BREATHING AND THE BRAIN By D. J. Hazledine, Jr., PD Part One Go to latest article.

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This month we are going to look at some very interesting breathing techniques that take advantage of our cybernetic loop (nervous system communication mechanism). What is so fascinating about the cybernetic loop is that nerve impulses travel both directions, from the mind to the body and the reverse, from the body to the mind.

Our brain is divided into two hemispheres, left and right. From about the eyes on down, the right hemisphere controls the right side of the body. This relationship is demonstrated in stroke victims. The hemisphere in which the blockage is located and how deep it is in the brain will determine what functions are affected and on what side of the body.

For every internal mental state there is a corresponding physiological state. You can take advantage of the cybernetic loop and by using body posture, eye movement, motion and breathing to influence, change or maintain your desired mental state. For e4xample, if you were to breathe very rapidly and shallow (try It) for a time, after several minutes you would begin to feel anxious and edgy. Then if I asked you to take deep slow breaths, making the exhalation twice as long as the inhale, you would begin to feel that anxious feeling slowly dissipate. Why? Because of the pairing of the physiological response with the internal mental state and metabolic changes taking place.

When you stated to breathe rapidly and shallow your brain began to send out messages. Attention all parts! We are in a highly aroused state, prepare for action! Release adrenaline! Shunt blood away from the digestive tract to the muscles! Dilate the pupils-we need to see what’s going on! Increase heart rate! Contract blood vessels in the skin - if we’re injuD90000 we won’t lose so much blood! . . . I think you get the idea.

Our nervous system seems to be an all or nothing mechanism, it fires or it doesn’t. This is why you have this kind of reaction to things that are not a physical threat to you. i.e., you are asked to speak before a group, your boss wants to talk you, you are meeting your future relatives, the list is endless. It seems we are a modern being that is stuck with a prehistoric nervous system. Seldom in this day and age is it appropriate to fight or take flight in response to the stressors we encounter in every day life or competition. These responses can be managed to lessen wear and tear on our minds and bodies and allow us to perform at a higher level.

Next, we’ll go into more of the workings of the brain.

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