The benefits of breathing are obvious right? We need oxygen to survive. So it makes sense that getting a better supply of oxygen can help our health in a number of ways.
There are a number of different methods to use from yoga and from modern science however the best researched and supported method I have found is in Dr Roy Sugarmans book “saving your life one step at a time”. Here are some excerpts from this book:
“The quick method is known as 6:4:10.
In this way, you breathe in for a count of 6, hold it for 4, and breathe out for 10 or more. This can be counting in seconds if you like, but that would be three breaths a minute, which most of us find hard to do.
breathing in this way can help inoculate you from the deleterious effects of stress, aid your general mood and health, guard against cardiac events, generate calming Alpha activity in the brain and assist your transition to sleep.
It will also regulate your blood pressure and pH of your blood, all of which is helpful. You can prepare for stressful meetings at work, or headed for the stadium if you are an athlete, or combat as a soldier. It helps you focus, and assists you in dropping your blood pressure or returning your heartbeat to a resting rate after exercise.
you will think I am going over the top about HRV. But the Vagus is a major conduit of body brain activity and regulation, and so altering sympathovagal noradrenergic activity is a really useful target for a host of conditions, which are impacted by this system. This would include heart, mood, anxiety, worry, blood sugar, blood pressure, acidity, negativity bias, working memory, delta, theta and alpha activity, lateral prefrontal cortex and amygdala volume, positive mood and a host of other factors.”
I can tell you that I practice this myself and enjoy great benefit from it when I need to wind down and relax
Health and happiness Rf
I agree with your comments in regards to benefits of maintaining a healthy HRV, particularly a healthy cardiovascular system…
Due to a recent heart-valve problem I lost the ability to breathe normally, and amongst other problems, I lost the ability to efficiently and effectively use oxygen…this completely ruined my all-round lifestyle; relevantly my daily Yoga, breathing and general exercise routine.
I’ve since had this problem surgically repaired and subsequently taken- on Ryan’s prescribed post-surgery recuperation routine – which includes breathing exercise. And, now that my health has improved, I breathe normally.
I particularly value the physical and mental benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.