The Healing Potential of Breath: My Journey with Controlled Breathwork
In our fast paced world, stress and anxiety are often factors that make nearly every aspect of life harder.
As an avid pursuer of optimal health I am always on the hunt for strategies to help make the body more resilient. A quest that has recently led me to the remarkable potential residing in our breath. Today I’m excited to share my personal experience with breathwork, the science behind it, and how you can incorporate this practice into your daily routine for better health.
My Personal Health Odyssey: WHOOP and the Science of Recovery
One tool that I utilize to monitor as well as optimize my health and recovery is WHOOP.
Essentially WHOOP is a fitness tracker that enables the monitoring of several vital health parameters. I've been using WHOOP to experiment with various strategies to see what helps me recover better and improve my overall health. In a previous post, I discussed my experiences with Non-sleep deep relaxation (NSDR) practices to enhance relaxation, particularly before bed. I’ve also increased my fermented food consumption to see if that made an effect, increased my weekly cardiovascular workouts, added Fish Oil, Magnesium Bi Glycinate, and utilized other supplements and strategies to see which ones have had a positive or negative effect on the metrics WHOOP measures. Most of these strategies have had small to negligible changes to the metrics WHOOP measures. Until now.
Discovering Breathwork: A Game Changer
After reading the research article, 'Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal,' that a colleague shared with me I felt inspired to introduce breathwork into my routine. The results honestly were quite stunning especially since over these last few months my heart rate variability had continued to decrease, until I started incorporating breathwork. Over a month of consistent practice, my heart rate variability (HRV) improved by 10%, and my respiratory rate dropped by 5% as you can see to the right or below, depending on what device you’re reading this on.
These changes in my physiological parameters were significant. An increased HRV indicates a healthy balance between the 'fight or flight' and 'rest and digest' systems, signifying a more resilient and adaptable body under stress, something that we all should aim for. On the other hand, a lower respiratory rate reflects a relaxed and calm state of the body. Together, these changes underline a body better equipped to deal with stress and recover more efficiently.
Breaking Down the Science: Controlled Breathing Techniques
The research that sparked this journey investigated three 5-minute daily breathing exercises—cyclic sighing, box breathing, and cyclic hyperventilation with retention. Let's explore what these practices are and how to perform them(this section is at the end).
Cyclic sighing: This technique involves regular breathing with periodic deep sighs. A 'sigh' is characterized by a double inhalation, followed by a prolonged exhalation.
Box breathing: Also known as square breathing, this technique requires you to inhale, hold your breath, exhale, and hold your breath again, each for the same count.
Cyclic hyperventilation with retention: This method involves a cycle of rapid deep breaths (hyperventilation), followed by breath holding.
The Revelation of Research: A Closer Look at the Benefits
The study found that all techniques improved mood and reduced state anxiety, with cyclic sighing showing the most significant improvements. Again I want to state this was for only 5 minutes a day!! These results offer compelling evidence of the power of breathwork, but why exactly does this occur?
Diving Deeper into the Science: The Impact of Breathwork
Our autonomic nervous system, which controls our body's unconscious actions, is significantly influenced by our breathing patterns. The simple act of controlling our breath can stimulate the vagus nerve, a critical part of our 'rest and digest' system, leading to a slew of beneficial effects.
Vagal modulation: The vagus nerve, a major part of our parasympathetic ('rest and digest') nervous system, interfaces with our heart, lungs, and other organs. Deliberate control of breath can influence vagal function, affecting heart rate variability (HRV)—a measure of the variation in time between heartbeats. Although this study did not find significant differences in HRV across conditions, the researchers suggest that the impact of intentional breathing on brain function might be mediated by vagus nerve pathways. This study looked at 5 minutes of breathwork, I have been participating in 15 minutes to 40 minute sessions and have seen a positive impact on HRV. This doesn’t mean a breathing practice will lead to that improvement for everyone but it has for me.
Interoceptive processes: Interoception refers to our ability to sense our body's internal state. This awareness plays a critical role in how we perceive and react to stress. Controlled breathing could enhance interoceptive awareness, enabling individuals to detect early physiological signs of stress and respond appropriately.
Influence on cortical structures: Breathing exercises may directly influence brain structures that regulate emotion, mood, and arousal. The paper suggests that controlled breathing could reduce anxiety by decreasing activity in the anterior insula, a brain region involved in interoception and the processing of emotional stimuli. Furthermore, slow breathing patterns, like those in cyclic sighing, might help promote a sense of calm through modulating activity in the locus coeruleus, a structure involved in physiological responses to stress and panic. On top of that research has shown that certain breathing techniques can positively influence the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid that keeps our brain nourished and washes away waste.
Improvement Through Breath Control
The rhythm of our breath carries us through each moment of our lives but how often do we stop to consciously control this automatic process? By incorporating breath work into our daily routine we can significantly influence how we respond to stress and improve our overall health. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my journey into breathwork as it has been an insightful experience, enabling me to work on transitioning from a passive 'passenger' to an active 'driver' in governing my physiological response to stress.
One thing that I’ve really enjoyed about breathwork as opposed to meditation is the distinct sense of control it offers. Contrary to mindfulness meditation, which involves passive observation of the breath, controlled breathing focuses on the intentional control of breath patterns. This active participation can also lead to a greater sense of control, which in turn as the study above showed can result in reduced anxiety and enhanced mood, I particularly notice this right after finishing a session and then throughout the rest of the day.
Now let’s cover some specific breathwork techniques that were discussed in the research and I hope with these explanations it can provide a framework for you to start your own breathwork practice. Each technique offers a different rhythm, sequence, and impact, and each can be integrated into your daily life.
Cyclic Sighing: This breathwork technique asks you to take a deep breath, filling your lungs to their maximum capacity, followed by a 'top-up' inhalation before exhaling. Here's how you can try it:
Sit comfortably and close your eyes.
Take a deep breath in through your nose, filling your lungs completely. Visualize the breath traveling down to the bottom of your lungs.
Without exhaling, take another short breath in, to 'top up' the breath.
Exhale slowly through the mouth.
Repeat this cycle for several minutes.
Box Breathing: Also known as four-square breathing, box breathing offers a structured approach that you can perform anywhere. To try box breathing:
Sit upright and breathe out completely through your mouth.
Close your eyes and slowly inhale through your nose while counting to four.
Hold your breath while counting to four.
Slowly exhale through your mouth while counting to four.
Hold your breath again for a count of four.
Repeat this cycle for several minutes.
Cyclic Hyperventilation with Retention: This technique involves a cycle of rapid, deep breaths followed by holding your breath. Here's how you can explore this technique:
Sit comfortably and close your eyes.
Begin by taking 30 quick, deep breaths in a row, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
After the 30th exhale, take a deep breath in, then exhale and hold your breath for as long as you comfortably can.
Inhale deeply again, and hold the breath for about 15 seconds.
This completes one cycle. Repeat this for several cycles.
Embarking on a breathwork journey is a personal experience and can, as with any new practice, start with some intial hesitation and anxiety, remember to start slow and gradually increase your intensity. If at any point you feel light-headed or dizzy, stop and return to your normal breathing pattern.
In essence, breathwork can become an empowering tool towards a healthier more relaxed body which is going to positively affect you and all the individuals you interact with everyday. By integrating these techniques into your everyday routine, you can gain a deeper awareness of your breath help reduce stress, and gain a sense of self-awareness, and self-control that you might not have realized you have.
I hope you enjoyed this blog and as always if you have any questions always feel free to reach out to me at drcoffman@optimizecolumbus.com.
-Dr. Jake