Breathing in Through the Nose Enhances Judgment and Memory
A 2016 study published in the Journal of Neuroscience reported that the rhythm of breathing changes electrical activity in the brain and can improve emotional judgments and recall. Breathing in through the nose seemed to produce benefits compared to breathing out or to breathing in through the mouth.
Participants more easily identified a fearful face if they viewed it while breathing in. They also had an easier time remembering objects they observed while breathing in. The effects were not seen if the participants breathed through their mouth.
The researchers, led by Christina Zelano, reported that there was a major difference in brain activity in the amygdala and hippocampus during inhalation versus exhalation. Breathing in, in addition to stimulating the olfactory cortex responsible for smell perception, seems to activate the entire limbic system, the emotional center of the brain.
Breathing-Focused Yoga and Meditation Improved Depression
A 2016 article in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry reports that Sudarshan Kriya yoga, a breathing-based meditation intervention, improved depression in people who had had an inadequate response to antidepressants.
In the study by researcher Anup Sharma and colleagues, 25 participants were randomized to either receive the breathing-based meditation training right away or be put on a waitlist to receive the training later. After two months, those who received the intervention showed improvement in depression scores compared to those on the waitlist. The intervention also reduced anxiety.
