The connection between breathing and vagus nerve stimulation
Vagus nerve stimulation has positive effects on the body such as lowering heart rate and lowering stress.
Your breath is intimately connected to the vagus nerve, which helps regulate rest and relaxation responses in the body.
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 mental state, 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 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.
Breathing Exercises that can stimulate the vagus nerve
Most deep breathing exercises can stimulate the vagus nerve, but I came across 2 studies where a specific breathing pattern produced 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
So I created a guided breathing exercise to follow this 4-4-6-2 pattern.
It uses sound and animation to guide your breathing, making it easy to breathe at the right pace.
You can find the breathing exercise at the top of the page or watch on YouTube here: Breathing Exercise for Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Other breathing exercises for the vagus nerve
Other breathing exercises that can stimulate the vagus nerve are 4-7-8 breathing, 5-5 breathing, and even yawning.
The studies suggested that each person has their own unique breathing rate which produces the most vagus nerve stimulation.
If you want to customize the breathing pattern to find your own best breathing rate, try out my app “Pocket Breath Coach“.
Download for free: https://www.PocketBreathCoach.com
References
Vagal Mediation of Low-Frequency Heart Rate Variability During Slow Yogic Breathing
Sudarshan Kriya yogic breathing in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and depression
