HHP Foundation

The Exchange Breathing Method for Seizure Intervention: A Historical and Scientific Review of Epilepsy and Its Evolving Therapeutic Paradigms — “Epilepsy is one of the most ancient and enigmatic neurological disorders, affecting approximately 50 million people worldwide. Characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures, epilepsy encompasses a broad spectrum of manifestations ranging from brief lapses in awareness to full-body convulsions and presents significant challenges in diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management. Despite advances in pharmacological therapy, surgical interventions, and neurostimulation techniques, a considerable percentage of patients remain pharmacoresistant, and many treatments carry substantial side effects or limitations. As such, the search for alternative, safe, and effective seizure interventions remains a critical pursuit in modern neuroscience and medicine. In this context, a novel, non-invasive method has emerged from an unexpected source: the observations of a British mother, Gemma Herbertson. Herbertson, whose young son suffered up to 30 seizures per day, discovered that she could immediately stop his seizures by breathing into his nose—covering his nostrils with her mouth and gently blowing her breath into his nostrils. Remarkably, this simple act of respiratory intervention appeared to consistently interrupt the seizure activity. Naming her technique the Exchange Breathing Method (EBM), Herbertson began sharing her discovery informally with friends, relatives, and eventually a growing international community. Today, her private support and testimonial group comprises thousands of users across diverse geographic and clinical backgrounds, many of whom report similar positive outcomes with the EBM.” — Link in our bio to article at https://linktr.ee/hhpfoundation & here https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12387200/ — #HHPFoundation #Breathe #breath #exchangebreathing #epilepsy

Know Your Nose: A Narrative Review of the Developmental and Functional Impact and Importance of the Nose, Nasal Breathing and Techniques on Health and Emotional Wellbeing — “Scientific advances in recent decades have shed light on the significance of nasal breathing and the role of the nose, revealing its involvement across a spectrum of domains. Deep breathing techniques, especially nasal breathing, have garnered attention for their putative impact on stress reduction and relaxation, and have become almost mainstream in medical communities under the umbrella of alternative and complementary medicine, as well as in mind–body practices in popular culture. Notably, many of these practices have been preserved and transmitted across centuries through contemplative traditions. In the breathing practices of Eastern cultures such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Kabbalah in Judaism , and Tamarkoz in Islamic Sufism nasal breathing has been integral, where it is used with the aim of attaining higher levels of spiritual consciousness. These phenomenological experiences, as described by practitioners, may correspond to measurable physiological changes such as altered Default Mode Network (DMN) activity and interoceptive awareness, and increased parasympathetic tone. In the following text, we provide an interdisciplinary discussion of the wide-reaching, discipline-spanning significance that nasal breathing holds. These topics include evolutionary accounts of the structure and function of the nose and sinuses and their relevance to nasal breathing; nasal breathing’s associations with morphological and autonomic nervous system development; its immunological functions; its role in olfaction; its neurological and psychological effects; its relationship to consciousness; and its place in ancient spiritual practices.” — Link in our bio to article at https://linktr.ee/hhpfoundation & here https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13023532/ — #HHPFoundation #Breathe #breath #nasalbreathing#slowbreathing

This is our latest breathing science study, authored by Tanya Bentley PhD @tanyabentley Gina M. D’Andrea-Penna PhD @gdpenna & Emily Hightower @_emily_hightower_ . It is available to read and download through the link in our IG bio and our Health and Human Performance Foundation website, at hhp-foundation.org. Thank you for following, donating to us and supporting the mission of the Health & Human Performance Foundation! — “This case study demonstrates the potential value of slow diaphragmatic breathing as a simple, accessible, no-cost approach to migraine treatment and prevention. The patient suffered a decades-long burden of migraines, which became daily and debilitating in the five years preceding the intervention described here. A regular 10 min breathing practice with brief breath holds and extended exhales provided immediate relief and virtually eliminated her migraines, with only two mild ones reported at 12-month follow-up. This breathing practice was always available to the patient and required no prescription or equipment, allowing her to take agency over her stress and symptoms in real time. The intervention taught the patient to notice her body’s signals and regulate her breathing, empowering her to tame her previously intractable stress response and, consequently, to eliminate not only migraines but also headache-anticipation anxiety.” — Link in our bio to article at /2571-841X/9/2/140 — #HHPFoundation #breathe #breath#migraine #slowbreathing

Deep Rest: An Integrative Model of How Contemplative Practices Combat Stress and Enhance the Body’s Restorative Capacity — “Spending too much time in the moderate threat arousal state likely harms long-term physical and mental health because threat arousal states are extremely energetically demanding. Threat states increase production of neuroendocrine factors—cortisol, sympathetically derived epinephrine and norepinephrine, and cytokines—which then activate gene expression and the production of proteins. While this is an evolutionarily adaptive response meant to support survival under threat, protein synthesis is one of the most energetically demanding cellular processes . Heart rate also speeds up during threat arousal to pump blood to the parts of the body that may need more oxygen and nutrients, like muscles . While evolutionarily adaptive for survival, each heartbeat is a high-energy demand . Heart rate is also subject to predictive regulation as it increases in preparation for a required action or potential response to a threat, another example of its energetic burden . In sum, an incredible amount of cellular energy is spent navigating states of moderate threat arousal, energy that could otherwise be used for other health-promoting biological processes such as cellular restoration, as described later. In addition to proposing that adults in the United States are spending the majority of their time in moderate threat states, we also hypothesize that the fourth allostatic state of deep rest is rarely achieved.” — Link in our bio to article at https://linktr.ee/hhpfoundation — #HHPFoundation #deeprest #allostaticload #breathe #breath

The Impact of Resonance Frequency Breathing on Measures of Heart Rate Variability, Blood Pressure, and Mood — “Heart rate and breathing synchronize, or become resonance, at about 6 breaths/min (0.1 Hz). Each person has a unique RF breathing rate, ranging typically between 4.5 and 7.0 breaths/min. In studies of HRV biofeedback, the most common RF breathing rate is 5.5 breaths/min. RF breathing rate is identified by having the person breathe at 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0 breaths/min during EKG recording. HRV frequency and time domain measures are then evaluated to find which breathing rate results in the largest changes in HRV. A common approach is to examine the low frequency (LF) range (0.05–0.14) of the HRV spectrum to find the largest frequency spike, which usually occurs at about 0.1 Hz. As people slow their breathing down and approach RF, HRV amplitude increases significantly. When a person breathes at their identified RF breathing rate, heart rate and breathing become synchronized and the highest levels of HRV are typically obtained.” — Link in our bio to this study https://linktr.ee/hhpfoundation — #HHPFoundation #Breath #Breathe #reasonancefrequencybreathing #hrv

High ventilation breathwork practices: An overview of their effects, mechanisms, and considerations for clinical applications | Guy Fincham — “All breathwork practices invariably require a controlled pattern of volitional breathing. However, large variations between breathing practice modalities and their underlying principles must be acknowledged. One key distinction is between slow breathing techniques, previously operationalised as < 10 breaths/min, versus fast breathing techniques, where the rate and/or depth of ventilation is increased – in other words, hyperventilation. Throughout this review, we will use the terminology and rubric of High Ventilation Breathwork (HVB) to define breathwork practices that employ increased ventilation, to align with both scientific and breathwork communities. In other words, breathwork practices that employ respiratory rates above the normal range are classed as HVB.” “Here, we review and describe the unique features of HVB, including its physiological effects and safety profile, to provide essential information to guide future research on its therapeutic mechanisms and clinical applications. As a note of caution, HVB is just one element of many holistic practices and rituals, and there is a risk that extracting one single component from these ancient practices may result in oversimplification of their multi-faceted aspects.” “HVB techniques are likely to have been used since ancient times for spiritual and healing purposes, and are described in the rituals and practices of many cultures including Inuit, Sufi, and Native American cultures. Though the origins of breathwork likely date back to over 10,000 years ago from being taught by shamans, perhaps the most well-known practices originate in the context of Yoga, exemplified by Pranayama. This translates as regulation of the vital energy or breath (where prana means vital energy or life force, and ayama means regulation or control). Variants include Kapalabhati pranayama (or ‘Skull Shining Breath’ in Sanskrit) and Bhastrika pranayama (‘Bellows Breath’).” — Link to study in our bio #HHPFoundation #Breath #breathe #HVB #highventilationbreathwork

Vagus activation by Cold Face Test reduces acute psychosocial stress responses | Scientific Reports @nature_the_journal — “One possibility of physiologically interfering with an acute stress reaction might be provided by applying a cold stimulus to the face (Cold Face Test, CFT) which activates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), leading to immediate heart rate decreases.” “Another, simpler approach for reliable vagal stimulation is presented by the diving response, a reflex present in all air-breathing vertebrates that is triggered by facial immersion in cold water. The excitation of the trigeminal nerve in the face, especially the ophthalmic and maxillary branch in the eye and forehead region, respectively, leads to stimulation of the vagus nerve through the trigeminal-vagal reflex arc. Diving response-induced parasympathetic activation causes bradycardia and reduces blood flow to the limbs, while mean arterial pressure is slowly increasing. A simplified and more unobtrusive way of triggering the diving response is given by the Cold Face Test (CFT) where a cold stimulus is applied to the face which also stimulates the trigeminal-vagal reflex arc in healthy individuals in a similar way as the diving response. Khurana and Wu showed that bradycardia onset occurs, on average, 5.6 s after the beginning of the stimulus. Peak bradycardia was reached after about 35.8 s with a heart rate decrease of (Mean ± SD). “Researchers have been using the CFT as a supportive measure in the diagnosis and research of neurological diseases affecting the autonomous nervous system. It was reported that patients with diabetes mellitus, brainstem stroke, multiple sclerosis, or Shy-Drager syndrome showed less bradycardia—or even slight tachycardia—in response to the CFT, compared to a control group. The CFT cannot only aid in the diagnosis of diseases that directly affect the ANS but it can also be used to address psychosocial scenarios.” — Link in our bio to this study & at https://linktr.ee/hhpfoundation — #HHPFoundation #mammaliandivereflex #divereflex #Breath #breathe

This was an interesting paper to breakdown with my fellow ambassadors @hhpfoundation 🧐 Ultimately, it gears toward alignment of other oxygen efficiency practices and gives even more reason to add routines like breathing techniques and meditation to improve your overall health 🌬️💖

Shared breath of joy enhances empathy through breathing synchronization | Nature — “When an observer mirrors another person’s bodily state—such as facial activity, cardiovascular changes, autonomic responses, and even respiration—they create a shared physiological condition. Such synchronization is believed to represent the bodily substrate that underlies empathic experience.“ “Emotional states and breathing have a close bidirectional relationship: fear and anxiety are typically accompanied by rapid, shallow breathing, whereas slow, deep breathing promotes pleasantness and comfort. Such changes in breathing are associated with activation of and interactions between higher limbic and frontal regions. Therefore, in addition to its homeostatic function, breathing reflects a person’s internal state and can serve as a measurable marker of emotion. In daily life, expressions related to breathing are often used to describe emotional experiences, such as “to catch one’s breath,” “breathtaking,” and “to take a breath.” Likewise, phrases such as “to be on the same wavelength” and “to be in sync with” describe the process of empathizing with others. These examples illustrate that breathing not only reflects emotion but also plays a role in communication and social connectedness.” — Link in our bio to this study https://linktr.ee/hhpfoundation #HHPFoundation #Breath #Breathe

Beyond 0.1 Hz: Distinct affective and cardiac responses to slow and super-slow-paced breathing | @josef.tatschl , Christian Rominger, Andreas R. Schwerdtfeger | @universityofgraz and @nawi.unigraz — “Breathing practices have gained significant attention in recent years as a simple, yet effective behavioral intervention aiding in psychophysiological functioning. The majority of research has focused on slow-paced breathing (SPB) at approximately 6 breaths per minute (i.e., 0.1 Hz), which has been shown to benefit mental well-being and physical health as well as athletic performance. SPB’s core feature is intentionally reducing one’s breathing rate, which, usually, is accompanied by increased tidal volume, while maintaining similar minute ventilation compared to “normal” resting respiratory rates. Such a breathing pattern induces acute increases in heart rate variability (HRV), reflecting oscillations in heart rate (HR). Precisely, SPB amplifies breathing driven inspiratory increases and expiratory decreases in HR, which is commonly described as respiratory sinus arrhythmia.” “Intriguingly, super-slow-paced breathing (SSPB) during contemplative practices such as Zazen meditation and certain forms of yogic breathing at 1 breath per minute, have been shown to significantly enhance cardiac oscillatory amplitude as well. Notably, SSPB at around 3–4 BPM has been shown to yield RespHRV levels even beyond those observed during 0.1 Hz breathing.” “Our findings indicate that SSPB induces higher RespHRV than the current “gold-standard” SPB paradigm. This effect was primarily elucidated by the peak-valley method–conversely to other HRV measures–highlighting its utility when evaluating RespHRV during varying breathing patterns. Our findings of SSPB yielding enhanced RespHRV extend evidence for the cardiorespiratory effects of 0.05 Hz breathing, as Bernardi et al. (1998) demonstrated that it acutely improved ventilation-perfusion ratio in chronic heart failure patients.” — Link in our bio to this study https://linktr.ee/hhpfoundation #HHPFoundation #Breath #Breathe #superslowbreathing #slowbreathing

Repost from Anders Olsson @consciousbreathing — At a breathing volume of six liters per minute, we only use about twenty-five percent of the oxygen we inhale. Therefore we exhale the remaining seventy-five percent. At the same time, the amount of carbon dioxide we exhale is about a hundred times higher than the amount we inhale. The oxygen travels around the blood bound to hemoglobin. At a normal breathing volume at rest, hemoglobin is already saturated with almost as much oxygen as it can, 96-98 percent. The oxygen saturation of hemoglobin is easily measured with a pulse oximeter attached to the finger or the ear. Over 95 percent is considered normal. When we already have such high oxygen saturation, and furthermore only use a quarter of the oxygen we breathe in, there is no purpose of breathing the 10-15 liters per minute that many of us do. Instead this over breathing, 2-3 times more than normal, gives an opposing effect, which imposes a heavy load on our body, much like eating 2-3 times more than normal. #hhpfoundation #breath #breathing #oxygen #CO2

Dynamic Interactions Between Musical, Cardiovascular, and Cerebral Rhythms in Humans | Circulation — “In the present study, we have found for the first time that music can synchronize cardiovascular variability as a result of listening to phrases at a frequency close to that of circulatory oscillations. This synchronization apparently occurs regardless of respiratory modulation, which suggests the possibility of a direct central entrainment.” “This study reveals several novel findings, which are potentially important for the therapeutic use of music and for understanding the underlying physiological mechanisms: (1) The cardiovascular (particularly skin vasomotion) and respiratory fluctuations mirrored the music profile, particularly if it contained a crescendo. (2) Specific music phrases (frequently at a rhythm of 6 cycles/min in famous arias by Verdi) can synchronize inherent cardiovascular rhythms, thus modulating cardiovascular control. This occurs regardless of respiratory modulation, which suggests the possibility of direct entrainment of such rhythms and allows us to speculate that some of the psychological and somatic effects of music could also be mediated by modulation or entrainment of these rhythms. (3) Musicians and nonmusicians showed similar qualitative responses, but musicians showed closer and faster cardiovascular and particularly respiratory modulation induced by the music. (4) Music induces predictable physiological cardiovascular changes even in the absence of conscious reactions, which suggests that these changes may “precede” the psychological appreciation.” — Link in our bio to this study https://linktr.ee/hhpfoundation #HHPFoundation #Breath #Breathe #nessundorma #autonomicnervoussystem