January 12 , 2006

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Stephen Elliott and Dee Edmonson will be conducting the half day workshop: A New Science of Breathing, at Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback 2007 "Biofeedback: Challenging the Boundaries of Technology", being held in Monterey, California, February 15-18, 2007.

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"The great thing then, in all education, is to make our nervous system our ally as opposed to our enemy."

William James, circa 1857.

Regulation of breathing is the primary means we have of accomplishing this. (S.E.)

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Posture: Central To Autonomic Balance

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Experience! Quantum Coherence

2 Day Workshops in Coherent Breathing for Autonomic Nervous System Balance, Health, and Well-being

Now NCCAOM Accredited (13.5 PDA pts.)

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Stephen Elliott and Dee Edmonson conducted a 3 hour worshop, A New Science of Breathing, at the 14th annual conference of the International Society for Neuronal Regulation, September 7th, Atlanta, GA.

Part I of the presentation is available here.

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Dear Reader,                                                    

We are at the brink of a revolution in our understand- ing of breathing and its relationship to human health and well being. This New Science of Breathing quite possibly represents the most significant breakthrough in recent times for it promises a unifying theory of health based on autonomic nervous system balance, autonomic nervous system function underlying virtually every aspect of health and well being. The fact is this......

While in the state of rest or semi-activity, the human autonomic nervous system takes its cue from the frequency and depth of breathing. The average adult breathes at the rate of 15 breaths per minute, a rate that the autonomic nervous system interprets as "fight or flight". In other words, even though you may be sitting quite still reading this page, if you are breathing at the typical rate of 15 breaths per minute, your autonomic nervous system is shifted toward "sympathetic emphasis". Generally, sympathetic emphasis involves activation of bodily systems resulting in increased heart rate, increased muscle tension, and the production of biotransmitters associated with threatened survival. Because most adults breathe at this rate much of the time, most adults persist in a relative state of chronic "sympathetic dominance" and related psycho-physiological stress. The emerging medical understanding is that many modern day maladies are rooted in autonomic nervous system imbalance. What has not been understood is the root cause for this imbalance.

COHERENCE asserts the theory that the root cause of autonomic imbalance is in fact sub-optimal breathing. Click here to view the relationship between breathing and autonomic nervous system balance. The good news is that just as sub-optimal breathing results in imbalance, optimal breathing results in balance. Consequently, via proper breathing, sympathetic dominance and its myriad affects may be averted. (No claims are made regarding specific health benefits.)

COHERENCE promotes Coherent Breathing, a specific breathing modality wherein the intrinsic autonomic nervous system rhythm is synchronized with the breathing rhythm resulting in autonomic nervous system balance and cardiopulmonary resonance. The practice and ongoing maintenance of Coherent Breathing is supported by the Breathing Pacemaker, a simple yet highly effective audio/visual device with which the breathing cycle is consciously synchronized. Various Breathing Pacemaker products are presented in compact disc (CD), downloadable MP3, and Flash Projector formats. See "The Science" for a comprehensive discussion of the science behind the method and the products.

I wish you wellness,

Stephen Elliott

Founder & President

COHERENCE

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Posture: Central to Autonomic Balance

If you've read The New Science of Breath, you've been introduced to the concept of "bridges".

Bridges are anatomical zones, more specifically muscle groups, over which we have explicit dual control.
They are important because each "bridge" represents a means by which we can consciously influence
the state of the autonomic nervous system, i.e. relative sympathetic/parasympathetic bias.

Achieving the state of autonomic nervous system balance requires that we have some degree of familiarity with bridges. This is because bridges may either support the state of balance or detract from it. If bridges are relaxed they promote parasympathetic prominence; if they are tense they prevent parasympathetic prominence. In this way, "bridges" aid or detract from achieving the state of sympathetic/ parasympathetic equality, i.e. autonomic balance.

The most influential bridge is the "breathing bridge", i.e. diaphragm and intercostal muscle groups. If these muscle groups do not experience relaxation, they remain chronically tense. If they are chronically tense, then the autonomic nervous system is chronically imbalanced. This imbalance takes the form of excessive sympathetic emphasis and deficient
parasympathetic emphasis.

"Posture" has much to do with diaphragm and intercostal muscle groups. Postures, that allow diaphragm and intercostal relaxation coincident with exhalation are beneficial to autonomic balance. Postures that prevent diaphragm and intercostal relaxation coincident with exhalation are counterproductive.

Generally, postures wherein either:

a) the torso is balanced about the vertical centerline of the body, or

b) the torso including abdominal muscles is allowed to relax completely, i.e. an adequately reclined position,

facilitate relaxation of the diaphragm and intercostals and thereby promote autonomic balance.

Postures wherein the frontal aspect of the torso is required to tense in order to hold the body upright are counterproductive. This is because when the abdominal muscles are tense, the diaphragm and intercostals cannot fully relax.

Try this yourself. Lean back so that you must tense your abdominal muscles slightly in order to remain erect. Now inhale and exhale and pay attention to the degree to which you are able to relax your diaphragm and intercostals coincident with exhalation.
The bottom line is this....even the slightest tension in the abdominal muscles inhibits complete relaxation of the diaphragm and intercostals. You may note that the majority of present day chairs promote abdominal tension, i.e. most chairs facilitate a posture where the legs are in front of the body and the back is slightly but not adequately reclined. (Very poor ergonomics indeed!)

However, even with the widespread existence of ergonomically inferior seating it is often possible to find a way to sit correctly. As a rule, if you can position yourself such that your body is balanced about your vertical centerline, then things are OK. This may require you to raise the height of your seat such that the knees are below the level of the hips.

The same thing rule is generally true of both sitting and standing. If the body is oriented around the vertical centerline and supported by the spine, i.e. it is "balanced", then it can relax and persist in a state of relative autonomic balance. If not, then it cannot.

Note that "balance begets balance". In other words, postural (physical) balance aids autonomic balance and visa versa. Autonomic balance aids physical balance by relaxing skeletal muscle and facilitating a relaxed upright body position.

S.E.

Everyone Can Meditate!

Why? Because "meditation" exists in the state of autonomic nervous system balance, relaxation and stillness. And, everyone can achieve that state via Coherent, i.e. resonant breathing, combined with conscious relaxation and "stillness".

Focus on the "breath" has been a means of accessing the meditative state for thousands of years, likely since the dawn of man. It remains something of a mystery as to the many ways that focusing on breathing effects the mind and body, but a primary way is that by focusing our attention on our breathing we are able to achieve a high degree of "accuracy" and "coherence" of the breathing rhythm. So if we have an understanding of what rhythm we should be using, we simply focus on "synchronizing" our breathing with that rhythm, and doing so with smoothness and accuracy.

The second ingredient, "conscious relaxation" requires that we deliberately "let go" of bodily tension. A reason that this is required is that the meditative state exists in the state of autonomic balance, equal sympathetic and parasympathetic emphasis. If certain anatomical zones, what I refer to as "bridges" are tense, this tension inhibits parasympathetic prominence and consequently autonomic balance. So it is particularly important to relax the bridges. I've identified 9 bridges to-date, however we can generalize them to: the face, the tongue and throat, the hands, the diaphragm and intercostals, the perineum (pelvic floor), and the feet.

The third ingredient is "stillness". Here I mean, other than breathing, you remain "totally still", you don't move a finger or blink an eye. Why? Because movement excites the sympathetic nervous system and again interferes with parasympathetic prominence.

So, in summary, here is how to do it:

Allot yourself some time. Maybe 20-30 minutes.

Find a comfortable place either sitting or lying down. It is easier to access the meditative state if you are horizontal. However it is harder to remain awake. But it may be a good idea to approach it this way if you are a beginner.

Fidget for a moment or two in the beginning if you need to - because once we begin we want to remain perfectly still.

Turn on a Breathing Pacemaker recording and begin synchronizing your breathing with the rhythm. Make sure the volume is relatively low. Keep your mind focused on synchronizing.......this is the most important thing. Breathing depth should be "comfortable".

Once you are settled into the rhythm, begin to consciously "let go" of muscular tension, especially with exhalation. You can let your whole body go all at once or you can work through your body in zones. This is a traditional way of going about it. Maybe a minute per zone. Focusing on relaxation of the bridges from top to bottom is very effective. If you relax the bridges, the rest of the body will automatically let go.

Otherwise remain perfectly still and continue to focus on synchronizing your breathing with the recording. (However, as you go deeper into the meditative state, if you desire to let the focus on breathing go, do that.) You can always come back to it if you wish.

Keep going for 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes. It is typical that within 8-12 minutes you begin to lapse into the meditative state. This has been observed quantitatively many times in a clinical neurotherapy setting, i.e. we see distinct changes in biometrics 8-12 minutes into the practice. Here we see a decrease in high hi-beta brainwaves associated with stress and anxiety. We also see a dramatic increase in alpha waves and a bit later theta waves. Alpha and theta (in the absence of hi-beta) are the brainwaves of meditation. Changes in delta brainwaves are also common during the meditative period. Reductions in electrodermal response, increase in hand temperature, etc. are also usually observed.

If you feel sleepy (which is very likely) attempt to remain awake, but don't strain. If you wish to sleep, do so. You will wake up more refreshed.

At the end of your session, which may be signaled by the end of the recording or whatever means you prefer, relax and take a moment and "assess" how you feel.

Open your eyes and begin to move a round starting with the hands, and feet, arms and legs, torso, etc. Arise gradually and take a few moments to pat yourself down from head to toe.

That's it! Your experience will grow deeper with practice.

Coherence & Hatha Yoga:

I've instructed yoga of Eastern origin for many years. While at lunch recently, a good friend reminded me that while I had not named it such, I had incorporated Coherent Breathing into my yoga practice/instruction a number of years ago (before learning of cardiopulmonary resonance, autonomic balance, etc.) He recalled a specific exercise clearly because he "had a heck of a time staying awake" during the practice, as did most. This is simply because the practice quickly elicited "the meditative state".

This particular exercise, which I still practice and teach involves lying flat on the floor in Shavasana. In this position, you center a 3 pound weight (a "plate") on the abdomen. You push the plate upward as you inhale for a count of 6; then you "allow" the plate to sink as you exhale, again for a count of 6. Typically this is practiced for 10-15 minutes. Within 4-5 minutes, without out conscious effort to remain awake, you don't.

I also practiced and instructed "the bridges" long before I'd developed a firm understanding of what was going on and began referring to them as such. I also continue to practice and instruct this method . It again is performed while inhaling and exhaling for approximately 6 seconds. Here is how it is done...

Assume the desired yoga posture. During inhalation gradually open (and brighten) your eyes and smile. During exhalation relax the face, hands, perenium, and feet, in that order. During relaxation of the face, allow the eyes to shut and the smile to relax. During the next inhalation, once again gently open the eyes and smile. Otherwise remain perfectly still and relax as deeply as possible. Repeat this process for the desired duration. I prefer 2 minutes per posture. This particular practice both builds HRV amplitude and cultivates a strong relaxation response, relaxation of the bridges occurring coincident with exhalation. With a little practice you can feel a strong wave effect throughout the body.

On another note...

Yoga practitioners, specifically yoga teachers, are tentative about incorporating Coherent Breathing into their yoga practice and instruction. This seems to be for a few reasons: 1) Coherent Breathing is different from their present "system", 2) generally, they wonder if Coherent Breathing is consistent with classical yogic method and tradition. I respond to these questions in this way:

Coherent Breathing is about autonomic nervous system balance. Synchronizing the breathing and heart rate variability rhythms is both a means of achieving balance and a result thereof.

I argue, but am not compelled to "convince" that autonomic balance is, and always has been, a fundamental goal of yoga.

This New Science of Breath, represents "a new perspective" on an age-old topic, this being the role of breath in yoga. The important "new information" (for most) is that distinct "heart" and "breathing" rhythms exist, and that they can be synchronized, yielding autonomic balance and cardio-pulmonary resonance and all that that entails.

Ultimately, it is important to develop a clear understanding of the subject before one determines if it is right for them or not. Of course this is even more important prior to instucting others. (S.E. 11/15/06)

Video Games & Attentional Disorders: A Theory

It is well established that participation in "exciting" video games correlates highly with attentional disorders (ADD, ADHD) in children. Many theories have been put forward as to how and why this happens. Without belaboring other theories, COHERENCE asserts this hypothesis:

Children, while generally possessing a higher frequency of cardiopulmonary resonance and a higher breathing frequency, breathe more deeply than adults. This is apparently due to smaller cardiopulmonary apparatus. This is to say, that the physically smaller apparatus is capable of operating at a higher frequency while maintaining a relatively higher "depth" that that of adults.

"Excitement" is a form of enjoyable stress. Excitement, as with other forms of stress, elicits increased breathing frequency and decreased depth, as if it were a threat to survival. The biometrics of children playing challenging fast paced video games are generally those of heightened arousal/survival, etc. and are accompanied by like emotion ranging from glee to rage.

It is well established that stress results in faster shallower breathing, this breathing pattern resulting in increased energy production for the purpose of survival. Faster more shallow breathing results in sympathetic bias along with psycho-physiological correlates thereof (see About ).

Generally, until relatively recent times, children have been offered a nurturing environment shielding them from "stress". For this reason "exciting" stressful video games are quite foreign to the psyche of children. Playing exciting video games for several hours a day, day after day, inculcates a breathing pattern that is otherwise foreign to the maturing autonomic nervous system, resulting in a "pathological breathing pattern", this pattern, with "practice" becoming engrained as the "normal" breathing pattern.

Faster shallower breathing has been shown to elicit autonomic imbalance, specifically sympathetic bias. Slower deeper breathing has been shown to elicit autonomic balance, equal sympathetic and parasympathetic action. Slowing breathing frequency and increasing breathing depth has been shown to mitigate sympathetic bias and lessen symptoms of attentional disorders in children.

While there are likely other factors including visual stimulation, etc., time will tell what part less than optimal breathing plays in this pandemic condition.

Beauty, Breathing, and Botox:

Botox (Botulinum Toxin Type A) injections are becoming an increasingly popular means of minimizing facial lines and wrinkles for the purpose of enhancing beauty and youthfulness. Botulinum toxin functions by attaching itself to nerve endings thereby blocking the release of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter responsible for muscle contraction. In cases of botulism poisoning, this is often the cause of death, i.e. paralysis of muscle groups associated with respiration.

Where applied to wrinkles and creases, Botox functions to paralyze small facial muscles that are otherwise chronically tense, this chronic tension resulting in flexion of the muscles and overlying skin, and depending on the health of the skin, the consequent formation of facial lines and wrinkles. While having been approved by the FDA since 1989 for some conditions, the safety of Botox injections remains questionable, the longer term effects of wide scale long term use being virtually unknown.

Coherent Breathing represents a far better and safer alternative. The condition of the skin, wrinkles included, is affected by a number of factors including chronic muscle tension, circulatory effectiveness, diet and nutrition, and of course the well known factors, smoking, and sun exposure. Circulatory effectiveness, including the lymphatic system, is critical to nourishing the skin and the elimination of metabolic waste products. Coherent Breathing facilitates circulatory effectiveness by ushering freshly oxygenated blood to the extremities under increasing heartbeat rate and blood pressure coincident with inhalation and the return of carbon dioxide laden blood to the heart and lungs coincident with exhalation.

As inhalation occurs, blood pressure at the extremities reaches maximal elastic pressure, this elastic pressure driving blood flow back to the heart and lungs coincident with exhalation. This increasing and decreasing elastic pressure also serves to increase and decrease pressure on the lymphatic system which is responsible for maintaining extra-circulatory hygiene. Lymphatic fluid is collected via the network of lymphatic nodes and vessels and is ultimately eliminated. In this way, the "pumping" action of Coherent Breathing results in optimal perfusion of oxygen to the extremities, including facial tissues, and the elimination of metabolic and lymphatic waste products.

However, the primary advantage of Coherent Breathing is that it facilitates autonomic balance with resulting reduction of skeletal muscle tension, i.e., it also eliminates chronic muscle tension that results in the formation of facial lines and wrinkles in the first place. Not only does Coherent Breathing facilitate relaxation of facial muscles, it facilitates relaxation of muscles throughout the entire body, yielding a major increase in bodily comfort, as well as circulatory efficiency.

In this way, the simple practice of Coherent Breathing not only yields facial beauty without the long term risk of introducing toxic exogenous substances, it also provides these same advantages to all aspects of the anatomy, yielding overall enhancement of health and well-being, mind, body, and spirit.

Point of Interest....

The heart rate variability cycle is typically assessed by measuring changes in the "Rise-Rise interval". The R-R interval is the time between the leading edges of the heartbeat. If we assume an average heartbeat rate of 72 beats per minute, the average R-R interval is .83 seconds (60 seconds/72 heart beats).

During cardiopulmonary resonance the heartbeat rate often varies by as much as 40 beats or more. If we assume a peak heartbeat rate at resonance of 95 beats per minute (R-R interval = .63 seconds) and a valley heartbeat rate of 55 beats per minute (R-R interval = 1.09 seconds), the difference in R-R interval between peak and valley heartbeat rates approaches .5 seconds (1.09 seconds - .63 seconds).