By Robert F. Kissner PhD

Humans are creatures of habit. Whether we notice it or not, our routines become a part of who we are–a ‘second nature’ we often take for granted. Take the example of our breathing; always present and always central, our breathing is a vital process to maintain balance in body and mind. Yet most of us seldom pay it mind unless something uproots the routine, such as asthma or a cold. But as more and more practitioners are discovering, that passive view of breathing is often harmful to our health. Thanks to better technologies and the rising popularity of Yoga and Mindfulness, the way we look at breathing is changing. It’s becoming clearer that our breathing deserves a more active role in our health and wellness; and perceptive practitioners are taking note.

Let’s first understand that there’s much more to respiration than simply ‘oxygen in, carbon dioxide out’. Under ideal conditions, our breathing gives our body just the right amount of what it needs–supplying our tissues with oxygen, maintaining our body’s pH, facilitating stress recovery, and releasing toxins. While these functions are vital to our health, viewing these as merely passive regulatory processes only paints half the picture. Breathing is also a consciously controlled behavior, an active form of self-regulation. The bad news is that–like anything else humans monitor and modify–sometimes it goes wrong and we unknowingly adopt bad habits. At about 17,000 breaths a day, getting such a frequent event right or wrong has a huge impact on our health. The good news is that, like any habit, we can learn healthy patterns and make them ‘second nature’. It’s easier than most people think (and more vital as well).

So how can our breathing ‘go wrong’, you might ask? For a multitude of physiological or emotional reasons (such as an accident, illness, pain, posture, stress, anxiety/depression) our breathing can shift–becoming too shallow, too tight, too quick, too uneven. These maladaptive patterns often lead, counter-intuitively, to chronic over-breathing, or even lead to hyperventilation.

Let’s get a little technical now. Did you know that the critical functions we assign exclusively to oxygen–brain function, muscle function, heart and liver function, all depend on a balance between oxygen (O₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂)? First described in 1904, the Bohr Effect shows that O₂ carried in the blood is released in higher concentration in those tissues that have a higher level of CO₂. And as we know, (but actually comes as a surprise to most people) reduced CO₂ in the lungs and blood hampers O₂ release in our bodies on a cellular level. CO₂ might be bad for global warming but oxygen in your body needs that CO₂ to function. This hypocapnia causes vasal constriction, deprives the brain of oxygen, and can lower our body’s pH – impeding our immune system’s function.

It turns out that low CO₂ is correlated and co-occurring with all kinds of unexplained symptoms and chronic or complex conditions. As renowned Physiologist Arthur Guyton described, “All chronic pain, suffering and diseases are caused by a lack of oxygen at a cellular level.” Breathing pattern disorders are much more common than you might think. I recently had the opportunity to speak at the London Yoga show, and I estimated that 50% of the people I saw had challenges with their breathing, reflected in low CO₂ levels. In fact, a number of my colleagues report up to 70% of their clients have intermittent or chronic challenges with their breathing.

At both an emotional and physiological level, our breathing keeps us balanced. We have known since 1905 of the interactive relationship between breathing and emotions–that it’s like a two-way street. You see, each of us adapts to the stress of external and internal emotional pressures and demands by altering our rate and depth of breathing. And likewise, those respiratory responses can also become chronic and habitual, and will predispose us to certain patterns of emotional reactions.

This means that our breathing doesn’t just passively respond to our worry, fear, peace or joy; it can actively propel these emotions too. It’s because of our deep, smooth, diaphragmatic exhale that our vagus nerve tells our body to switch out of stress mode. As research continues to show the important relationship between positive emotions and our health, science is confirming what many traditions have believed for centuries–that our breathing is an invaluable link between mind and body, an ideal way to control and reduce all kinds of harmful stress so we can shift into more healthful states.

While we have known the vital importance of good respiration for a long time, we’ve been without real time measurement of the CO₂ to Oxygen relationship; and so its been difficult to bring breathwork into wider practice. The good news is that within the last few years, a new technology known as capnometry has become available to measure CO₂ in real time; and training is available. This finally allows practitioners to monitor and evaluate breathing behavior, while offering diagnostic, prognostic and living proof of healthy client change. When combined with measurements of HRV (heart rate variability) we get an accurate real-time understanding of stress, as well as a tool to for relieving and reversing its affects. For the reader’s information, much of this knowledge is accessible in Recognizing and Treating Breathing Disorders by CAM speaker and noted Osteopath, Leon Chaitow et al. (2^nd ed Elsevier, 2014 )

This new technology is now being embraced by discerning practitioners in the health community–physicians, osteopaths, physiotherapists, naturopaths, homeopaths, psychologists, nutritionists, and others. They are discovering that breathwork using a capnometer can be a core part of their approach and practice. More than just another remedial tool, capnometry offers a way to re-engage and reach a wider client base–especially those wanting to take a more holistic and proactive relationship to their health and wellbeing. Practitioners report that many patients are astounded to see on a screen for the first the effect of their breathing behavior and thought processes on their CO₂ level and autonomic arousal. So often, it’s the client’s feeling of empowerment which encourages them to tell others and drives referrals for this exciting new approach. But what’s really driving practitioners to adopt this new technology are the often dramatic changes in clients’ health and well-being. Breathing and Breathwork seen in real time really does transform client health. I encourage anyone reading this article to take a fresh and deeper look.