Breathing Techniques and Their Quick Effects on Body and Mind

People have long known that different breathing styles can change how we feel. A recent study looked at three types of yoga breathing and how they affect the heart, breathing rate, and mood. The study included 42 people, half men and half women, with an average age of 23. They had some experience with yoga breathing, around 43 months on average. The study tested five different breathing methods over separate days. These included bumblebee breathing, bellows breathing, high-frequency breathing, breath awareness, and quiet rest. Each session lasted 15 minutes. The study measured heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure, and breathing rate before, during, and after each session. Mood was checked before and after.Bumblebee breathing, which is slow and deep with shorter inhales than exhales, increased low-frequency heart rate variability. This suggests it might help relax the body. Bellows breathing, which is also deep but with longer inhales than exhales, increased the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), a sign of better heart rate control. High-frequency breathing, which is rapid and deep with longer inhales, decreased RMSSD, indicating it might not be as relaxing. Mood improved with bumblebee breathing, making people feel more pleasant and positive. Breath awareness also made people feel better, increasing pleasant moods and decreasing negative ones. Bumblebee and bellows breathing seemed to boost heart rate variability controlled by the vagus nerve, while high-frequency breathing reduced it. However, the study only looked at short-term effects and included people who already had yoga experience. So, the results might not apply to everyone or last long-term.