The above bar chart tells a story of our increasing breathing rate. Today, our “normal” breathing rate, depending on who you quote, can be up to 20 breaths

per minute.

Why this increase?

Back in the 20’s and 30’s, life was very different. One would read the newspaper once with no constant “news update” on phones. To find out information, one would need to call someone (and pay for the phone call) or go to the library to find the answer. There was no Google then. If one wanted to write to a friend, one would have to physically write the letter, then go to the post office to post it. To find out what friends and family members are doing, one would receive letters that would come once a day or less.

Your Nervous System

As we can see, we are living in a faster-paced world. What this does to our Autonomic Nervous System, or ANS (which is totally unconscious) is that we are constantly activating the Fight or Flight branch of our ANS, the Sympathetic Nervous System, or SNS, while the Rest and Digest branch of our ANS, the Parasympathetic Nervous System, or PNS, is not activated as much.

If you liken the SNS to the accelerator, then the PNS is the brake. Scientists say that the most efficient way to apply this brake is through functional breathing. In fact, the healthiest breathing rate is only 6 breaths per minute.

This is what is called "Cardiac Coherence Breathing".

Scientists find that at around 6 breaths per minute, not only do you calm your nervous system, it will also improve both your physical and mental health.

Unfortunately, breathing teachings are riddled with misinformation that is not based on science, including the common “in with the nose and out with the mouth”. Because many people today have dysfunctional breathing, their breathing first needs to be retrained before disciplines like mindfulness can be of benefit. This is why some people simply cannot practice mindfulness.

It is now known that breathing dysfunction is often the culprit for anxiety problems and that by retraining your breathing, such as with the Buteyko technique, you can overcome anxieties.

You can download the Buteyko app and start training.

Or call EASA and ask for a breathing coach to get you on the right path for bettering your physical and mental health.

(Buteyko, 2006)

(Rakhimov, 2021); The Breathing Cure by Patrick McKeown