The science behind the Breathe Degrees Method
Breathwork - Breathwork encompasses various techniques that incorporate intentional breathing to balance the body and mind.
Benefits of Breathwork
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Deep breathing releases feel-good hormones such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. These chemicals are natural mood-boosting neurotransmitters that help ease the symptoms of stress and anxiety.
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Increases oxygen in the cells, which slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and improves circulation which will increase our energy reserves.
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Diaphragmatic breathing promotes the relaxation response. When we belly breathe, we stimulate the vagus nerve which lies very close to the diaphragm. 75% of the fibers from the vagus nerve are part of the parasympathetic nervous system. The more we deep breathe the more this nerve gets stimulated the more we will relax.
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Breathing into pain will increase circulation to that specific area, relieves tension and increase oxygenation. Deep breathing also releases endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers.
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Deep breathing improves lung capacity. All of these factors above, including lung capacity contribute to an increase in wellness and lifespan as shown by the Framingham study.
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When we practice breath-work, especially breath holds, we are training our bodies to function with higher levels of carbon dioxide.
CO2 training has been shown to increase red blood cells and train our bodies to be more efficient with low levels of O2, which happen when you exercise.
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Increasing blood flow and increased oxygenation to the heart allows it to pump more efficiently and actually can slow the heart down.
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When we are in a stressed, sympathetic nervous system state, our body releases cortisol, which suppresses the immune system. Deep breathing returns the body to a relaxed, parasympathetic state, and increases lymphatic flow.[1] The diaphragm acts as a lymphatic pump, since about 60% of all lymph nodes in the human body are located just under the diaphragm. With deep belly breathing we are making sure our lymph system is in proper working order, supporting the immune system.
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Deep breathing increases airflow in the body and activates our “rest and digest” system, which tells the body and mind to calm down.
Slow deep breathing activates the pineal gland and promotes the release of melatonin, essential for a good night’s sleep.
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The stomach receives better oxygenation with deep breathing to allow for better digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Deep belly breathing helps regulate our hormonal system which helps regulate the digestive system.
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Breathwork has been shown to have some incredible anti-inflammatory capabilities. Studies have shown breathwork can decrease proinflammatory molecules (cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-6) along with increasing anti-inflammatory molecules such as cytokines such as IL-10.
Lung Capacity and Longevity
The famous Framingham study (which followed 5,200 individuals for 29 years) demonstrated that the greatest predictor of health and longevity is actually lung volume. It was not diet, or the genes you inherited from mom or dad. The biggest predictor for how long you will live is lung capacity, which should be used as a tool for general health assessment. Those with higher lung capacity were healthier and lived longer than those with decreased lung capacity.
Lung capacity naturally decreases with age
Our lung capacity naturally declines with age, starting at age 30. By the age of 50, our lung capacity may be reduced by as much as 50 percent. This means that the older you get, the harder it is for your lungs to breathe in and hold air.
Besides the natural aging of our lungs and its associated decreased capacity, for most of us living modern life we access only 10-20% of our full breathing capacity, which leaves us short on energy and compromised optimum health and well-being.
As we breathe in less oxygen, our body and cells receive less oxygen. Less oxygen means:
● increased risk of heart attacks and strokes
● lower energy and more general fatigue
● decline in general focus, concentration, and memory.
● shortness of breath
● decreased stamina and endurance
● susceptibility to respiratory illness that so often increases as we age.
● impaired metabolic and digestive functions
Can I improve my lung capacity?
Yes! Many view lung capacity loss as a normal degenerative process that can’t be stopped, but luckily this is not true. Lung capacity can be retained and even restored through intentional breath-work and exercise!
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Nobel Laureates have recently discovered that hypoxia causes the body to adapt to low oxygen levels: for example, in our muscles during intense exercise. A key physiological response to hypoxia is the rise in levels of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO), which leads to increased production of red blood cells (erythropoiesis) and the growth of blood vessels from the existing vasculature (angiogenesis).
This means that during our breath holds, our body naturally adapts by creating more red blood cells and expanding our vasculature - making us able to transport oxygen more effectively throughout our body. However, it will be of no surprise that an increased vasculature and greater number of red blood cells also cause major changes in the way our body is able to respond to disease and damage. Therefore, we now know that the oxygen sensing mechanisms of the cells play a role in a large number of diseases, not limited to but including anemia, cancer, stroke, infection, and wound healing.
Another interesting study found that practicing breath holds reduced anxiety and panic attacks in teenagers. Scientists proposed that students who were more prone to anxiety and panic attacks had a lower threshold for CO2, aka their CO2 alarm was sensitive and could be tripped off easily with a rise in CO2. Think about what a panic attack looks like: it’s quick breaths, or hyperventilation, to rid the body of building CO2. To practice CO2 tolerance, students were taught a breathing curriculum with holds, which helped reduce anxiety and panic attacks.
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In a nutshell, diseases such as cancer and arthritis thrive in acidic environments, not in alkaline conditions. In an alkaline state, your body works more efficiently because it is using less energy to neutralize acidity in the body. Processed foods, alcohol and meat are all acidic, so they shift your blood chemistry into acidity. The good news is, breath-work (along with some kidney help) is the only scientifically proven way to expel the body’s acidity and alkaline your bloodstream.
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The autonomic nervous system has two main divisions: parasympathetic (rest and digest) and sympathetic (fight or flight). After the autonomic nervous system receives information about the body and external environment, it responds by stimulating body processes, such as digestion, perspiration, immune responses, cortisol release etc.
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Your genius body has a built-in de-stressor called the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve runs from the base of the brain to the abdomen and innervates every major organ in the body. It is the longest cranial nerve in the body. This nerve is responsible for transitioning the body into a parasympathetic state: lowering heart rate, flowing blood to your digestive organs etc.
“The Squeeze'' is really something called a vagal maneuver - which stimulates the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve or vagal nerves are the main nerves of your parasympathetic nervous system. This system controls specific body functions such as your digestion, heart rate and immune system. These functions are involuntary, meaning you can't consciously control them. When you squeeze, you are bearing down, meaning that you are essentially trying to breathe out with your stomach muscles, but you don't let air out of your nose or mouth. This causes several rapid changes in your heart rate and blood pressure.
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Hormetic stress is controlled stress exposure that forces the body to adapt and set a new baseline. Hormetic stress boosts your body’s functioning and helps you build tolerance to greater stresses. It’s resilience training.
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Meditation does not have to be sitting in lotus position, thinking of nothing. For most of us, that style of meditation is not accessible due to the overload of our brains. We are bombarded with thousands of emails, text messages, cereal options, not to mention exposed to over 5,000 advertisements a day. Clearing out the brain is no easy task.
The good news is that meditation can come in many forms. Deep diaphragmatic breathing is proven to relax the body, to relax the mind, and help you get into a meditative state. Meditation can happen while focusing on your breath in the cold plunge, breathing through a yoga flow, or sweating it out in the sauna.
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Adrenaline: “The Energy Molecule”
Adrenaline, technically known as epinephrine and norepinephrine, plays a large role in the fight-or-flight mechanism. The release of adrenaline is exhilarating and creates a surge in energy. Adrenaline causes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and works by causing less important blood vessels to narrow while increasing blood flow to larger muscles you might need to run away in the face of danger.
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Dopamine: “The Reward Molecule”
Dopamine is responsible for reward-driven behaviors and pleasure seeking. If you want to get a hit of dopamine, set a goal and achieve it. Many addictive drugs, such as cocaine, methamphetamine and even sugar and social media, act directly on the dopamine system. However, prolonged hits of dopamine can also lead to dopamine depletion, causing fatigue and depression.
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Serotonin: “The Mood Molecule”
Serotonin plays so many different roles in our bodies that it’s tough to put in a box. For the sake of practical application, let’s call it “The Mood Molecule.” It impacts mood, sleep, anxiety, but also higher levels of serotonin are associated with self-esteem, increase feelings of worthiness, and create a sense of belonging. Serotonin plays a large part in the way we feel, which is why many antidepressant medications try to increase the amount of serotonin left in the brain (such as SSRIs, serotonin reuptake inhibitors).
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GABA: “The Anti-Anxiety Molecule”
GABA slows down the firing of neurons and creates a sense of calmness. You can increase GABA naturally by practicing yoga, meditation and breathwork. Benzodiazepines (Such as Valium and Xanax) are sedatives that work as anti-anxiety medication by increasing GABA.
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Oxytocin: “The Bonding Molecule”
Oxytocin is a hormone directly linked to human bonding and increasing trust and loyalty. While we typically think of a mother cradling her baby releasing oxytocin, studies show that even skin-to-skin contact as minimal as a high-five can break down barriers, make someone feel part of a group, and therefore more relaxed.
In a digital world, where we are often "alone together" on our devices, oxytocin can often be missing from the picture. Working in a studio space surrounded by other humans is a great way to sustain human bonds and release oxytocin!
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Endorphin: “The Pain-Killing Molecule”
The name Endorphin translates into “self-produced morphine." Endorphins resemble opiates in their chemical structure and have pain relieving properties. Endorphins are linked to the "feeling no pain" aspect of aerobic exercise and are produced in larger quantities during high intensity "anaerobic" cardio and strength training.