Could how you breathe affect your mood and how stressed you feel? Though we don’t notice our breathing patterns in daily life, we might feel better if we did! Consciously breathing more slowly and mindfully could support wellness in simple, natural ways. Even brief pauses to focus on fuller exhalations can help nourish our inner calm.
Let’s look at the science behind this phenomenon and discover practical techniques to harness the power of longer exhalations for a more balanced and healthier life.
Understanding the Vagus Nerve and How It Affects Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
To understand how prolonged exhalations can make you feel more relaxed, you’ll need to understand your vagus nerve. It’s sometimes called the “wandering” nerve because of its widespread influence on the human body and because it controls so many aspects of health and well-being.
Our bodies contain intricate nervous system networks that regulate many processes below our conscious awareness. Researchers know how one network, the parasympathetic system, influences functions like heart rate and blood pressure. By stimulating the parasympathetic system, we trigger calming, restorative effects. This system is dominant after eating, so you can more efficiently digest your meals. Studies show that certain techniques, like deep breathing, activate parasympathetic nerves, tapping into the body’s own relaxation response.
This “rest and relax” system fosters calmness and recuperation. It’s a way to balance the stress-induced fight-or-flight response triggered by the sympathetic nervous system. Too many “stressed out” folks have too much sympathetic nervous system activity and not enough parasympathetic. The result? They feel anxious and jittery.
But what about heart rate variability (HRV)? It’s the variation in the time intervals between successive heartbeats. A higher HRV is associated with healthier vagus nerve function, reduced chronic stress levels, improved overall health, and enhanced cognitive function, all good things.
In contrast, lower HRT is a marker for heart-related issues like sudden death and high blood pressure. Certain fitness trackers monitor heart rate variability. A drop in heart rate variability is an early sign that you’re overtraining or pushing yourself too hard.
The Role of Longer Exhalations
New research reveals an intriguing link between breathing patterns and nervous system responses. Inhalation activates the “fight-or-flight” sympathetic nerves, temporarily increasing the heart rate as if preparing for action. But exhalation has the opposite effect: it tells the vagus nerve to release acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that calms the body. Acetylcholine switches on the parasympathetic “rest-and-digest” system, slowing your heart rate back down. Prolonging the exhale allows more time for acetylcholine to stimulate parasympathetic relaxation.
So, by consciously exhaling longer, you can counterbalance the sympathetic excitation from each inhale. This knowledge of how breathing interacts with the nervous system gives us a tool for stress reduction. Through simple, mindful breathing we can tap into an innate mechanism for wellbeing – no special training required! As researchers continue exploring these connections, our breath emerges as an elegant way to balance body and mind.
By controlling your breath and focusing on longer exhales, you can engage your body’s natural relaxation mechanisms. It’s remarkable how such a straightforward technique of mindful exhaling can reduce stress and promote well-being.
This explains why longer exhalations are so effective for health and well-being. By consciously prolonging your exhalations, you stimulate the vagus nerve. When this all-important nerve goes into overdrive, your heart rate variability increases, and you feel more relaxed and calmer.
Historical Insights and Modern Confirmation
The concept of harnessing the power of the vagus nerve through controlled breathing is not new. You’re already familiar with the practices of meditation and yoga, two ancient approaches to managing stress. As you may have noticed, teachers of mind-body practices emphasize extended exhalations. Although they may not know the mechanism by which they work, they realize that such an approach fosters relaxation and calm.
Recent scientific research, however, supports the stress-relieving benefits of these age-old practices. Studies have reaffirmed that longer exhalations can indeed stimulate the vagus nerve, increase HRV, and even enhance decision-making.
Practical Techniques for Vagal Maneuvers
Now that you understand the science behind prolonged exhalations, let’s look at practical techniques to incorporate longer exhalations into your daily life. One way is to use a 4:8 breathing ratio. To do this, inhale for four seconds and exhale for eight seconds. This rhythmic cycle, amounting to five cycles per minute, is easy to count and track.
With 4:8 breathing, you emphasize the exhalation portion of breathing. The goal is to make exhalation last twice as long as inhalation. The best way to make it second nature is to practice several times a day until it becomes intuitive.
This approach to breathing isn’t just useful for cultivating calm. It can also enhance your workouts. Some athletes use it during a warm-up before a workout, or the cool-down afterward.
Also, use it when you feel anxious. In moments of stress, you can use a self-talk script. You might say this to yourself: “I’m going to take two minutes to perform 10 rounds of vagus nerve breathing with a 4:8 inhalation-to-exhalation ratio.” During the inhalation, fill your lower diaphragm with oxygen, and during the exhalation, expel air through pursed lips.
Breathing Can Help You Reclaim Your Sense of Calm
Long exhalations are a practical technique to improve vagus nerve function, increase heart rate variability, enjoy greater relaxation, reduce stress, and cultivate calm in a chaotic world. Remember, the key to a healthier vagus nerve may be a few mindful exhalations away. Practice this breathing technique, so you can use it when stress rears its ugly head. Take advantage of it and reclaim your calm.
References:
- Balasubramanian K, Harikumar K, Nagaraj N, Pati S. Vagus Nerve Stimulation Modulates Complexity of Heart Rate Variability Differently during Sleep and Wakefulness. Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2017 Oct-Dec;20(4):403-407. doi: 10.4103/aian.AIAN_148_17. PMID: 29184345; PMCID: PMC5682746.
- The multibranched nerve: vagal function beyond heart rate variability”. Www.Sciencedirect.Com, 2023, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051122001211. Accessed 20 Sep 2023.
- Balasubramanian K, Harikumar K, Nagaraj N, Pati S. Vagus Nerve Stimulation Modulates Complexity of Heart Rate Variability Differently during Sleep and Wakefulness. Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2017 Oct-Dec;20(4):403-407. doi: 10.4103/aian.AIAN_148_17. PMID: 29184345; PMCID: PMC5682746.
- De Couck M, Caers R, Musch L, Fliegauf J, Giangreco A, Gidron Y. How breathing can help you make better decisions: Two studies on the effects of breathing patterns on heart rate variability and decision-making in business cases. Int J Psychophysiol. 2019 May;139:1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.02.011. Epub 2019 Mar 1. PMID: 30826382.
- “Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises and Your Vagus Nerve.” 16 May. 2017, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201705/diaphragmatic-breathing-exercises-and-your-vagus-nerve.
- “Fight Anxiety with a Strong Vagus Nerve – Cleveland Clinic.” 20 Apr. 2023, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-does-the-vagus-nerve-do/.
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