be influenced. Healing processes are elevated.
Slowing the breath to 4 cycles per minute Positive shifts in mental function. Intense feelings of awareness. Increased visual clarity, heightened body sensitivity. Pituitary and pineal glands begin to coordinate at an enhanced level, producing a meditative state.
Slowing the breath to 1 cycle per minute ("One-Minute Breath"); 20-second inhale, 20-second hold, 20-second exhale Optimized cooperation between brain hemispheres. Dramatic calming of anxiety, fear, and worry. Openness to feeling one's presence and the presence of spirit. Intuition develops. The whole brain works -- especially the "old" brain and the frontal hemispheres.
All of those effects sound beneficial, yes? That said, my students know that I'm the first to admit that I can't remember to do any of this awesome breathing in the middle of an anxiety attack. It's like I never took a yoga class in my life!
All the more reason to cultivate a practice. By practicing these breaths in class and during meditation, I have dramatically increased my tolerance for stress and lowered the likelihood that I will reach a panicked level in the first place. In the event that I do freak out (and I do), my brain and body are capable of returning to a calmer state far more quickly than they would without breath "training." Remember, to begin the training process, you need not be on a yoga mat (although I highly recommend it, of course). Simply notice what environments speed up or slow down your breath. When I was a kid, I always felt instantly calmer around my oldest sister, Naomi. My last year of college I used to study by the pool because I was less stressed doing test prep in the sun. Nowadays I always breathe slower when I'm painting or drawing. Once you have identified the situations (or people) that affect your breathing, make a conscious choice to avoid or reinforce them for one day. It's quite likely you'll be glad you did. |