The Science of Breath
written by Matt Ellison, DPT, CSCS, Via Physical Therapy
Ever had a really rough week - sleeping poorly, too much on the plate at work, eating whatever you can grab between appointments - and just felt entirely out of sorts by the end of it? Maybe you even wound up catching a cold or getting sick. We’ve all had these weeks and we all can feel that too much stress, or stress for too long, is bad for us. Turns out there’s more to this than just a feeling - there is lots of research exploring the effects of stress on our bodies. Thankfully, and more to the point of this post, there is also lots of research demonstrating the powerful effects of breathing practice and yoga specifically on reducing stress and the fallout from stress on our personal ecosystem.
The cumulative effects of daily life, major life events, and health-damaging behaviors (poor sleep, circadian disruption, lack of exercise, smoking, excessive alcohol, and unhealthy eating) comprise the physiological stressors that researchers have termed allostatic load. When we no longer have adequate coping mechanisms to counteract these environmental stressors, the body can reach a point of allostatic overload. This can lead to decreased activity of certain neurotransmitters and increased sympathetic nervous system activity - the portion of our autonomic nervous system responsible for the fight or flight response. Allostatic load has been positively correlated with heightened risk of developing chronic health conditions including inflammatory disorders, cardiovascular pathology, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.
All of this can seem scary and threatening, but it’s important to remember that allostatic overload occurs only when our coping or buffering systems become overwhelmed. Breathing practice has proven to be a powerful tool to build up our buffering systems and counteract the effects of allostatic load. Research has demonstrated that slow breathing techniques can enhance cerebral, psychological, and autonomic flexibility. This has been linked with increased release of the specific neurotransmitters that decrease with allostatic load, as well as increased activation of the parasympathetic nervous system - the portion of our autonomic nervous system that helps the body relax.
As anyone who is probably reading this can attest, yoga is a fantastic way to focus on intentional breathing practice - and many researchers have found specific benefits of yoga practice. For example, one study found that a combination of pose practice (asana), breathing exercises (pranayama), and meditation (dyana) helped reduce stress related biomarkers like cortisol, blood pressure, and lipid levels. Two other studies found that yoga reduced depression and anxiety in pregnant women and had beneficial effects on depression outcomes in patients with major depressive disorder. A separate MRI study found yoga practice was associated with higher neurotransmitter levels in patients with major depressive disorder. These are just a few of numerous studies highlighting the impressive ways in which yoga seems to directly counteract some of the symptoms of stress related pathology.
While making the time for intentional breathing practice or making it to yoga can be a big challenge during stressful periods, it is precisely when we are most overwhelmed that taking time for breath can be most beneficial. Adding an element of breathing practice to the daily or weekly routine when we have lots of bandwidth can be a great way to build a positive habit that serves us well when we are overburdened, so that even when times are tough we can always center on our breath.
Questions? Shoot me an email at matt@viaptmadison.com or check out my website.
To learn more about yoga and breath, register for Inner Fire Yoga’s upcoming workshop with Ken Kloes: The Power of Breath – Sunday, Nov. 3, 11am at the East studio!