When we say respiration, we usually think about the acute need for oxygen. However, the large numbers of cells (trillion of cells) from the human body intercommunicate and form a sophisticated system, incredibly alive and elegant, with its own responsibilities and multiplication processes. Because of the cells’ different functions and responsibilities, they need oxygen, nourishment, and an adequate internal environment with communication and information possibilities.  If we consider the gas exchange to be the first step in breathing, the second one is the functionality of the vegetative (autonomic) system, which is responsible for the homeostasis (balance) of subconscious functions.

          Cardio-pulmonary resonance indicates the fragile balance between the two subsystems of the vegetative nervous system: the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Therefore, an optimal homeostasis depends on a normal respiration. Homeostasis is maintained through the subtle action of hormones, and also by balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. These two represent the basis for all physiological and psychological functions, and they are a part of a person’s subconscious. The bridge between subconsciousness and consciousness is represented by the respiration.

          Through this breathing technique, we can effectively transfer into consciousness the desire for coherence, harmony and wholeness.

          The sympathetic and parasympathetic systems are responsible for bipolar nerve stimulation, and they exercise their functions on the organs, similar to the break and acceleration of a car. Without this dual system, respiration is not possible, and therefore survival.

          The diaphragm and intercostals facilitate the breathing process. This dual action can be highlighted by measuring the galvanic skin response (GSR), which is an useful indicator regarding the functionality of the sympathetic nervous system. For example, breathing for 3 minutes with 5 respirations per minute determine a galvanic average skin response of 60 Kohms, and a sudden breathing change to the frequency of 15 respirations per minute decreases the skin’s impedance to an average of 46.5 Kohms, for another 3 minutes. A new change will lead to new increased impedance through gradual increasement. Increased resistance indicates a high functionality regarding the sympathetic system, and a diminished resistance indicates a decreasement in the sympathetic functions, and the beginning of the parasympathetic actions.

          This dual adjustment method gives us the ability to consciously intervene in the function of the vegetative nervous system, such as not breathing under water or when there is a sand storm.

          In general, the nervous sympathetic system is involved in the body’s survival and it involves the process of producing biotransmitters, such as cortisol and epinephrine. This system determines tachycardia, high blood pressure, increased energy productivity, the contraction of skeletal muscles, slow digestion and many other subtle psychological and physical adjustments. Unfortunately, even with the absence of a sympathetic stimulus, the body maintains an acute and alert reaction.

          That is the reason why many persons live their lives with tachycardia, high muscular tension and a certain anxiety. Many modern illnesses are rooted within the unbalanced vegetative nervous system, dominated by the sympathetic system; in such cases, the body maintains a constant hyperactive status.

          The most common symptoms related to the sympathetic system’s dominance are: tachycardia, high blood pressure, cephalalgia, dysfunction of temporomandibular joint, generalized muscular tension, pain, anxiety, worries, digestive problems, constant meditative ideas, attention deficit (inability to concentrate), lack of energy, sleep disorders. It is important to know that the autonomic nervous system affects every cell. Aging is a primordial function of living beings, but because of sympathetic dominance, all systems are hyperactive, thus substantially contributing to the aging process (a constant hypertension destroys in time the heart, blood vessels and the kidneys).

          Heart Rate Variability

          HRV represents the only non-invasive observation technique regarding the parasympathetic vegetative nervous system, and it can be monitored very efficiently using today’s technology. The value of 72 heartbeats per minute is considered normal, but if we monitor the heartbeats for more minutes, we can see that this value differs from one minute to another. This variation is highly connected with the two involved systems: cardio-pulmonary mechanics and the vegetative nervous system. HRV is a highly intricate dynamic system, non-linear, which requires sophisticated measurements in order to describe the entire complexity that consists of: amplitude, frequency, average value of heartbeats and coherence. The amplitude is the marker for tone and for the response period of cardio-pulmonary system, including the features of the nervous vegetative system; the average value of heartbeats is an indicator regarding the relative relationship sympathetic/parasympathetic; coherence represents the measure of the entire consistence and regularity of HRV. HRV amplitude is tightly connected with the stress level (inverse proportionality).

          The breath’s frequency and profundity vary with stress, and the HRV amplitude varies with respiration.  In other words, stressed people have a tendency to breathe rapidly, fact that activates the sympathetic system and strengthens its reactivity.

          Cardio-pulmonary resonance

          The vertebrates’ cardio-pulmonary system, including the central nervous system consists of an “oscillator” (according to Van der Pol, the pioneer of non-linear and heart dynamics). What we should know about this oscillator, is its intake towards the resonance at its central natural frequency; it will synchronize with the respiratory signal if the signal is synchronous and has enough amplitude. Therefore, the respiratory cycle can modify the oscillator, and the result is HRV. In repose or semi-activity status and breathing 0,085 central frequency, we can obtain HRV signature with maximum amplitude. Many will state that 0,085 Hz central resonance frequency is different from 0,1 Hz; the latter is related with the respiratory frequency of 6 respirations per minute, while 0,085 is related with the respiratory frequency of approximately 5 respirations per minute. The reason for this differentiation is respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Therefore, by learning to feel and to relax we create bridges for the diaphragmatic muscles and intercostals; tensed situations will thereby inhibit the parasympathetic preponderance, thus modifying the autonomic system’s balance.

          The autonomic nervous system coordinates numerous activities that are sincronised with the cycle of heart rate variability. When we inhale, the thoracic pressure becomes negative and the amplitude depends on how prolonged the inhalation is. The thoracic blood vessels become enlarged in order to preserve a higher quantity of blood. The bronchi dilate and the oxygen is transferred into the blood flow. When the arterial walls contract, the heart rate increases; the diminution of arterial blood pressure from periphery is limited.

          When we exhale, the thoracic pressure becomes positive, and the amplitude depends on how prolonged the exhalation is. Due to the increased blood pressure, thoracic blood vessels supply the heart with an increased amount of blood flow; the heart rate drops when respiratory sinus arrhythmia appears; the arterial walls relax, thus limiting the raise of peripheral blood pressure. This adjustment mechanism for blood pressure and the amount of oxygen in the blood stream also balances the blood pH.

          That is the reason why it is very important to learn the adequate breathing techniques, in order to rebalance the body and to beneficiate from a healthy life.

          During resonance, the body is in a semi-active or restful sate, but the blood flows rapidly. In traditional Chinese medicine there is a whole symptomatology referring to blood stagnation, and they know for certain that Qi energy is responsible for circulating the blood. Therefore, the blood’s stagnation leads to Qi energy stagnation. The Qi energy’s principal source is respiration, and the respiration circulates the blood.

          Coherence respiration

          Coherence, as an expression of “wholeness”, in a living system, represents a complete transparency, and the system’s components are in complete and instantaneous communication. In physical terms, coherency means continuity and consistency, and in heart rate variability terms, it means balance, communication and unity of the whole body.  In neurofeedback circles, coherence is used to express psycho-physiological balance, term similar to wholeness. The psycho-physiological association to the vegetative nervous system’s balance determines a physical comfort followed by relaxation, increased deep breaths, decreased frequency, a more efficient cellular gas exchange, increased amplitude of heart rate variability with lowered arterial blood pressure; on a brain related level it determines easiness in thinking, clarity, sensibility moderation, uncensored and fluent communication between mind and body, a strong short term memory, intuition increasement, extended consciousness sphere and openness to new ideas.
During the inhalation period, the principal action is controlled by the sympathetic and a minimum by the parasympathetic, while during exhalation the minimal action is sympathetic and the major action is due to the parasympathetic. The resonance relates to the neutral balance status between the two: the sympathetic, which produces muscular tension, anxiety, mental uneasiness and discomfort and the parasympathetic, where these feelings are replaced by feelings of relief, mental peace, calmness, comfort and a general well being and harmony mood.

          Cardio-pulmonary resonance can be obtained both consciously and subconsciously. Some people focus on positive emotions, harmony, appreciation, thus preserving an autonomic balance and a resonance of cardiac and respiratory rhythms. This balance level will determine an emotional balance, which in yoga approach is called pranayama.

          There are two ways of managing the autonomic balance and the cardio-pulmonary resonance through respiration: by monitoring heart variability and by synchronizing the respiratory rhythm with heart rate variability. This type of respiration, applied only for a few minutes, can calm and relax an anxious person.

          The on-going studies point out with clarity the fact that in deep breathing, the resonance is highlighted when there is a robust heart rate variability, along with a high degree of coherence; the bioenergy increases, and in time, it determines a measurable increasement regarding the biocurrent, this being the result of increased biopotential or decreased body impedance or both.

          Heart rate variability is responsive to aerobic exercises; breathing coherency can be obtained easier by yoga, martial arts, sports or dance practitioners, and it represents an accuracy indicator regarding the biological age, strongly connected with all mortality causes.  A fundamental Taoist yoga concept states that: “Man is born with respiration anchored in his abdomen. While he ages, the anchor diminishes, the respiration floats in his thoraces, advances upwards to his throat and in the end is released through the mouth, resulting in death”.  This metaphor shows the importance of breathing, as an energy source; bioenergy increasement strengthens health, healing, mental health, spiritual experiences and performances.

          Yoga and meditation

          Practicing yoga and meditation determine body changes. In the same manner, by practicing respiration coherency, we can balance the vegetative nervous system, which has similar effects to practicing yoga every moment.

          Tai chi and Qi gong, through slow movements, facilitate conscious breathing; they synchronize the respiration with the body’s action, and are based upon the harmony between yin and yang (that actually represent the two vegetative nervous systems, sympathetic and parasympathetic), thus strengthening the health, longevity and the well being feeling. These two types of exercises have to be practiced in a completely relaxed mood, combined with breathing synchronization: martial art movements that imply extension of the movements are performed when exhaling, in order to activate the parasympathetic, while retraction movements are performed when inhaling, in order to activate the sympathetic. The movement system is created to ensure the balance between the two systems and to create the perfect conditions for meditation.

          Mantras, well known by yoga and meditation practitioners, represent a phrase or a word that has a typical spiritual signification and that is recited many times with the purpose of preserving the state of spiritual meditation. From a psycho-physiological point of view, the reason for reciting mantras has been a great mystery until now, when it was observed that mantras determine cardio-pulmonary resonance and autonomic nervous system balance.

          Throughout the years, great international hits, such as some Beatles songs - I wanna hold your hand, She loves you – or Elvis songs – Love me tender – have the natural comfort zone of 6 seconds for the spoken words and phrases, the whole period being of 12 seconds – the quintessence of fundamental rhythm; the humming of these songs determine the feeling of cardio-pulmonary synchronization and resonance - Stephen Elliott and Dee Edmonson 2006

          From ancient times (1500 B.C) mantras have been used with a certain signification and cadence, correlated with mind and breathing synchronization; mantras are similar to the 6/12 seconds fundamental rhythm (autonomic nervous system period of time); when a large group of people sing together, the human body’s electromagnetic field becomes very strong during cardio-pulmonary resonance. It is also known that a person’s resonant field power can affect other people’s fields in order to synchronize them.

          Examples of such mantras that respect the inhalation and exhalation interval of 6 seconds each are: Om, Ham Sah, Om Mani Padme Hum, and Sat Nam. Just as mantras, mudras have the same balancing effect on the vegetative nervous system and therefore they facilitate meditation (meditation is possible only when there is a balance between the two systems). Even yoni mudra is an antique form of biofeedback through heart rate variability.

          Zen meditation uses the same technique as biofeedback. In Tantric and Shaivist systems, this state of mind represents the basis for meditation, a higher level of yoga experience. During meditation, biocurrents are doubled and their power tripled, as a result of internal bioenergy activation, natural, (on the level of acupunctural meridians that have been determined through precise measurements).

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