Breath as a Cognitive Tool

Most of us know that breathing can help slow down the sympathetic nervous system and help us feel calmer by taking several deep breaths when stress creeps up on us, but a recent study finds that the power of the breath extends much further. Harnessing the power of breath as a cognitive tool offers a path to sharpened focus, reduced stress, and enhanced mental clarity.

                Breathing influences brain functions much closer than previously believed.  Even the distinction between inhaling and exhaling exerts different results on the brain.  Inhalation heightens attention to surroundings, while exhalation enhances focus by reducing external stimuli, aiding in cognitive tasks. The brain’s sensitivity to breath rhythm, often utilized instinctively for focused tasks like aiming, highlights its intricate relationship with breathing.

Breath and Brain Connection

                During yoga and meditative states of mind, people have also used breath to calm and center emotions. In the past, researchers have noted that a lack of active breath control correlates with physical reasons for not taking deep breaths and increased poor mental health. The researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark have identified three neural pathways that connect the brain and breath. 

                They noted that the brain fires more at different points of the breathing rhythm and are currently working towards studies that further explain how breath is tied to cognitive performance and emotional health.  Harnessing breath rhythms maximizes brain power, offering accessible cognitive enhancement through a mindful approach to breathing techniques.

Further Reading

Micah Allen, Somogy Varga, Detlef H. Heck. Respiratory rhythms of the predictive mind.. Psychological Review, 2022; DOI: 10.1037/rev0000391

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