Breathing Exercise for Vagus Nerve Stimulation

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Your breath is intimately connected to the vagus nerve, a key player in the parasympathetic nervous system that helps regulate rest and relaxation responses in the body.

The connection between the breath and the vagus nerve is particularly interesting because the vagus nerve carries signals from the brain down to the body, as well as from the body up to the brain. This means that how you breathe can influence your brain and your thoughts, and vice versa.

When the vagus nerve is stimulated through deep breathing exercises, one of the ways you can tell is by checking for a phenomenon called respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). RSA is a natural variation in heart rate that occurs with each breath you take. When you inhale, your heart rate speeds up slightly, and when you exhale, it slows down.

During deep breathing exercises, this pattern of heart rate variability becomes more pronounced. You may notice that your heart rate becomes slower and more regular as you breathe deeply and evenly. You may also notice that you feel more relaxed and calm, as your body enters a state of rest and recovery.

Most deep breathing exercise can stimulate the vagus nerve, but I came across 2 studies where they had the patients breathe in a pattern that produce measurable vagus nerve stimulation.

The breathing pattern they used in the studies is 4-4-6-2

- inhale 4 seconds
- hold 4 seconds
- exhale 6 seconds
- hold 2 seconds

I hadn't heard of this breathing pattern before, so I was excited to try it.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

References:
Vagal Mediation of Low-Frequency Heart Rate Variability During Slow Yogic Breathing
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29771730/

Sudarshan Kriya yogic breathing in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and depression
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7984597_Sudarshan_Kriya_Yogic_Breathing_in_the_Treatment_of_Stress_Anxiety_and_Depression_Part_I-Neurophysiologic_Model