Summary: Breathing, or the practice of intentionally controlling breathing, has proven to calm brain activity, reduce anxiety and even facilitate the symptoms of depression.
The deep and slow breathing engages neural circuits which regulate the emotional states, producing a measurable calming effect. This process is rooted in biology, not belief – animal studies show that coherent slow breathing reduces fear responses, confirming that the effect is not only a placebo.
Simple techniques such as the breathing of boxes and 4-7-8 breathing can offer advantages in as little as five minutes. While intense breathing methods can cause modified states, most people benefit from basic breathing exercises. Breathwork offers a powerful and accessible tool to manage stress and improve mental well-being.
Key facts:
- Neurobiological base: Active breathing The soothing signals in the cerebral circuits.
- Proven in animals: The mice trained to breathe have slowly shown reduced fear responses.
- Simple is effective: Techniques like boxes can reduce stress in a few minutes.
Source: UCLA
Breathing – intentionally changing breathing models to improve physical, mental or emotional well -being – may seem woo -wo, but science behind the practice is solid, explains Jack Feldman, PHD, professor of neurobiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the UCLA.
Dr. Feldman explained how breathing affects the brain in a conversation with Tyrone Lindqvist, main singer of the Australian electronic dance trio Rufus from the ground, on a recent episode of the Podcast “Sing for Science”.
The group incorporated breathing into its pre-performance ritual, said Lindqvist, and its new album, “Inhale / Exhale”, was partly inspired by practice.
“Breathing has felt a large part of our last three years,” said Lindqvist.
Dr. Feldman has been studying breathing and brain for over 40 years. In 1986, he discovered and appointed the brain area responsible for generation and breathing control, known as the Prebötzinger complex.
More recently, he and his colleagues have studied the effects of respiratory rhythms and models on emotions, noting that a slower breathing leads to a quieter mental state.
“We believe that the survival of the first mammals has been improved by their ability to breathe slowly,” said Dr. Feldman.
“All mammals sigh, and we think that under appropriate conditions, they use their own breathing form in response to stressful situations. … It is something that we think that we have evolved early that we finally diverted in terms of breathing.”
What makes breathing working?
Dr. Feldman started his research in this area by probing what he thought was a simple question: what mechanisms in the brain allow him to create a reliable breathing model that persists throughout the lifespan and adapts to movement, speech and other activities instantly and without reflection?
This survey line has led him to publish more than 150 scientific articles to date.
The short answer to the reason why breathing can have such deep effects on the body and the mind is that there are signals related to breathing throughout the brain, he said.
An intentionally deep breathing affects these signals, resulting in a soothing response. Breathing is also involved in the depression signaling pathway, he said, adding that studies show that the constant breathing practice can be effective in dealing with conditions such as anxiety and depression.
But he does not need to understand how the breath affects the brain to benefit from breathing, Dr. Feldman said: “Just as you can drive a car without understanding how an engine works.”
Practicing common breathing techniques, such as the breathing of boxes or 4-7-8 breathing, for a few minutes a day is a great way to start, he said.
The breathing of the boxes implies the inhalation of four chiefs, the proponents for four, the expiration for four and the supporters for four; 4-7-8 Breathing refers to the inhalation of four counts, to hold seven and expiration for eight.
Dr. Feldman said that Navy Seals is known to use the breathing of boxes and other breathing techniques to calm down in very stressful situations.
Some of Dr Feldman’s recent work has studied if the placebo effect contributes to the efficiency of breathing. In other words, do the deep breaths calm us down because we expect them to do it?
“You have a stressful situation, you just sit down and take a few deep breaths, five minutes, and people will discover that it is restful,” said Dr. Jack Feldman.
To this end, he and his colleagues have changed breathing rates in mice, making them breathe more slowly for 30 minutes a day over a period of four weeks. The tests then showed that the mice were much less frightening than a control group whose breathing was not slowed down.
“It’s pretty surprising how less they were less frightening,” said Dr. Feldman. “The fact that we can see the effect of breathing in mice really indicates that it is not … all the placebo components.”
He hopes that the study, which awaits the publication, “will have a positive impact on people who think that breathing is one of these woo-wo things, which you have to believe in something in particular to make it work,” he said.
Breathing methods
Lindqvist was presented to breathing by his stepfather, who was interested in Wim Hof, a Dutch athlete who advocates an intense breathing technique of fast and deep breaths followed by breathing as long as a minute.
The practice can cause dizziness and tingling sensations in the hands and feet. Hof says he supports stress reduction and improves sleep. His website also indicates that the technique can lead to a loss of consciousness.
For Lindqvist, the practice has created a feeling of being “extremely present” which lasted several hours, he said.
New people in breathing should start with something less intense, Dr. Feldman suggested: “Do not go out and run a marathon when sitting on the sofa.”
The WIM HOF method and a similar technique, holotropic breathing, can lead to modified states of consciousness, which Lindqvist and Dr Feldman have described as “psychedelic”.
This – and physical sensations tingling – probably result from changes in carbon dioxide levels caused by hyperventilation, said Dr. Feldman.
The carbon dioxide levels determine the pH or the basic acidic balance of blood, which has “a deep effect on the neurons of your brain as well as the rest of your body,” he said.
Techniques such as the WIM HOF method or Holotropic breathing can be invigorating, he said. But basic and slow breathing is all that is necessary for most people to feel the reduced advantages of breathing stress.
“You have a stressful situation, you just sit down and take a few deep breaths, five minutes, and people will discover that it is restful,” said Dr. Feldman.
“Maybe not everyone, but many people will find that it is beneficial, and for me, it’s incredible.”
About this research news of research and neuroscience
Author: Will Houston
Source: UCLA
Contact: Will Houston – UCLA
Picture: The image is credited with Neuroscience News
