Breathing again

[secondtry]

I recently posted about breathing but forgot to mention one aspect I find particularly interesting. Evidently, breathing through your left nostril activates the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system (i.e. relaxes) and breathing through the right nostril the sympathetic branch (i.e. alerts).

I would be interested in anybody's experience. I have tried using just the left nostril during the day and night (to get back to sleep) and it seems to work well. It can potentially work for any situation where anxiety occurs. With more confirmations, I may mention it to my daughter who's 9yo son has mild autism to help him get over stressful situations more easily.

Method: I simply block the right nostril, breath in, release right nostril, hold breath in for a couple of seconds and breath out through both nostrils.... repeat 3 times.

[meadfoot]

Well worth a try, i am going to try it now, thanks.

[wilsond]

I will definitely give it a go thank you

[Jonathan_C]

Have you read "The Oxygen Advantage" - he discusses the parasympathetic system a lot and I haven't seen this explanation - but that doesn't mean what you say isn't true.

I think blocking one nostril and forcing (I don't mean aggressively so) yourself to breath through just that one nostril will trigger reactions/systems that will calm you down - especially if you focus on breathing as little as you can (as little volume as you can).

So - I think go for it, but don't over think it....but only breath through the nose

[secondtry in reply to Jonathan_C]

I've read/seen a lot on breathing over the last 12 months and unfortunately can't remember whether it was Patrick McKewan (Oxygen Advantage) or another that mentioned this suggestion. With all lifestyle changes provided you accept there are lots of dead ends and if it causes no downsides, I will always try it.

[mirtilla]

This is the Nadi Shodana breathing method in Yoga. You can find it in Wikipedia. There is some scientific research on it in Pubmed as Alternate Nostril Breathing. It works for me, sometimes stopping a PAF episode, but not always.

[secondtry in reply to mirtilla]

Thanks for the info, I have thought for some time I should be doing more Yoga.

[Silvasava]

Hatha yoga has a number of different breathing exercises. All of them are very calming and beneficial to the system. Nadi Shodana is one of them as Mirtilla says.

[Tryfan]

There is a method called alternate breathing. Hard to explain but there are YouTube videos. Find it helpful.

[secondtry in reply to Tryfan]

Thanks will check it out.

[Auriculaire]

Thanks - I am going to try this for insomnia.

[lawrencesmith667]

Why the diapragm should not move up and down when breathing.

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[secondtry in reply to lawrencesmith667]

Yes I understand you have to breathe in slow, light and deep.

[Idahohorse]

I tried breathing through the left nostril and it helped getting to sleep but having to sleep with a full face apnea mask makes the process difficult.

[secondtry in reply to Idahohorse]

I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea about 3 years ago and prescribed myself a thumbnail piece of myotape.com across the middle of my lips to ensure nose breathing whilst asleep and I think it helps.

[lawrencesmith667]

Deep? The diaphragm it suspended from the upper spine by the phreno-pericardial ligaments. It's job is to lift the ribs, not descend into the belly. Look at the diagram on my page.

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[Jajarunner]

There is a yogic breathing method which does this, I think x