jihva_bandha_breathworks

11/13/2025

Beyond grateful✨this gorgeous Bikram studio is still a 5 minute walk🇬🇧

11/03/2025

10/27/2025

So grateful to have this gorgeous Bikram studio within walking distance 🇬🇧 🔥

10/26/2025

Retrain Your Breath Now with the Buteyko Method:
Fast breathing can affect how your body functions, how your mind feels, and how well you live. However, through proper breath retraining, you can restore balance, calm your nervous system, and improve your overall health.
The Buteyko Method is a practical, evidence-based approach that teaches you to breathe slower, lighter, and efficiently. It helps you reduce stress, sleep better, and build long-term resilience.
In office, virtual or yoga studio workshop Buteyko and Jivha Bandha Breathwork sessions available

10/05/2025

26/2 Bikram Sundays 3pm Helios

10/03/2025

Breathing is one of the most direct ways to influence heart rate variability (HRV). As mentioned earlier, HRV reflects the adaptability of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which has two main branches:

Sympathetic nervous system (SNS): the “fight or flight” response.
Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS): the “rest, digest, and repair” response, largely controlled by the vagus nerve.
Every breath you take interacts with this system. When you inhale, your heart rate speeds up slightly. When you exhale, it slows down. This rhythmic change, known as respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), is a direct marker of vagal activity and a reliable indicator of nervous system balance.

Why Breathing Patterns Matter for HRV

Slow, gentle breathing increases HRV by stimulating the vagus nerve and shifting the body toward parasympathetic dominance.
Shallow or rapid breathing decreases HRV, keeping the body stuck in a sympathetic “stress state.”
Nasal breathing supports HRV by slowing the breath, activating the diaphragm, and producing nitric oxide, which improves circulation and oxygen delivery.
Mouth breathing does the opposite: it encourages over-breathing, reduces CO₂ tolerance, and lowers HRV.
In simple terms, the way you breathe, fast or slow, shallow or deep, nasal or mouth can directly impact your HRV.

The Role of the Vagus Nerve

The vagus nerve is the main highway of the parasympathetic system. It slows the heart, lowers blood pressure, and calms inflammation. Studies show that breathing at 5.5 to 6 breaths per minute optimizes vagal activity, producing the highest HRV, the strongest baroreflex (blood pressure regulation), and the most efficient gas exchange in the lung.

In summary, breathing is a direct tool for regulating your heart, nervous system, and overall health. Research consistently shows that slowing the breath and breathing through the nose creates the ideal conditions for higher HRV, stronger heart–breath synchronization, more stable blood pressure, and more efficient oxygen use.