Four yogic breathing techniques produce distinct effects on mind and body. Ujjayi breathing, which slows the breath, reduces stress and increases feelings of relaxation and peace. Paced breathing, following a precise slowdown protocol, enhances awareness of inner experiences. Kapalabhati, a mild hyperventilation technique, significantly increases vitality and joy of life. Alternate nostril breathing, which alternates breath between nostrils, showed no changes that matched the study's hypotheses. These techniques influence processes like heart rate variability and the autonomic nervous system, suggesting they could serve as self-regulation tools in therapy.
Power fluctuations in delta, theta, beta, and gamma frequency bands of electroencephalographic (EEG) signals correlate with spontaneous blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) activity in regions of the default mode network (DMN) during eyes-closed resting state. An EEG component commonly identified as eye movements also correlates with BOLD activity within DMN regions. These correlations are in part stable across time, as shown by repeating analyses one year later. The relationship between the eye movement component and the DMN suggests a behavioral association between DMN activity and eye movement level or neuronal activity in that component. Previous findings of an association between frontal midline theta activity and the DMN were replicated.
During mindfulness of breathing, experienced Vipassana meditators show stronger brain activation in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex compared to non-meditators. The rostral anterior cingulate cortex activation may reflect enhanced processing of distracting events, while medial prefrontal cortex activation suggests stronger engagement in emotional processing. Fifteen meditators with an average of 7.9 years of daily two-hour practice and fifteen matched non-meditators participated in an fMRI study comparing meditation to mental arithmetic.