Take a Deep Breath Away from the Pandemic
“Stop! Please!” I ran behind the bus I had just missed by a millisecond. Right then, I got a call from my school; I had failed my exams and wasn’t going to graduate. My asthma kicked in. “I can’t breathe. Where’s my inhaler? Everything is getting blurry… what’s happening??! kkkkriiiiinnnggggg….” My alarm went off. “Phew! It was just a dream.” Instinctively, I told myself, “Calm down. Take a deep breath.”
The dream got me thinking about how fundamental breathing is to the way our energies behave. The breath, mind, and body often appear to mirror each other in curious ways. An intense cardio session can elevate your breathing. A stressful day at work can make your breathing strained and tense. A panic attack can even make you hyperventilate. And yet, you know from experience that breathing slowly and deeply can calm the mind, relax stiff muscles, and sometimes alleviate physical pain. The breath and our state of being seem deeply intertwined, something I find fascinating as a scientist.
With the global Covid-19 pandemic still surging well past the summer of 2020, a lot of attention has been brought to breathing and respiratory health. Though the coronavirus can affect different parts of the body [1], it notoriously affects the lungs [2]. The lungs, as the primary respiratory organs in humans, control exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide [3]. Like many parts of the body, the lungs are made up of muscle and connective tissue; and just like other muscles, they can weaken with age or disease. Weaker lungs can reduce the ability to exhale fully [4], decrease metabolism and even affect the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain [5] Because of this, the elderly population (> 60 years of age) or people with pre-existing breathing ailments are at a higher risk for serious Covid-19 symptoms, and are advised to take extra precautions by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) [6].
As someone who is susceptible to stress-induced asthma, I fall in the high-risk category for Covid-19. If you don’t know what an asthma attack is like, picture this: it feels like an elephant sitting on your chest or like your lungs are filled with fire! (Excuse the vivid examples. I added them for dramatic effect. They are, however, absolutely true.) But instead of stressing out about it and triggering my asthma, I decided to take a deep breath and approach it with my inquisitive scientific mind. I thought, “Hey, if the lungs are made up of muscles, can I train them to be stronger just like my core or quads*?” Searching for answers tirelessly, I hit the metaphorical jackpot of ancient, but very relevant, wisdom. As it turns out, you can indeed strength-train your respiratory muscles utilizing advanced breath control.
Kriya Yoga is a branch of yoga that enhances one’s internal energies using a variety of techniques. Certain Kriya practices that utilize advanced breath control are sometimes collectively referred to as Pranayama and are designed to strengthen one’s respiratory health. Several studies explore the effects of yoga-based breathing practices among different population subsets. One such controlled research study in 81 frail elderly patients (> 85 years of age) who were unable to walk for more than 30 feet, demonstrated that yoga-based breath training increased the amount of exhaled air, which in turn indicated improved respiratory muscle strength [7]. In patients with severe bronchial asthma, a mere 6 weeks of breathing practices significantly improved the exhalation capacity and decreased inflammation compared to patients who were treated with standard asthma medication alone [8]. In addition, yoga-based breath training in patients with mild to moderate asthma led to better control of symptoms [9] and a decrease in medication use compared to patients using medications alone [10]. The evidence I found in these studies made it clear that I should be learning some breathing techniques myself to help with my own breathing.
The benefits of advanced breath control in high-risk groups made me question further: “Is yoga-based breath training only for the weak and elderly?” The answer seems to be an emphatic “NO” according to research studies in healthy adults. A 15-minute practice for 6 days a week for 1 month, significantly improved muscle function and exhalation volume compared to baseline values measured prior to the study [11]. Yoga-based training similarly enhanced respiratory function in healthy but sedentary individuals [12], and professional athletes alike [13].
The lockdown due to Covid-19 has cut down our access to gyms and communal fitness centers. Practicing yoga-based breathing techniques may be the easiest way to improve our respiratory health from the comfort of our homes. Here is a simple practice freely available online to improve oxygen saturation and increase lung capacity —Simha Kriya. It only takes ~10 minutes to learn and a few minutes a day to practice. Knowing that I possess tools that can strengthen my respiratory system and my state of being, now, I can finally take a deep breath.
Acknowledgements
Lakhwinder Gill — for setting up the scientific backbone of the article.
IRC team — for reviewing and suggesting edits.
References
* Core refers to core muscles that include pelvic floor muscles, transversus abdominis, multifidus, obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae, diaphragm, latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus and trapezius. Quads refers to quadriceps.
Citations above have been linked to their corresponding scientific journal publications.
