Friday Q A Breath Practices that Stimulate or Invigorate

Ladders Cross the Blue Sky in a Wheel of Fire by Joan Miro*

One of our readers left a question on my post How Your Breath Affects Your Nervous System.

Q: I am teaching a Pranayama workshop and linking it to Brain Physiology. I checked this article and I am confused. According to your article, inhalation stimulates the SNS (sympathetic nervous system) and exhalation triggers PNS (parasympathetic nervous system). Is this your personal experience or are you pretty sure about this correlation because I did not find this in any Yoga textbooks or articles.

Just think about Kapalabhati Pranayama: The inhalation is very passive and exhalation is very forceful. If your correlation is true, at the end of Kapalabhati pranayama, you need to feel more relaxed and calm (exhalation-PNS). But this is not what we typically experience. The nature of Kapalabhati pranayama is such that it makes an individual more active, there is more heat generated in mind and body and it awakens an individual from stupor. I guess this is due to activation of SNS. So this would be contradictory to what you mentioned. What is the correct explanation?

A: I love it when my readers take some aspect of the practice of yoga and begin to look a little deeper! I just reread my post How Your Breath Affects Your Nervous System on the effect of the length of the inhalation/exhalation (like a five-minute pranayama practice of one second inhalation and two second exhalation, for example) over time and the indirect influence it has on the brain and the “tone” of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The length of your inhalation and/or exhalation influences your heart rate (cardiovascular system) by slowing or speeding it up, which then has a feedback effect on your brain’s perception of safety or danger, activity or rest, and may then shift the overall balance of your sympathetic/parasympathetic tone in one direction or the other. This assumes the person doing the pranayama does not have any other factors at play that might be more activating or quieting to their nervous system. For example, a new practitioner unfamiliar with breathing practices might be nervous and anxious about getting the practice right, and a breath ratio, such as 1:2, that might normally turn on the parasympathetic parts of the the ANS could be overridden by the background mindset of the person practicing it and actually stimulate the sympathetic nervous system instead.

In fact, the Autonomic Nervous System is by no way a simple system of the Fight or Flight response (sympathetic nervous system) being turned on and the Rest and Digest response (parasympathetic) being turned off, or vice versa. The ANS is much more subtle and nuanced than that. Why, just this past week, anatomy teacher and yogi Leslie Kaminoff’s colleague Amy Matthews wonderfully articulated this concept in this video clip.

As for the other kinds of breath practices our reader mentions, such as Kapalabhati pranayama, where the practitioner is quickly exhaling audibly, and quietly and more passively allowing the inhale to happen, and doing so at a pace that can be slower at first for newer practitioners or much faster in pace for more experienced practitioners, the typical effect is more stimulating for the ANS. 

This means that for most people doing the practice, the sympathetic nervous system is likely going to be stimulated more. Even here, I could argue that the inhale/exhale length effects described above for slower kinds of pranayama techniques might still have an effect: the exhalation is short and quick, and the inhalation, which is not as audible as the exhalation, is probably a little longer in length than the exhalation. Done over several minutes, this could support the increase in stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. In addition, the abdominal muscles are actively contracting to assist in the that quick exhalation, so you are asking your body to “work” more, which also will likely stimulate the sympathetic system a bit more.

This would be true also for Bastrika pranayama, where both the inhalation and exhalation are quick and audible. 

In Bastrika, the length of the inhalation and exhalation are about the same, so you would not see the same influence of the length of the inhalation relative to exhalation that you do in Kapalabhati or the 1:2 ratio example I gave before. But because your abdominal muscles are so actively assisting the process, it is going to be more stimulating than quieting to your nervous system.

In all of this, keep in mind that it is not a simple formula of “this leads to that.” You will need to consider many factors when anticipating the effect that any particular breath practice might have, and, after practicing, also assess for yourself whether your predicted effect, either stimulating or quieting, really played out in the end!

—Baxter

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Causes of Bad Breath !

[Extracted from Medicine.Net.Com]

Bad breath, medically called halitosis, can result from poor oral hygiene habits and may be a sign of other health problems. Bad breath can also be made worse by the types of foods you eat and other unhealthy lifestyle habits.

How Does What You Eat Affect Breath ?

Basically, all the food you eat begins to be broken down in your mouth. As foods are digested and absorbed into your bloodstream, they are eventually carried to your lungs and given off in your breath. If you eat foods with strong odors (such as, garlic or onions), brushing and flossing - even mouthwash - merely covers up the odor temporarily. The odor will not go away completely until the foods have passed through your body.

Why Do Poor Habits Cause Bad Breath ?

If you don't brush and floss your teeth daily, food particles can remain in your mouth, which promotes bacteria growth between teeth, around the gums, and on the tongue. This causes bad breath. In addition, odor-causing bacteria and food particles can cause bad breath if dentures are not properly cleaned.

Smoking or chewing tobacco-based products can also cause bad breath, stain teeth, reduce your ability to taste foods, and irritate gum tissues.

What Health Problems Are Associated With Bad Breath ?

Persistent bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth may be warning signs of gum disease. Gum disease is caused by the buildup of plaque on teeth. The bacteria cause toxins to form in the mouth, which irritate the gums. If periodontal disease continues untreated, it can damage the gums and jawbone.

Other dental causes of bad breath include poorly fitting dental appliances, yeast infections of the mouth and dental caries.

The medical condition dry mouth (also called xerostomia) can also cause bad breath. Saliva is necessary to moisten and cleanse the mouth by neutralizing acids produced by plaque and washing away dead cells that accumulate on the tongue, gums, and cheeks. If not removed, these cells decompose and can cause bad breath. Dry mouth may be caused by the side effects of various medications, salivary gland problems, or continuous breathing through the mouth.

Many other diseases and illnesses may cause bad breath. Here are some to be aware of: respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis, chronic sinus infections, postnasal drip, diabetes, chronic acid reflux, liver or kidney problems.

What Can I Do to Prevent Bad Breath ?

Bad breath can be reduced or prevented if you :

1. Practice good oral hygiene. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to remove food debris and plaque. Brush your teeth after you eat (keep a toothbrush at work or school to brush after lunch). Don't forget to brush your tongue, too. Replace your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months. Use floss or an interdental cleaner to remove food particles and plaque between your teeth once a day. Dentures should be removed at night and cleaned thoroughly before being placed in your mouth the next morning.

2. See your dentist regularly - at least twice a year. He or she will conduct an oral examination and professional teeth cleaning and will be able detect and treat periodontal disease, dry mouth, or other problems that may be the cause of bad mouth odor.

3. Stop smoking/chewing tobacco-based products. Ask your dentist for tips on kicking the habit.

4. Drink lots of water. This will keep your mouth moist. Chewing gum (preferably sugarless) or sucking on candy (preferably sugarless) also stimulates the production of saliva, which helps wash away food particles and bacteria.

5. Keep a log of the foods you eat. If you think the foods that you eat may be causing your bad breath, record what you eat so that you can determine which foods may be contributing to the problem. Bring the log to your dentist to review. Similarly, make a list of the medications you take. Some medications may play a role in creating mouth odors.

Who Treats Bad Breath ?

In most cases, your dentist can treat the cause of bad breath. If your dentist determines that your mouth is healthy and that the odor is not of oral origin, you may be referred to your family doctor or to a specialist to determine the odor source and treatment plan. If the odor is due to gum disease, for example, your dentist can either treat the disease or refer you to a periodontist, a dentist who specializes in treating gum conditions.

What Products Can I Use to Eliminate Bad Breath ?

You can buy a number of mouthwashes over-the-counter that claim to eliminate bad breath. However, keep in mind that many of these mouthwashes generally provide only a temporary way to mask unpleasant mouth odor. There are, however, several antiseptic mouth-rinse products available that instead of simply masking breath odor kill the germs that cause bad breath. Ask your dentist about which product is best for you.