HELP FOR THE HEART

Breathing exercises and listening to music have been found to have significant effects on bodily functions. Recently the two modalities have been combined to create a healing effect on blood pressure.

In this study, conducted in Italy and presented at the recent convention of the American Society of Hypertension, adults with hypertension were trained in slow rhythmic breathing, with one long count for inhalation and two long counts for exhalation. The participants then practiced this slow breathing method while listening to music. They were able to select the music from classical, Celtic, and Indian genres that all had regular rhythm.

The participants then practiced this approach 30 minutes a day for three months. Afterwards, their ambulatory blood pressure was evaluated and compared to a matched control group. The results indicated that the systolic pressure for the treated group was significantly lower than when they started and significantly lower than the control group. These differences were observable after only one month of practice.

A friend tells me that she and her husband attended a class in what was called “belly breathing,” when he was trying to avoid having to go on oxygen. It seems that the two long counts for exhalation helps to get rid of the old stale air that remains in the lungs.