Breathing Practices Research Articles

To study the effect of yoga asana and pranayama on pulmonary function test in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) patients

Background: Pranayama is an integral part of yoga training. Pranayama is a regulated breathing practice that improves airway responsiveness. Yoga asana and pranayama have been shown to reduce resting respiratory rate and enhance vital capacity, maximum voluntary ventilation, breath-holding time, maximal inspiratory pressure, and expiratory pressure. Aim: This study aims to study the effect of yoga, asana, and pranayama on pulmonary function disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD]) patients. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational study which was conducted in the Department of Physiology in association with the Department of Respiratory Medicine Santosh Medical College and Hospital, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, with a sample size of 55 participants on stable patients diagnosed (COPD) with aged between 40 and 65 years of either sex. Written informed consent and approval from the institutional ethics committee were taken before starting the study. The paired t-test was used to compare the mean and standard deviation of the quantitative variables. When the P < 0.05, the results are statistically significant. To conduct statistical analysis, SPSS 20.0 was used. Results: We observed a statistically significant increase in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FVC/FEV1 ratio, and peak expiratory flow rate after 8 and 12 weeks of yoga training compared to the first visit (0 week) baseline before yoga training. Conclusion: The results of our study showed that the regular practice of yoga, asana, and pranayama for 45 min a day minimum of 3 days a week for 12 weeks showed improvement in pulmonary function tests of COPD patients. It was also concluded that yoga and asana along with pharmacological treatment for COPD patients showed improved breathing patterns and pulmonary function parameters. It was observed that yoga, asana, and pranayama had improved physical condition by reducing weight and body mass index which enhances pulmonary function.

Heart Rate Variability biofeedback therapy for children and adolescents with chronic pain: A pilot study

PurposeAs a brief, noninvasive, cost-effective, and technology-driven therapy, biofeedback is a promising and welcomed clinical intervention for children and adolescents with pediatric chronic pain conditions. The aim of this pilot study was to explore the application of a brief Heart Rate Variability (HRV) biofeedback intervention supplemented by at-home breathing practice as a tool for reducing symptomatology associated with chronic pain in a pediatric urban hospital setting. Design and methodsTwenty-one participants aged 10–17 years (M = 14.05, SD = 1.91; 76% female) and their caregivers completed the study. Participants were randomized to either 1) receive immediate biofeedback treatment including at-home breathing practice or 2) to be placed on a 4-week waitlist and then enrolled in the biofeedback treatment. Study outcomes included self-reported pain intensity, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and anxiety sensitivity. HRV data were obtained from biofeedback sessions. Results: Following biofeedback treatment, participants achieved significant reductions in self-reported pain intensity, higher levels of self-reported school functioning, and increased HRV, as measured by Blood Volume Pulse (BVP) amplitude. Participants in the waitlist group experienced an increase in pain intensity during the waitlist period. ConclusionFurther research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying HRV biofeedback and its treatment of pediatric chronic pain. Practice implicationsNurses are ideal practitioners for biofeedback given their training in physiology and background in healthcare and should be encouraged to explore training in this area. Suggested biofeedback-related apps and mobile devices to share with patients at bedside are provided.

Ashtanga Yoga for General Well Being

Yoga is an Indian philosophy systematized in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali approximately 2000 years ago as a global life style approach consisting of eight interrelated components. The first component consists of ethical behavior prescriptions toward others (e.g. non-harming) and the second consists of rules of conduct toward the self (e.g. discipline). The third is the practice of physical poses or asana. The fourth is a controlled breathing practice. The fifth consists of controlling sensory input. The following three components are increasingly more advanced levels of meditative practice. Specifically, the sixth component consists of practicing sustained concentration or focused attention on one object. The seventh is a state of absorption in which the entire perceptual flow is directed toward the object. The eighth and final component is a state of integration in which the object is seen as indivisible from the self . The goal of regularly practicing these eight components is to calm the restlessness of the mind so that mental activity can be directed into productive channels and mental pain can be alleviated (Iyengar 1966). Contemporary yoga practices primarily focus on asana, controlled breathing and meditation, with various degrees of emphasis on each of these components (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health 2016). Yoga incorporating asana, or asana-based yoga, includes traditional practices such as Hatha, Iyengar, Sivananda and Ashtanga.

Take a deep breath: Benefits of neuroplasticity practices for software developers and computer workers in a family of experiments

ContextComputer workers in general, and software developers specifically, are under a high amount of stress due to continuous deadlines and, often, over-commitment.ObjectiveThis study investigates the effects of a neuroplasticity practice, a specific breathing practice, on the attention awareness, well-being, perceived productivity, and self-efficacy of computer workers.MethodThe intervention was a 12-week program with a weekly live session that included a talk on a well-being topic and a facilitated group breathing session. During the intervention period, we solicited one daily journal note and one weekly well-being rating. We created a questionnaire mainly from existing, validated scales as entry and exit survey for data points for comparison before and after the intervention. We replicated the intervention in a similarly structured 8-week program. The data was analyzed using Bayesian multi-level models for the quantitative part and thematic analysis for the qualitative part.ResultsThe intervention showed improvements in participants’ experienced inner states despite an ongoing pandemic and intense outer circumstances for most. Over the course of the study, we found an improvement in the participants’ ratings of how often they found themselves in good spirits as well as in a calm and relaxed state. We also aggregate a large number of deep inner reflections and growth processes that may not have surfaced for the participants without deliberate engagement in such a program.ConclusionThe data indicates usefulness and effectiveness of an intervention for computer workers in terms of increasing well-being and resilience. Everyone needs a way to deliberately relax, unplug, and recover. A breathing practice is a simple way to do so, and the results call for establishing a larger body of work to make this common practice.

The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Breathing and Music Therapy Practice on Nurses' Stress, Work-Related Strain, and Psychological Well-being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Infectious diseases cause psychological problems for health care workers and especially nurses. Nurses who provided coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients with care experience negative feelings such as stress, work-related strain, discomfort, and helplessness related to their high-intensity work. The aims of this study are to investigate the effect of the mindfulness-based breathing and music therapy practice on stress, work-related strain, and psychological well-being levels of nurses who provided COVID-19 patients with care. This randomized controlled trial was conducted in a COVID-19 department at a university hospital in Turkey. Nurses who care for patients infected with COVID-19 were randomly divided into an intervention group (n = 52) and a no-treatment control group (n = 52). The intervention group received mindfulness-based breathing and music therapy. In data collection, the Personal Information Form, State Anxiety Inventory, Work-Related Strain Scale, and Psychological Well-Being Scale were used. The data from the study showed that mindfulness-based breathing and music therapy decreased stress and work-related strain (P < .05) and increased psychological well-being (P < .05). The control group showed no statistically significant changes on these measures (P > .05). The mindfulness-based breathing and music therapy practice reduced nurses' stress and work-related strain and increased psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

P300 Following Four Voluntarily Regulated Yoga Breathing Practices and Breath Awareness.

Attention was influenced by yoga breathing in previously published research. Each yoga breathing practice uniquely modifies specific breath characteristics. Differences in the study designs, assessment methods and interventions resulted in difficulty in comparing effects between yoga breathing practices. This study aimed (i) to compare four yoga breathing practices on attention using an auditory oddball task and (ii) to determine cardiac autonomic activity associated with attention using heart rate variability. P300 event related potential was recorded simultaneously with heart rate variability before and after 18-minute periods each of (i) high frequency yoga breathing (with increased breath frequency), (ii) bellows yoga breathing (with increased depth of respiration), (iii) alternate nostril yoga breathing (with alternate nostril patency), (iv) bumblebee yoga breathing (with prolonged exhale), (v) breath awareness (with attention to the breath) and (vi) quiet seated rest as control in 38 yoga experienced males (average age ± SD; 24.08 ± 4.01 years). The six sessions were on separate, randomly allocated days. The P300 peak amplitude recorded at Pz was significantly increased after four yoga breathing practices (Bonferroni adjusted post-hoc tests, repeated measures ANOVA). No significant changes were noted in heart rate variability following yoga breathing or control sessions. These findings suggest that the four yoga breathing practices increase the attentional neural resources engaged for this auditory oddball task, irrespective of the characteristic of breath uniquely regulated in the four yoga breathing practices.

\u2018Joining a group was inspiring\u2019: a qualitative study of service users\u2019 experiences of yoga on social prescription

BackgroundYoga is becoming an increasingly popular holistic approach in the West to manage long-term health conditions. This study presents the evaluation of a pilot yoga intervention, Yoga4Health, that was developed for the NHS to be socially prescribed to patients at risk of developing specific health conditions (risk factors for cardiovascular disease, pre-diabetes, anxiety/depression or experiencing social isolation). The aim of this qualitative study was to explore service users’ experiences of Yoga4Health and the acceptability of the programme.MethodsQualitative data were collected from three sources: 1. Open-ended questions on questionnaires completed by services users at three different time-points (baseline, post intervention and 3 months); 2. Interviews and focus groups with a subset of participants (n = 22); 3. interviews with yoga teachers delivering Yoga4Health (n = 7). Each data source was analysed thematically, then findings were combined.ResultsOf participants completing baseline questionnaires (n = 240), 82.5% were female, 50% White, with a mean age of 53 (range 23–82) years. Baseline questionnaires revealed key motivations to attend Yoga4Health were to improve psychological and physical health, and believing Yoga4Health would be accessible for people with their health condition. Post-intervention, participants reported a range of benefits across psychological, physical and social domains from Yoga4Health. Increased confidence in self-management of health was also reported, and a number of participants described making positive lifestyle changes after attending the programme. Unanticipated benefits of yoga emerged for participants, such as enjoyment and social connectedness, which facilitated ongoing attendance and practice. Also key to facilitating practice (during and after the intervention) were suitability of the classes for those with health conditions, practising with a group and qualities of the yoga teacher. Home practice was supported by course materials (manual, videos), as well as the teaching of techniques for everyday application that offered immediate benefits, such as breathing practices. Follow-up questionnaires revealed a key challenge was continuation of practice once the intervention had finished, with the structure of a class important in supporting practice.ConclusionsYoga4Health was a highly acceptable intervention to services users, which brought a range of biopsychosocial improvements, suggesting yoga is an appropriate intervention to offer on social prescription.

Evaluation of the Effect of Left Nostril Breathing on Cardiorespiratory Parameters and Reaction Time in Young Healthy Individuals

Background: Pranayama, a yogic breathing practice, produces several physiological responses in healthy individuals. Hypertension is a critical and booming public health challenge all over the world. Yoga is one of the effective methods to reduce blood pressure (BP) and pulse rate (PR).Objective: To evaluate the effect of left nostril breathing (LNB) exercise on cardiorespiratory parameters and reaction time (RT) in young healthy individuals.Materials and methods: In this study, 106 young healthy individuals between 18 and 25 years of age were included. The systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse rate (PR), respiratory rate (RR), vital capacity (VC), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and reaction time (RT) of volunteers were recorded at baseline (before exercise) and after two weeks of left nostril breathing exercise performed 45 minutes daily.Results: There was a significant reduction in SBP (126.64 ± 15.51 mmHg versus 116.29 ± 11.91 mmHg; Cohen’s d (effect size): 0.87; p < 0.0001)), DBP (76.57 ± 14.87 mmHg versus 71.07 ± 11.39 mmHg; Cohen’s d: 0.48; p < 0.0001), PR (85.32 ± 15.44/minute versus 81.77 ± 13.02/minute; Cohen’s d: 0.27; p < 0.0001), and RR (14.26 ± 2.15/minute to 13.17 ± 2.03/minute; Cohen’s d: 0.54; p < 0.0001). A significant increase was observed in VC (3.42 ± 0.62 versus 3.67 ± 0.65; Cohen’s d: 0.39; p < 0.0001) and PEFR (467.81 ± 46.66 versus 498.29 ± 51.50; Cohen’s d: 0.59; p < 0.0001). There was a significant decrement in auditory reaction time (ART) (164.36 ± 27.20 ms versus 143.84 ± 20.32 ms; Cohen’s d: 0.85; p < 0.0001) and visual reaction time (VRT) (190.25 ± 31.48 ms versus 163.75 ± 21.72 ms; Cohen’s d: 0.98; p < 0.0001). There was no significant change in maximum heart rate (MHR) after cardiorespiratory activity (CRA) (p > 0.434).Conclusion: Left nostril breathing is associated with a decrease in cardiovascular parameters and an increase in VC and PEFR. This technique may be useful for putting up a fight against the stress and strain of daily life. This simple exercise may also be a beneficial adjuvant to pharmacological therapy in hypertensive patients.

Characteristics of Yoga Providers and Their Sessions and Attendees in the UK: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Yoga is an ancient Indian philosophy and way of life that is being used as a method of improving health and wellbeing. Evidence shows that yoga has several health benefits, such as managing many noncommunicable diseases, such as hypertension, and improving mental health. The popularity of yoga is growing in the UK, but it is mostly unregulated with little information available about yoga providers and their sessions and attendees. This study aimed to explore who is providing yoga; what sessions are available, where, and at what cost; and who attends these sessions in the UK and whether yoga providers were aware of health conditions in their sessions. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken among yoga providers in the UK. They were approached through four major UK yoga associations. In total, 407 yoga providers participated. Most providers were aged 45–64 years (69%), female (93%), and white (93%). The median number of group sessions and one-to-one sessions delivered per week was four and two, respectively. The most common styles were Hatha (28%), Iyengar (26%), and Vinyasa (15%). Sessions had a varying emphasis on different yogic practices, but 59% of providers allocated most time to yogic poses (asana), 18% to breathing practices (pranayama), and 12% to meditation (dhyana) and relaxation practices. Most (73%) reported that their attendees disclosed their health conditions to them, most commonly mental health issues (41%), hypertension (25%), and heart diseases (9%). This study showed that yoga sessions are widely available in the UK, often provided and practiced by women, and concentrate on yogic poses. Sessions concentrate on the asana and tend not to include many of the more holistic aspects of yoga that are practiced in South Asian countries. Yoga providers are often aware of health conditions but may benefit from training to deliver sessions suitable for specific health conditions.

Intervention Relationship in Sleep in Fitness Yoga

With the acceleration of the development of modern science and technology, material production and spiritual production and their products have become alien forces and gradually the ruling tools, People have gradually become the products of science and technology. In this case, pressure and anxiety lead to increased insomnia among people year by year. This paper aims to study the role of fitness yoga in improving sleep disorders and sleep quality in contemporary people. Using fitness yoga and sleep as the keywords, we searched CNKI, Weibo, Wanfang, and other databases. Relevant master's theses and doctoral dissertations, journal articles, conference abstracts and other documents were included for this analysis. Through the analysis of literature, the relationship of fitness yoga to promote sleep and the practical significance of fitness yoga for sleep were examined. The findings showed that yoga exercises are rhythmic whole-body muscle relaxation exercises that reduce skeletal muscle tone, cerebral cortex arousal, and oxygen consumption to improve sleep; Secondly, interest adjustment is rhythmic abdominal deep breathing technique, which increases chest oxygen content, activates parasympathetic nerves, reduces psychological stress, and promotes sleep. Finally, meditation will guide practitioners to focus on their emotions and feelings and encourage them to accept the environment with peace of mind and promote sleep. Students' total sleep index score, subjective sleep quality, sleep disturbance, and daytime function scores in the yoga group decreased significantly. Among them, total sleep index score and subjective sleep quality were highly significant. Sleep disorders among participants in the yoga group were reduced and their daytime function were improved. Subjective sleep quality and overall sleep improved significantly. Yoga is a combination of physical posture, breathing, and meditation, which focuses on not only the practice of posture, but also spiritual practice. Meditation can enable participants to better regulate their emotions, which emphasizes not only physical relaxation, but also psychological relaxation. One-on-one intervention form, meditation practice, gong therapy, yoga breathing practice, intervention type, weekly intervention, two-three times interventions are effective ways to improve sleep quality and reduce sleep disorders. The short-term effect of yoga is significant; however, future research with high quality needs to examine the long-term effect of yoga on sleep quality.

Development and Feasibility Assessment of Virtual Reality-Based Relaxation Self-Training Program

Diaphragmatic breathing and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) are an effective way for relaxation training and anxiety control, but their use is not common to the general public. Today, as the need for non-face-to-face contact increases, virtual reality (VR)-based self-training is gaining attention in public health. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of the newly developed VR-based relaxation training program. Both diaphragmatic breathing and PMR can be trained without an assistant using this VR application in three steps: 1) learning in a virtual clinic, 2) review in a comfortable virtual environment, and 3) practice in outdoor virtual environments. Self-training is recommended on a 3-weeks schedule with a total of 4–6 trials per day for 4 days a week. Thirty-one healthy volunteers were divided into the VR (n = 15) and worksheet (n = 16) groups, and participated in self-training under similar conditions as much as possible. Multiple evaluations were performed before, during, and after self-training. The change rates of all psychological and psychophysiological measures before and after self-training did not significantly differ between the two groups. The levels of tension after breathing practices showed no group difference, whereas those after PMR practices were significantly lower in the VR group than in the worksheet group. In the VR group, trials of outdoor practices tended to induce a decrease of the tension level, particularly after outdoor breathing trials. The VR group gave a practicable score of 70 points or more, average 43.5, and average 180.3 for usability, cybersickness, and presence of this program, respectively. These results suggest that the VR-based relaxation self-training program can be used by healthy people as a means of relaxation. In the use of this program, diaphragmatic breathing may be used more easily, but the benefit of using VR is higher in PMR. These findings provide justification for a randomized controlled study of whether this program can be used for stress relief in the general population and, furthermore, treatment of patients with anxiety disorders.

A perspective of yoga on smartphone addiction: A narrative review.

ABSTRACTEvolution in technology is drastically becoming automatic and making life easier. Among those technologies, smartphones are fast-changing technology that is equipping humans to work from anywhere. Frequent usage and dependency on smartphones have increased, which in turn contributes to changes in psychosocial behavioral aspects. Addiction plays an important role in modifying the healthy habits of individuals. Problematic usage of smartphones affects both physical and psychosocial health and emerges as a cornerstone of psychosocial disorder. However, there is a dearth of data to understand the core concepts of smartphone addiction and there is a need to understand from the broader perspective. Yoga is considered one of the viable protocols to provide the way for digital detoxification from technology and smartphone addiction by promoting self-regulation. Yoga brings back a healthy living style, which allows individuals to have enough physical activity through asanas, emotional stability, and awareness through meditation and breathing practices. We hypothesize that a holistic approach to yoga can regulate the symptoms associated with smartphone addiction by increasing the stability of the body and mind and promoting emotional detachment and self-regulation, which play an important role in the de-addiction process.

Effect of Short-Term Practice of Left Nostril Breathing on Various Sleep Parameters in the Medical Students.

Background:Various recent studies have reported that exclusive right nostril breathing (RNB) and left nostril breathing (LNB) has an immediate and sustained effect under various medical conditions. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of short-term left nostril breathing on various sleep parameters in medical students.Methods:We hypothesized that the increase in vagal tone because of LNB can help in improving the quality of sleep. The baseline sleep quality was documented before the start of study in the case and the control group using the ’Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index’ (PSQI) questionnaire. A PSQI global score of more than 5 indicates poor sleep quality. The case group practiced LNB in a graduated manner for a period of 4 weeks. Thereafter, sleep quality was documented for both the groups using the PSQI questionnaire.Results:Practicing LNB significantly lowered all the seven component scores (p < 0.05) and the global PSQI score in the case group (p-value < 0.0001), suggesting that this practice effectively improved the sleep quality in the individuals of this group.Conclusions:Overall, this study suggested that exclusive LNB practice could serve as an important lifestyle modification that can be incorporated in the routine of medical students for improving their sleep quality.

The great Greek “charlatan”: Empedocles

This article revises the views about Empedocles of Akragas. Even contemporaries of the thinker were confronted with the question of whether he was a great sage or a charlatan. The combination of “scientific” and prophetic knowledge embarrassed more than one generation of researchers, making them accuse Empedocles of superficial eclecticism or see him as an inconsistent representative of antique mechanical philosophy. With no intention to give a final answer to this question, the article suggests looking at this problem from a different angle by focusing more on the lifestyle of Empedocles and less on his theoretical provisions of philosophy. The first part of the article provides a brief outline of the history of the concept of “charlatanism” and considers the image of Empedocles as a Greek alazon. The internal motives of the political and public activity of Akragas accompanied by provocative behavior and claims to divine status are considered. It is suggested that the personality conflict of Empedocles, the discrepancy of external appearance and acts, is primarily due to pedagogical purposes and desire to deliver saving truths to his contemporaries who were mired in vices. The second part of the article deals with a hypothesis about breathing exercises of Empedocles. The main attention is paid to the 129 B (DK) and 100 B (DK) fragments, with an attempt to reconstruct the breathing practice of Empedocles as a thought technique aimed at gaining access to higher knowledge.

Positive Impact of Sudharshan Kriya Pranayam on Occupational Stress and Wellness

“Health for All” is the goal promoted since 1977 by the World Health Organization (WHO). Stresses of modern living and work life have induced several symptoms of psychopathology among people from various walks of life. Consequences of stress affects people psychologically, physiologically and behaviorally which adversely affects their work-life balance. The Sudharshan Kriya Pranayama of the ‘Art of Living’ center at Bengaluru, India is a potent and effective method to counterbalance the effects of stress and enhance wellness. An extremely unique yogic breathing practice is Sudharshan Kriya Yoga which involves various kinds of breathing patterns that alternate between slow and relaxing to quick and stimulating. One hundred senior officers of the Government of India of different Ministries / Departments participated in the experiential learning workshop at the Art of Living centre at Bengaluru for the programme ‘Building Competencies for Personal Excellence’ in 2021. The participants practiced the Sudharshan Kriya Yoga for about two months. The feedback from the officers were collected and the same were analysed. It was seen that due to the practice of Sudharshan Kriya Yoga the heightened flow of energy between the mind and the body led to stress reduction and wellness among the senior government officers. Through the practice of Sudharshan Kriya Yoga the RSA (Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia) was enhanced by calming down the participants. Other notable impacts of Susharshan Kriya are better sleep quality, trauma reduction and cortisol (stress hormone) regulation in the body. The participants were less reactive to provocation and there were fewer instances of anger outbursts. Cognitive functioning was enhanced which led to a balanced approach to social and interpersonal relationships leading to better coping with occupational stress, greater subjective well-being, increase in wellness and better adaptation to the pressures and stressors of life.

A Comparison of Practice Guidelines for Yoga Breathing from the Traditional Texts and PubMed-Indexed Research

Volitional yoga breathing techniques influence several physiological functions depending on the changes made in depth of breathing, relative duration of exhalation to inhalation, and breath frequency. The practice guidelines for three routinely practiced and researched yoga breathing practices (bhastrika pranayama [bellows breath], bhramari pranayama [bee breath], and kapalabhati pranayama [breath of fire]) were compared between the traditional written texts (i.e., Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita) and published research indexed in PubMed (a total of 73 studies; 25 on bhastrika pranayama, 17 on bhramari pranayama, and 31 on kapalabhati pranayama). We compared the specifications for posture, time of day, location, and duration of practice; frequency, depth, and holding (kumbhaka) of the breath; speed and/or force and right or left nostril use for inhalation and exhalation; duration of inhalation relative to exhalation; thoracic or diaphragmatic breathing (or comparable terms in the traditional texts); mental state; physiological locks (bandhas) ; and hand gestures (mudras). Differences between the practice guidelines in the traditional texts and published research with respect to the depth of b reathing (bhastrika pranayama), relative breath phase duration (bhramari pranayama), and breath frequency (kapalabhati pranayama) are presented despite the findings being restricted to published studies from a single bibliographic database. Differences in the way yoga breathing is practiced could influence the physiological effects obtained, and differences between methods reported in published studies could make it difficult to summarize the effects of yoga breathing practice across studies.

Effect of Box Breathing Technique on Lung Function Test

Background: Box breathing exercise is a technique of slow breathing rhythm also known as square breathing used universally. It increases the performance and concentration level, it also acts as a powerful stress relief. It is tested with a spirometer for the lung function test that measures the airflow of the upper and lower respiratory tract. This method builds up carbon dioxide in blood which calms down and regulates the ANS (Autonomic Nervous System), which enhances the cardio- inhibitory response of the vagus nerve that improves the mood. The main aim of the study was to analyze the effect of box breathing technique on lung function&#x0D; Materials and Methods: The present study was carried out among the participants at the age of 18-25 years from Saveetha Dental College. A total of 30 participants were included in this study (15 males, 15 females). The experimental training procedures consisted of 2 sessions of box breathing day and night for a period of 30 days. Participants were informed of the procedures of the box breathing technique. RMS Helios spirometer was used to measure lung volumes and capacities. Statistics analysis was done using SPSS software, paired t test. P value of less than or equal to 0.05 was considered significant statistically.&#x0D; Results: There was a significant increase among the participants FVC (Forced Vital Capacity), FEV1 (Forced Expiratory Volume), FIVC (Forced Inspiratory Vital Capacity) parameters after 2 sessions on each day of box breathing technique for a period of 30 days. Other parameters increased to 10% but not significantly.&#x0D; Conclusion: The present study illustrates the potential for box breathing practice to improve lung performance and reduce stress in healthy individuals. Despite the significant difference in FVC, FEV, FIVC levels supporting improved lung function, further investigation is needed to delineate mechanisms that underlie these benefits

Single Slow-Paced Breathing Session at Six Cycles per Minute: Investigation of Dose-Response Relationship on Cardiac Vagal Activity.

The practice of slow-paced breathing (SPB) has been linked to a range of positive outcomes, such as decreasing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as increasing well-being. Among the suggested mechanisms of action, SPB has been shown to increase cardiac vagal activity (CVA). The present study aimed to investigate whether there is a dose-response relationship modulating the effects of SPB on CVA. A total of 59 participants were involved in this study. In a within-subject design, participants attended the lab five times, and realized SPB at six cycles per minute with different durations (5, 10, 15, and 20 min), as well as a control condition without SPB. CVA was indexed via the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD). During SPB, findings showed an increase in RMSSD in all conditions compared to the control condition. However, no differences were found in RMSSD among the different session durations, during SPB or during the resting measurement completed immediately after SPB. Noteworthily, session duration showed an influence on the spontaneous respiratory frequency in the resting measurement occurring immediately after SPB. Specifically, respiratory frequency appears to decrease with session duration, thus potentially contributing to additional relaxing effects.

Volitional Yoga Breathing Influences Attention and Anxiety: An Exploratory Randomized Crossover Study

Background: Previous studies assessed yoga breathing practices individually. This exploratory, randomized crossover study assessed attention and anxiety following four yoga breathing practices, breath awareness, and quiet seated rest. Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight male volunteers between 20 and 37 years (group mean age ± SD; 24.08 ± 4.01 years) were assessed in six sessions in random order (www.randomizer.org) on separate days. The sessions were: (i) alternate nostril yoga breathing, (ii) bellows yoga breathing, (iii) bumblebee yoga breathing, (iv) high-frequency yoga breathing, (v) breath awareness, and (vi) quiet seated rest. The sessions were for 18 min each. Six letter cancellation test (SLCT) and Spielberger’s State Trait Anxiety Inventory-state (STAI-s) were administered pre and post each session. Data analysis used general linear mixed model analysis, with fixed effect of states (pre and post) and sessions. Results: A significant main effect of states was observed on total attempted (F_1,407 = 5.374, p = 0.021) and net attempted scores (F_1,407 = 6.178, p = 0.013) of the SLCT, with a significant increase in scores following high-frequency yoga breathing (p_adj = 0.031 for total attempted scores; p_adj = 0.029 for net attempted scores). Also, a significant main effect of states on STAI-s scores was observed (F_1,407 = 33.979, p < 0.001), with a significant decrease in scores following alternate nostril yoga breathing (p_adj = 0.001), bellows yoga breathing (p_adj = 0.008), bumblebee yoga breathing (p_adj = 0.002), and high-frequency yoga breathing (p_adj = 0.042) compared to the corresponding pre state. There was a significant main effect of sessions (F_5,407 = 3.043, p = 0.010) on STAI-s scores, with scores post alternate nostril yoga breathing significantly lower than post breath awareness (p_adj = 0.037). Conclusion: Following high-frequency yoga breathing sustained attention was better than before while state anxiety decreased in post-pre comparisons of alternate nostril yoga breathing, bellows yoga breathing, bumblebee yoga breathing, and high-frequency yoga breathing. The differences between breathing practices may be due to differences in degree of volitional regulation of breathing and in the breath patterns modified volitionally. The generalizability of the findings was limited by including an all male, yoga experienced sample. Future research should include participants of both genders and could include different levels of yoga experience, with assessments including objective measures of attention and anxiety.

Taking a few deep breaths significantly reduces children's physiological arousal in everyday settings: Results of a preregistered video intervention.

This preregistered, randomized field experiment tested the effectiveness of a brief deep breathing intervention on children's concurrent physiological arousal in naturalistic settings (N=342; Mage =7.48 years; 46% female; 53% Asian, 26% White; 21% other race/ethnicity). The treatment consisted of an animated video that introduced deep breathing as a self-regulation strategy and scaffolded the child in taking a few slow-paced breaths, while the control group watched an informational video featuring similar animated images. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and heart rate (HR) were measured while children were sitting still (baseline) and subsequently while watching 1-min videos. Relative to baseline arousal, RSA increased and HR decreased only in response to the deep-breathing treatment video. Effects were larger in the second 30-s epoch of the video, which included most of the deep breathing practice. RSA fully mediated the intervention's effects on HR. By analyzing all children exposed to intervention video regardless of their engagement in the deep breathing practice (intention-to-treat design) and by using easily scalable treatment videos, the study identifies an effective and pragmatic approach to reducing children's physiological arousal in everyday, group settings. Implications for advancing applied developmental psychophysiological research are discussed.