Conscious breathing

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Conscious breathing encompasses techniques directing awareness toward the breathing process, serving purposes from improving respiration to building mindfulness. In martial arts like tai chi and qigong, breathing exercises are said to strengthen diaphragm muscles and protect organs, with reverse breathing being a common method. Meditation traditions, including yoga and Buddhist meditation, emphasize breath control. Yoga's pranayama is believed by practitioners to elevate life energies, while Buddhist vipassanā uses anapanasati for mindfulness of breathing.

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In music, circular breathing enables wind instrument players to produce a continuous tone. Singers, too, rely on breath control through consciously managed breathing stages. The Buteyko method in physical therapy focuses on breathing exercises for conditions like asthma, emphasizing nasal breathing and relaxation. In psychology, Integrative Breathing combines various techniques to address specific needs, particularly in cases of drug abuse disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.

New Age breathwork practices, like Holotropic Breathwork and Rebirthing-breathwork, developed in the late 1960s and 1970s, use deepened breathing for accessing altered states of consciousness and purging repressed memories. However, the medical community questions the efficacy of some methods, such as the Buteyko method, due to limited evidence supporting their claims.

In martial arts

In tai chi, anaerobic exercise is combined with breathing exercises to strengthen the diaphragm muscles, improve posture and make better use of the body's qi . [1]

In qigong, reverse breathing is a breathing technique which consists of contracting the abdomen and expanding the thoracic cage while breathing in through the nose and then gently compressing it while exhaling through the mouth, which is the opposite of what an abdomen would do during natural, diaphragmic instinctive breathing. [2] The technique is also widely practiced in a number of martial arts. Some notable ones include Chinese systems such as baguazhang, tai chi and other styles of kung fu. Reverse breathing is believed to activate healing and protective qi as the practitioner is consciously controlling the breath in a way opposite to normal breathing. By expanding the abdomen while delivering some technique (e.g. punch), the martial artists also protect the inner organs from any received counterattack. [3]

In meditation

Different forms of meditation and yoga advocate various breathing methods. In yoga these methods are called pranayama. [1] In yoga, breath is associated with prana, thus, pranayama is a means to elevate the prana-shakti , or life energies. Pranayama is described in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali . Methods include prolonging the in- and outbreaths, holding pauses on the in- or outbreath or both, alternate nostril breathing, and breathing with the glottis slightly engaged. Later in Hatha yoga texts, it meant the complete suspension of breathing. The pranayama practices in modern yoga as exercise are unlike those of the Hatha yoga tradition.

In Buddhism, vipassanā focuses on breathing in and around the nose to calm the mind using anapanasati , [4] a form of Buddhist meditation meaning "mindfulness of breath" was first introduced by Buddha. [1]

In music

In music, some wind instrument players use a technique called circular breathing, a technique used by players of some wind instruments to produce a continuous tone without interruption. It is accomplished by inhaling through the nose while simultaneously pushing air out through the mouth using air stored in the cheeks. The technique was developed independently by several cultures and is used for many traditional wind instruments. [5]

Singers also rely on breath control. Natural breathing has three stages: a breathing-in period, breathing out period, and a resting or recovery period; these stages are not usually consciously controlled. Within singing, there are four stages of breathing: a breathing-in period (inhalation); a setting up controls period (suspension); a controlled exhalation period (phonation); and a recovery period.

These stages must be under conscious control by the singer until they become conditioned reflexes. Many singers abandon conscious controls before their reflexes are fully conditioned which ultimately leads to chronic vocal problems. [6]

In physical therapy

The Buteyko method is a form of complementary or alternative physical therapy that proposes the use of breathing exercises primarily as a treatment for asthma and other respiratory conditions. [7] It focuses on nasal breathing, relaxation and reduced breathing. These techniques provide the lungs with more NO and thus dilate the airways and should prevent the excessive exhalation of CO2 and thus improve oxygen metabolism. Advocates of the Buteyko method say that it can alleviate symptoms and reliance on medication for patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic hyperventilation. The medical community questions these claims, given limited and inadequate evidence supporting the theory and efficacy of the method. [7] [8]

In psychology and psychotherapy

In psychology, "Integrative Breathing" combines specific benefits of various schools of conscious breathing according to the needs of clients. [9] [10] Research considers drug abuse disorders, [11] post traumatic stress disorder, [12] alcoholism and smoking. [13]

Coherent breathing is a method that involves breathing at the rate of five breaths per minute with equal periods of inhalation and exhalation and conscious relaxation of anatomical zones. [14] [15]

New Age breathwork

Several forms of breathwork developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s are considered New Age practices. Holotropic Breathwork was developed by psychiatrist Stanislav Grof in the 1960s. It uses deepened breathing to allow access to non-ordinary states of consciousness. [16] Rebirthing-breathwork was developed by Leonard Orr in the 1970s. It uses conscious breathing to purge repressed birth memories and traumatic childhood memories. [17]

Studies on conscious breathing

Some cultures have used breathing techniques for years to increase brain function and calm emotions. [18] There is little to know about the connection between breathing and the effect it has on the parasympathetic nervous system, but some studies have contributed to some of that knowledge; one study done on mice from the Stanford School of Medicine included the removal of neurons from the medulla oblongata, which has a direct connection to the locus coeruleus and is responsible for breathing rhythms. The locus coeruleus has connections that influence arousal. Removing the neurons did not affect the breathing of the mice, but it did increase the calm state of the mice. This seemed to show a stronger correlation between breathing and emotion. [19] Other studies have tried to understand the science behind pranayama, a yoga technique that involves slow, controlled breathing. Such breathing has been shown to decrease the heart rate blood pressure and increase activity in the parasympathetic nervous system, which reverses arousal states and calms down the individual. Researchers theorize that slow, controlled breathing resets the autonomic nervous system. [20] Still, little is known about the connection between breathing and emotions; however, using proper breathing techniques could be helpful in countless stressful situations, such as taking tests for school. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking," achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditation process itself.

In yoga, Ayurveda, and Indian martial arts, prana permeates reality on all levels including inanimate objects. In Hindu literature, prāṇa is sometimes described as originating from the Sun and connecting the elements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hatha yoga</span> Branch of yoga focusing on physical techniques

Hatha yoga is a branch of yoga that uses physical techniques to try to preserve and channel vital force or energy. The Sanskrit word हठ haṭha literally means "force", alluding to a system of physical techniques. Some hatha yoga style techniques can be traced back at least to the 1st-century CE, in texts such as the Hindu Sanskrit epics and Buddhism's Pali canon. The oldest dated text so far found to describe hatha yoga, the 11th-century Amṛtasiddhi, comes from a tantric Buddhist milieu. The oldest texts to use the terminology of hatha are also Vajrayana Buddhist. Hindu hatha yoga texts appear from the 11th century onward.

The Buteyko method or Buteyko breathing technique is a form of complementary or alternative physical therapy that proposes the use of breathing exercises primarily as a treatment for asthma and other respiratory conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilates</span> Physical fitness system

Pilates is a type of mind-body exercise developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates, after whom it was named. Pilates called his method "Contrology". It is practiced worldwide, especially in developed countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Pilates uses a combination of around 50 repetitive exercises to spur muscle exertion. Each exercise flows from the "five essentials": breath, cervical alignment, rib and scapular stabilization, pelvic mobility, and utilization of the transversus abdominis. Each exercise is typically repeated three to five times. As of 2023, over 12 million people practice Pilates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pranayama</span> Practice of breath control in Yoga

Pranayama is the yogic practice of focusing on breath. In yoga, breath is associated with prana, thus, pranayama is a means to elevate the prana-shakti, or life energies. Pranayama is described in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Later in Hatha yoga texts, it meant the complete suspension of breathing. The pranayama practices in modern yoga as exercise are unlike those of the Hatha yoga tradition.

Mind–body interventions (MBI) or mind-body training (MBT) are health and fitness interventions that are intended to work on a physical and mental level such as yoga, tai chi, and Pilates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoga nidra</span> State of consciousness between waking and sleeping induced by a guided meditation

Yoga nidra or yogic sleep in modern usage is a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping, typically induced by a guided meditation.

Mindfulness is the cognitive skill, usually developed through meditation, of sustaining meta-attention of the contents of one's own mind in the present moment. Mindfulness derives from sati, a significant element of Hindu and Buddhist traditions, and is based on Zen, Vipassanā, and Tibetan meditation techniques. Though definitions and techniques of mindfulness are wide-ranging, Buddhist traditions describe what constitutes mindfulness, such as how perceptions of the past, present and future arise and cease as momentary sense-impressions and mental phenomena. Individuals who have contributed to the popularity of mindfulness in the modern Western context include Thích Nhất Hạnh, Joseph Goldstein, Herbert Benson, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and Richard J. Davidson.

A relaxation technique is any method, process, procedure, or activity that helps a person to relax; attain a state of increased calmness; or otherwise reduce levels of pain, anxiety, stress or anger. Relaxation techniques are often employed as one element of a wider stress management program and can decrease muscle tension, lower blood pressure, and slow heart and breath rates, among other health benefits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breathwork (New Age)</span> Term used in alternative medicine

Breathwork is a term for various breathing practices in which the conscious control of breathing is said to influence a person's mental, emotional, or physical state, with a therapeutic effect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoga as therapy</span> Yoga in the use of physical and mental therapy

Yoga as therapy is the use of yoga as exercise, consisting mainly of postures called asanas, as a gentle form of exercise and relaxation applied specifically with the intention of improving health. This form of yoga is widely practised in classes, and may involve meditation, imagery, breath work (pranayama) and calming music as well as postural yoga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Effects of meditation</span> Surveys & evaluates various meditative practices & evidence of neurophysiological benefits

The psychological and physiological effects of meditation have been studied. In recent years, studies of meditation have increasingly involved the use of modern instruments, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography, which are able to observe brain physiology and neural activity in living subjects, either during the act of meditation itself or before and after meditation. Correlations can thus be established between meditative practices and brain structure or function.

Dennis Lewis is a non-fiction writer and teacher in the areas of breathing, qigong, meditation, and self-enquiry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Relaxation (psychology)</span> Emotional state of low tension and an absence of arousal

In psychology, relaxation is the emotional state of low tension, in which there is an absence of arousal, particularly from negative sources such as anger, anxiety, or fear.

Trauma-sensitive yoga is yoga as exercise, adapted from 2002 onwards for work with individuals affected by psychological trauma. Its goal is to help trauma survivors to develop a greater sense of mind-body connection, to ease their physiological experiences of trauma, to gain a greater sense of ownership over their bodies, and to augment their overall well-being. However, a 2019 systematic review found that the studies to date were not sufficiently robustly designed to provide strong evidence of yoga's effectiveness as a therapy; it called for further research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindful Yoga</span> Buddhist-style mindfulness practice with yoga as exercise

Mindful Yoga or Mindfulness Yoga combines Buddhist-style mindfulness practice with yoga as exercise to provide a means of exercise that is also meditative and useful for reducing stress. Buddhism and Hinduism have since ancient times shared many aspects of philosophy and practice including mindfulness, understanding the suffering caused by an erroneous view of reality, and using concentrated and meditative states to address such suffering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Science of yoga</span> Scientific basis of modern yoga as exercise

The science of yoga is the scientific basis of modern yoga as physical exercise in human sciences such as anatomy, physiology, and psychology. Yoga's effects are to some extent shared with other forms of exercise, though it differs in the amount of stretching involved, and because of its frequent use of long holds and relaxation, in its ability to reduce stress. Yoga is here treated separately from meditation, which has effects of its own, though yoga and meditation are combined in some schools of yoga.

Mindfulness-based pain management (MBPM) is a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) providing specific applications for people living with chronic pain and illness. Adapting the core concepts and practices of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), MBPM includes a distinctive emphasis on the practice of 'loving-kindness', and has been seen as sensitive to concerns about removing mindfulness teaching from its original ethical framework. It was developed by Vidyamala Burch and is delivered through the programs of Breathworks. It has been subject to a range of clinical studies demonstrating its effectiveness.

Breathwork may refer to several different practices connected with breathing.

References

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Further reading