The Effects Of Breathing On Your Brain

It’s no wonder the effects of your breathing on your brain are important, as it is one of the most important organs in our body. However, it is also one of the most sensitive. This is because it is subject to all body changes and thus is heavily influenced by all sorts of factors such as glucose levels, heart rate, and so on.

Breathing is the process by which we obtain oxygen and remove carbon dioxide through our lungs. Not only that, oxygen is essential for all reactions that allow us to live and function properly. So breathing is an automated mechanism; we usually do it unconsciously, without really knowing how. However, we can consciously control it.

In recent years, research has been conducted into the effects of your breathing on your brain. Using what they knew, scientists then developed some breathing techniques that can help improve your quality of life. Read on for more information.

What are the effects of breathing on your brain?

Breathing has been an important topic for many centuries, especially in the East. It is an important part of meditation techniques and disciplines such as yoga.

Until recently, the effects of breathing on the brain were more or less a mystery. Studies conducted at Stanford University show that the relationship between breathing and relaxation has a scientific basis based on brain mechanisms.

While it is true that deep breathing is great for dealing with stress or panic, the mechanism why this is so has not been known until now. The study revealed the existence of a special group of neurons in the brain.

This involves about 350 neurons (link in Spanish) scattered throughout the central nervous system. What makes them different from the rest is that they activate breathing much faster. This is important because these neurons stimulate other areas of the brain.

These areas relate to panic, sleep and stress. One of the effects of breathing on the brain is therefore directly related to such sensations.

What is the implication?

The effect of breathing on the brain helps us analyze the way we breathe and adapt it to every moment of our lives. As we mentioned above, slow, calm breathing reduces the activity of your neurons.

So we can reduce our stress and anxiety levels just by breathing properly. We can even deal with panic situations much more effectively. This is called controlled, rhythmic or deep breathing and the goal is to breathe with the diaphragm instead of the chest.

Conclusion

Like all body tissues in our body, the brain also needs oxygen to carry out its functions. However, the latest research shows that breathing has another effect on the brain.

It shows that there are certain neurons that activate more when we breathe faster. They relate to levels of stress and anxiety. So, as you can see, controlling your breathing is a weapon with which you can enter into the daily routine.

You need to learn to control your breathing and to do that you can enlist the help of people who are familiar with yoga and meditation, where knowing how to breathe is key.

The idea here is to be aware of the importance of your breath. You can also look at the way you breathe and try to practice it more intensively, deeper and more slowly. It could give you better control over your emotions.