Authors:
Satyam Tiwari
and
Arnav Bhavsar
Affiliation:
Indian Knowledge System and Mental Health Applications Centre, IIT Mandi, India
Keyword(s):
Uni-Nostril Breathing, Breath-Based Mindfulness, Autonomic Regulation, Cardiovascular Health, Svara Yoga.
Abstract:
Uni-nostril mindful breathing, an ancient yogic practice, has been suggested to influence autonomic nervous system function differentially, yet systematic evidence remains limited. This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of nostril-specific breathing techniques on autonomic nervous system modulation in healthy adults. Ninety participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: left-nostril breathing, right-nostril breathing, or a control group performing unstructured breathing for 10 minutes. HRV parameters and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were collected pre-and post-intervention. Left nostril breathing significantly decreased HRV parameters (SDNN: -27.0%, RMSSD: -25.1%) while increasing SI (+37.4%) and SNS activity (+98.7%), therefore suggesting increased sympathetic activation. With little impact on other autonomic indicators, right-nostril breathing showed significant decreases in both systolic (-5.5 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (-3.3 mmHg)
. These results support nostril-specific breathing as a simple, non-pharmacological technique for autonomic modulation, offering prospective applications in stress and cardiovascular management, with varying effects dependent upon nostril selection.
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