We’re back with another installment in our Research Reveals Series, where we take a deep dive into research done by mental health experts, and bring you the high points in practical bite-sized pieces. This week we dove into a book called The Healing Power of the Breath: Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety, Enhance Concentration, and Balance Your Emotions, which is written by MDs Richard P. Brown and Patricia L. Gerbarg.

What’s the Big Deal About Breath? 

The authors of this book make the case that “breath practices enable us to fine-tune the stress response systems quickly whenever needed.” According to Brown and Gerbarg, studies show that engaging in mindful breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which you can think of as your body’s built-in mechanism to calm and heal you. Specifically, breathing slowly increases your heart rate variability (HRV). Higher heart variability is associated with “a more balanced and resilient stress-response system.” On the other hand, lower heart rate variability is associated with “anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress, attention deficit disorder, excess aggression, cardiovascular disease, and irritable bowel syndrome.”

In a nutshell, mindful breathing activates your body’s built-in stress buster.
And the best part? It’s simple, it’s easy, and it’s totally free. 

Coherent Breathing: What is It?  

For those desiring to become more resilient to stress, Drs. Brown and Gerbarg advise beginning with Coherent Breathing. As it turns out, scientific studies have shown that each one of us has an ideal breath rate somewhere between three and a half and six breaths per minute for adults. The goal is to use the same amount of time to breathe in as you use to breathe out. Evidently, this is a “sweet spot where the HRV is maximized and the electrical rhythms of the heart, lungs, and brain become synchronized.” 

Gerbarg and Brown point out that modern researchers refer to this as the “resonant rate.” You can picture it like the conductor of an orchestra bringing the violinist and the pianist and the trombonist into harmony with each other after they’ve gotten out of sync. In this analogy, you are the conductor, and the electrical rhythms of your heart, your lungs, and your brain are three different instruments that you can help synchronize! 

Coherent Breathing: How Do I Do It

To get started, Dr. Brown and Dr. Gerbarg advise breathing in through your nose with your eyes closed. Then, you’ll take your time to count slowly and silently to two as you breathe in and then slowly and silently to two as you breathe out. Then, you’ll repeat this, counting to three for both your inhale and your exhale. Next, you’ll move to four. For your final breath, you’ll count to five, and repeat this for four breaths.

So what are you waiting for?! 

You’ve got one more stress-management tool in your belt. Whether you’re feeling anxious in traffic, stressed out at the office, or on your last nerve at home, take a minute or two to give Coherent Breathing a try. Your body (and mind!) will thank you for it. 

Verified Reliable Sources for The Content in this Article:
• Richard P. Brown and Patricia L. Gerbarg, The Healing Power of the Breath: Simple Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety, Enhance Concentration, and Balance Your Emotions (Boston, MA: Trumpeter, 2012).
• Berkeley University: Greater Good Science Center
• Cleveland Clinic

Put It Into Practice

Looking for more “how to’s” as you develop your own stress-busting breath practice? Here are three exercises to get you started:

Body Scan Meditation
from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center

Mindful Breathing
from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center

Diaphragmatic Breathing
from Cleveland Clinic

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