The Calming Breath

My TMS coach is also a pain specialist - she practices a wide variety (all inter related) of modalities of approaches to TMS or neuroplastic symptoms, and every few months writes a great blog post relating to some new tidbit she has found or to her own experiences as an athlete.
This month she discusses heart rate variability in both overall health and related to people with chronic pain and symptoms.
The basic gist of it all is that 20 minutes of protracted exhale breathing stimulates both healthy heart rate variability and calms the nervous system.

Not a meditator? Somatic tracking not your thing? Morning or evening anxiety one of your symptoms? Need to calm that busy mind?

Just sit for 20 minutes and focus on exhales longer than your inhale.

Here's Jessica's blog. She is certified with Pain Reprocessing and has studied under Lorimer Mosley and Dr. Schubiner https://www.thepfathlete.com/blog (The Pain Free Athlete)

 

To my experience, even only 5 minutes of breathing affects HRV for a limited time, its incredible really. And 20 minutes of breathing makes a significant change on my daily overall, and it increases my HRV during my sleep too.

It’s very surprising, although it’s well backed with science, no doctor has ever mentioned breathing to me as a healing practice.

 

of course not, it's free!