A Key to Health
Breathing seems so simple, how could it possibly have such a profound effect on the body? As Jill Miller describes in her book, Body by Breath, our breathing holds the keys to the kingdom of our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).
The ANS controls the automatic processes of the body like respiratory rate, heart rhythms, brain waves, digestion response, and hormone processes. It runs on autopilot without conscious effort.
And this is where the beauty of breathing enters. Breathing does have a “manual mode” where we can override the system and make consciously controlled changes. We can adapt our breathing and therefore unlock and influence the functions of our Autonomic Nervous System.
Breathing rate has a direct impact on heart rate. Heart rate changes will activate the baroreceptor reflex from sensors in the aortic arch of the heart and carotid sinuses in the neck. These special sensors send signals via the vagus nerve up to brainstem which processes the information and sends a signals back to the heart via the vagus nerve yet again. The vagus nerve improves healthy heart rhythms.
In summary, the breath influences the heart, which talks to brain, and sends more information back to heart. The heart then beats in rhythm which communicates to many body systems via chemical, mechanical, and electromagnetic messages.
In the clinic we use sensors that record heart rhythms to assess metrics of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) that are optimized by resonant breathing rates. HRV may also be recorded on your personal fitness tracker! This measurement is great insight for overall health and fitness of the body. A low HRV can indicate overall system stress, while a high HRV can predict longevity and fitness.
Breath Beads gives you a no-tech tool to practice resonant slow breathing, anytime and anywhere, to optimize your HRV and improve wellness. We give you a key to your health around your hand.
Learn more about about using Breath Beads
