Breathing is necessary for life, but did you know that you can harness the power of your breath to improve your mood and stress levels? Structured breath control or breathwork techniques are part of many yogic exercises, so we know that centuries of people have been experiencing the benefits of breath control. By consciously controlling our breath, we can activate the body’s natural relaxation response and bring ourselves into a state of calm focus.
One expert who has highlighted the benefits of breathwork practices is Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford University. Dr. Huberman’s lab recently published a study comparing the efficacy of various breathwork practices to mindfulness meditation over one month [1]. The researchers wanted to study mindful meditation, a passive observation of the breath, compared to breathwork techniques, which actively control the breath. The distinction between passive observation and active control of breath is important because the researchers believe that controlling the breath pulls several “levers” related to regulating stress and anxiety. One key mechanism thought to be beneficial to stress and anxiety management relates to putting the person into the driver’s seat on a necessary and life-sustaining action that the body does without thought. They tested several breathwork techniques, including cyclic sighing, box breathing, and cyclic hyperventilation. Participants performed their breathwork or mindfulness meditation for only 5 minutes daily.
The great news from this study is that both groups (the mindfulness meditation group and the breathwork group) improved their mood and anxiety levels. Also, the longer the study participants performed the meditation or breathwork, the better their results became. Cyclic sighing rose to the top as the superior choice for improving mood and reducing respiratory rate. However, incorporating any type of breathwork or meditation practice into your daily routine seems to be a no-brainer if you’d like to improve your mood.
How to Incorporate Mindful Meditation
In the study, participants were asked to sit in a chair or lie down (depending on their preference) and set a timer for 5 minutes. Then they were asked to close their eyes and start breathing while focusing their attention on the area between their eyes. They were told that if their focus drifted from that location, they should re-center their attention by focusing back on their breath (first) and then on the region between their eyes. They were told to recognize thoughts that arise as expected/normal, then to refocus their attention back to their forehead region, and region and continue the practice until 5 minutes have elapsed.
READ MORE: 5 SCIENCE-BACKED HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA
How to Practice Cyclic Sighing
In the study, participants were asked to sit in a chair or lie down (depending on their preference) and set a timer for 5 minutes. Then they were told to inhale slowly and that once their lungs were expanded, to take another inhale to maximally fill their lungs. Then, they were told to slowly and fully exhale all their breath. They repeated this pattern of breathing until their 5-minute timer went off. They were also informed that, ideally, both inhales would come in through their nose and the exhale would go out through their mouth, but that if they preferred, they could do the breathing entirely through their nose. After 5 minutes, they were told to return to normal breathing.
How to Improve Mood in Just 5 Minutes Per Day
We usually associate sighing with aggravation or stress. Still, maybe a big sigh is your body’s subconscious way of helping you to remove stress, and you just need to lean into it a bit further by incorporating an intentional breathwork practice into your wellness routine. Breathwork and mindfulness meditation practices can be powerful tools for regulating mood and reducing stress. Integrating these techniques into your daily routine and paying attention to your breath throughout the day can activate the body’s relaxation response and improve your overall health and well-being. This exciting research and recommendations provide a valuable resource for anyone looking to incorporate these practices into their life. The best part is that it works in just 5 minutes, and the last time I checked, breathing is free!
References
[1] Balban, M. Y., Neri, E., Kogon, M. M., Weed, L., Nouriani, B., Jo, B., Holl, G., Zeitzer, J. M., Spiegel, D., & Huberman, A. D. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell reports. Medicine, 4(1), 100895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100895
