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The case for conscious, controlled breathing

Job demands. Relationship woes. 5. Hold your breath for a count when it's overused for everyday
Parenting. Grandparenting. Garden- of seven (7). stresses.
variety stressors. Worries. 6. Exhale completely through The relaxation that’s prompted
Life. your mouth making a whoosh sound by 4-7-8 breathing can act as a salve
Regardless of who we are or what for a count of eight (8). for over-worked nerves.
we do, our lives are not without This completes one cycle. Repeat Other benefits may include:
some level of agitation. And with so for three more cycles. Reduced anxiety: A study of col-
many factors and circumstances out Practice 4-7-8 breathing any- lege students showed that practicing
of our control, the one thing we do where, at any time. When you're first pranayama reduced test anxiety in
have control over is how we react. blood’s pH level changes, the learning, try to practice at least twice students. Another study of senior cit-
It has been said that cooler heads parasympathetic nervous system a day. You can do it as often as you’d izens showed decreased anxiety after
prevail. calms us in a variety of ways, includ- like—especially when feeling two months of deep breathing exer-
But it’s hard to keep a level head ing telling the vagus nerve to secrete stressed. Aim for four cycles in a cises.
when the proverbial steam escapes acetylcholine. In layman’s terms: our row—max—in the beginning. After Lower blood pressure: Slow deep
our ears, and we start seeing red. heart rate lowers. you get used to it, you can work up breathing for five minutes has been
What then? All this…just from controlling to eight cycles. You may feel light- shown to reduce blood pressure and
We must pay attention to our our breath. headed at first, but this will pass. heart rate in people who practice it.
breath, that’s what. Enter the ancient yogic practice The more you practice this tech- Improved sleep: One of the nega-
In moments of crisis, that can be of pranayama (pronounced nique, the more powerful it becomes. tive side effects of stress can be trou-
an extremely hard thing to do, for PRA•nuh•YA•muh). “Prana” means Practice doing it before you respond ble sleeping. It can be almost
sure. life force or breath sustaining the to an upsetting situation and when- impossible to fall asleep when your
Difficult? Yes. body; “Yama” translates to “to extend ever you're having trouble getting to body is caught up in the stress re-
Worth trying, anyway? Also, yes. or draw out.” Together, the two mean sleep. sponse. Practicing deep, slow breath-
And here’s why: An engaged breath extension or control. Mindful breathing practices such ing techniques such as 4-7-8
breath practice can help relieve A variety of mindful breathing ex- as 4-7-8 breathing can produce what breathing can trigger your body's re-
minor fatigue, anxiety, and depres- ercises have been shown to produce Dr. Herbert Benson, Harvard cardi- laxation response and help you get to
sion. Yoga Journal’s Richard Rosen a plethora of benefits—stress reduc- ologist and founder of the sleep.
writes, “In stressful times, we typi- tion and relaxation are among them. Mind/Body Medical Institute at Mas- Again—because it bears repeat-
cally breathe too rapidly. This leads One technique is 4-7-8 breathing, sachusetts General Hospital, called ing: All these benefits come from
to a buildup of oxygen in the blood- which was developed by Dr. Andrew the relaxation response. You have a simply controlling our breath.
stream and a corresponding de- Weil. He refers to this method as a natural stress response that's de- We don’t have anything to lose.
crease in the relative amount of "natural tranquilizer for the nervous signed to help you deal with danger- Except our anger and uneasiness, of
carbon dioxide, which in turn upsets system". ous situations. This fight-or-flight course.
the ideal acid-alkaline balance—the Here’s how to do it: response can help you survive, but it And we could all do with a little
pH level—of the blood.” 1. Find a comfortable place to can also take a toll on your health less of that.
Muscle twitching, nausea, irri- sit with your back straight.
tability, lightheadedness, confusion, 2. Place your tongue against
and anxiety often follow. This leads the back of your top teeth and keep
to our immune system becoming it there.
suppressed, which can trigger other 3. Exhale completely through
health problems, including high your mouth around your tongue,
blood pressure. making a whoosh sound. Purse your
lips if it helps.
To the contrary, a controlled, 4. Close your lips and inhale
slowed breath raises carbon dioxide through your nose for a count of four
levels in the blood, and as the (4).

10 · January 2022 · The Wayne Dispatch