Hyperventilating with deep breathing

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Natcrossley
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2020 3:45 pm

Hyperventilating with deep breathing

Post by Natcrossley »

Hi there,

I am wondering if anyone has any thoughts around hyperventilating during deep breathing, i understand by causing the CO2 concentration to be too low - which I think would be the case whilst relatively stationary during yin or just general when cued to “breath deeply, and our demand for energy is not huge - I wonder if you have any recommendations or experience with this. I sometimes find my heart racing whilst in stillness and I have a student that has reported similar - I wonder if the two are linked and whether there are any recommendations? Perhaps holding the exhale to allow CO2 levels to rise?

During lockdown I have been reviewing my notes from my yin training with Bernie and have no answer that I can see and I don't recall it being on my radar to question at that time, but of course as often happens whilst enthralled in a course my notes are not quite up to scratch!!

Thanks, in advance!
Natalie
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Post by Bernie »

Hi Natalie

Yes, there was a lot covered in the course and it is not surprising that you don't remember it all: no one does. But, we did cover some of this in the section on the Mind Body when we talked about breathing. Hyperventilation is when we blow off too much carbon dioxide which can cause the blood PH level to become too alkaline. The solution is not so much breathing deeply, as that too can cause hyperventilation, but rather to breathe more slowly, which is why nose breathing is preferred, as it slows down the breath. Slowing down, or indeed holding the breath, can give time for the CO2 to build up again in the blood. You may recall the 10-second Ocean Breath slide? Breathe in to the count of 4, hold for 1, exhale for 4, hold for 1: this will increase CO2 levels, lower heart rate, blood pressure and improve heart rate variability. Here is a short section from my latest book, Your Spine, Your Yoga which talks about the breath:
  • IT'S IMPORTANT: Slowing the breath is better than deepening the breath

    We are all different, and our differences can affect the way we use our breath while in meditation or while doing our physical yoga practice. Lengthening the breath so that we breathe six times a minute improves our heart rate variability, turns off the “flight or fight, response (the sympathetic nervous system) and stimulates the “rest and digest, response (the parasympathetic nervous system). But this slower breath does not necessarily mean that the breath must be that much deeper! Due to a variety of complex chemical cascades, slow, shallow breathing may be much healthier for most of us than deep breathing (see the Web appendix “How yoga affects our blood chemistry, for the details). One good way to ensure the breath is slow but not necessarily deep is to breathe through the nose. This is done in most forms of pranayama practice, but one particular form has been specifically studied. It is called alternate nostril breathing, and it involves inhaling through the left nostril and exhaling through the right, then switching and breathing in through the right and out through left. Also called nadi shodhana, nadisudhi pranayama or anuloma viloma, this practice has been shown to reduce heart rate, breathing rate and diastolic blood pressure. Next time you are feeling anxious or a bit on edge, try it out-breathe slowly through the nose, and see whether it works for you.
There are several reasons why someone's heart rate may increase during Yin Yoga, but not all of them are breath-related. If a student is too deep in a pose and the sensations are too challenging, this could trigger an emotional response of anxiety or fear, which may trigger the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), the fight or flight system, which will increase heart rate. Or, if a student allows her thoughts to go to unskillful places, that too may trigger the SNS. For some people, mindfulness can actually trigger anxiety! They may be already too mindful and any increased awareness of sensations can make them hyper-vigilant.

Heart rate can be influenced by breath, emotions, thoughts, sensations, and other factors such as diet and lifestyle. In all such cases, however, a slowing of the breath may be helpful.

I hope this helps.
Cheers
Bernie
Natcrossley
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2020 3:45 pm

Post by Natcrossley »

Amazing, thanks Bernie - that is certainly familiar and I recall seeing something in my notes about CO2 concentration and blood pH but I couldn't quite figure out what I was trying to say, or read my handwriting - thanks so much for your detailed response, I will stew over it further and update my notes.. I will be careful about my cueing and how I interpret others when it comes to “deep,. I have just got both your spine your yoga and your body your yoga (the kindle versions are a saviour in times like this!!) so will refer there too, I probably should have waited to post my question until I'd read them but thanks a lot for all the information and help.
Natalie
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