The neuroscience of breathing techniques
There’s a reason we don’t spend a lot of time thinking about breathing. It’s an automatic process driven by the oldest and most primitive part of the brain: the brainstem. More specifically, breathing is controlled by the medulla oblongata, which is a smaller region within the brainstem. These structures are common in all mammals, but humans are the only ones who can control their respiration (although there is some evidence that apes may be able to do this as well. The data is still filtering in).
We know that the way we breathe matters. In sport, there’s a growing interest in teaching athletes how to breathe most effectively and efficiently, since the breath has a direct impact on performance. In our day-to-day lives, the breath is intimately tied to cognition (how the brain functions), so we might as well pay some attention to it.
Speaking of paying attention . . . the act of watching the breath, without controlling it, has its own, pretty remarkable effect on the brain. Attention to breath (or ATB, because scientists love acronyms) decreases activation of the amygdala, which is involved with fear processing and memory. ATB also strengthens the connection between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, which may suggest a healthier interaction between how the brain experiences fearful stimuli and then communicates with the action-oriented prefrontal cortex. Another study found that people who practiced ATB were better able to control unwanted thoughts compared with those who consciously paid attention to those thoughts. The lesson here is that there’s tremendous value in simply noticing your breath.
But, let’s explore some of the data behind controlling the breath as well. Breathing techniques have been passed down through the 5,000-plus year old practice of yoga and just now is modern science beginning to catch up. There are several ways breathing can affect the brain, and it usually boils down to the type of breathing practice used. Nasal breathing synchronizes activity in the piriform cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus, which has a positive effect on cognition. Interestingly, this synchrony is not achieved with mouth breathing. In addition, an increase in breathing rate is correlated with activity in the amygdala when we’re anxious or fearful. This explains why it’s important to consciously slow the breath when we’re experiencing anxiety. In fact, one study showed that slow breathing through the nostrils reduced anxiety levels 5-fold compared with normal breathing. Lastly, researchers found that bhramari pranayama, a particular breathing technique where you produce a buzzing sound with your vocal chords while exhaling through your nose, decreases reaction time to certain tasks.
Clearly, there’s a relationship between the breath, emotions, and cognition. Future research will elucidate so much more, but for the time being, we can appreciate, practice, and benefit from the ancient practice of pranayama.