Clarify how the conscious and slow breathing relaxes us

2017/03/31 Agirre Ruiz de Arkaute, Aitziber - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna
• Anatomia/Fisiologia

Humans used slow and controlled breathing long ago to achieve mental tranquility and combat crises, but until now neurology has not known what was its physiological and neuronal base. However, researchers at Stanford University have identified in the brain of mice the point that binds breathing and brain activity to the highest level.

They have seen that this is an area located in the trunk of the brain, between the brain and the spinal cord, formed by about 350 neurons. These neurons have two characteristics: on the one hand, the faster the breathing, the more active they are, and on the other, their function is to send signals to another place of the brain, which is the place where the body responds to stress and fear (locus ceruleo). These first neurons activate less slow breathing, so less activate the cerulean locus. Lokus wax is related to areas that regulate high-level brain activities, so it directly affects them.

On the other hand, by removing the newly discovered neurons, they have seen that it has not affected the ability to breathe normally, but mice have appeared too calm. The results have been published in the journal Science.

The research has served to explain the influence of yoga, meditation and other techniques that use conscious breathing, since it has revealed what we already knew: although we see breathing as a simple autonomous function, it has a great influence on thought and behavior.