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CEREBRAL BREATHING

Our whole body structure is in rhythmical breath motion. Each breath stimulates anelectromagnetic field across the upper body, which modulates the transfer of signals that

continually communicate up and down the intricate spinal column. The central nervous

system and the body's cellular structure are sensitive to internally-generated and externalelectromagnetic signals. The living cells are detectors of weak, periodic electric fields.

Earth and solar-system extremely low frequencies (ELF) are absorbed within the cell's

structure and supply the energy to do the work of the cellular functioning. Your breath

rate sets the body rhythm; the music of the Earth seems to control this biologicfunctioning. The heart muscles resonate at a fundamental node frequency within the

spectrum associated with the planetary circumference. The heart muscle crystals serve as

sensory receivers and energy transducers. The blood acts as an important carrier of bio-information throughout the body.

We move and live within a vast spectrum of electromagnetic vibrations which continually

communicate with our life structure. All of the planets and most of their moons have

fundamental frequencies which align exactly within our spectrum of prominent brain-wave rhythms. The body reverberates with the wind of electromagnetic Light; every cell

listens to the drumbeat and sings its own unique chord, inducing resonant vibrations

throughout the quivering cellular molecules. Your conscious attention watches the

swinging gate of breath and selects the cohering rhythm to align your bio-system.

A rhythm of alternating cerebral dominance exists in humans. This rhythm is tightlycoupled with the nasal cycle, which shifts in airflow through the left and right nostrils.

Greater EEG amplitudes of one brain hemisphere correspond to predominant airflow inthe opposite nostril. The nasal cycle is known to be regulated by the sympathetic and

parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Forced nostril

breathing in one nostril produces a relative increase in the EEG amplitude in the opposite

hemisphere.

A number of different research laboratories have reported evidence of the existence of a

natural rhythm with ultradian periodicity of alternating dominance between the two

cerebral hemispheres in awake humans. EEG experiments have also provided evidence

for rhythms of alternating cerebral cortical activity during sleep, which are coupled to thephases of REM (rapid eye movement) and nonREM sleep cycles. This rhythm of the

Central Nervous System (CNS) demonstrates a tight coupling of the brain to the nasal

cycle, where greater EEG amplitudes correspond to enhanced airflow in the oppositenostril.

The nasal cycle describes an ultradian rhythm of the relative efficiency of breathing in the

left and right nares with an average period during waking of 2-3 hours. The ancient yogic

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literature also describes this alternating breathing rhythm with suggested period

alignment with the external planetary and cosmic cycles.

The nasal cycle is regulated by the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of theANS. Unilateral sympathetic dominance produces vasoconstriction and decongestion in

one nare, while a simultaneous parasympathetic dominance exists in the other, producinga vasodilation and congestion of that nare, thereby reducing airflow.

Recent studies of the nasal cycle comparing plasma levels in the venous circulationdemonstrate alternating levels of norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine on the two

sides of the body with the rhythm of the sympathetic activity in the nose. In addition, the

observation of color change in newborn babies has been confirmed to be in rhythm with

nasal alternations.

The hypothalamus may be responsible for regulating the cyclical changes in nasal

resistance. Experimental evidence shows that the hypothalamus does directly influence

the sympathetic innervation of the nasal mucosa. A lateralized vasoconstriction on oneside of the brain and the relative dilation of blood vessels on the other may be the means

by which a central mechanism regulates the alternating dominance of the cerebral

hemispheres.

The endogenous rhythm of alternating cerebral dominance is tightly coupled to the nasalcycle; this suggests that unilateral, forced nostril breathing does selectively alter the

pattern of cortical dominance as exhibited by EEG amplitude activity. Enhanced

cognitive performance was correlated with forced breathing through the opposite nostril,

and forced nostril breathing exercises produce a shift in the dominance of the EEGamplitudes in the two hemispheres. An untrained individual can use unilateral forced

nostril breathing to alter their cerebral activity. The increased EEG amplitudes reflectenhanced mental activity.

The testing of performance efficiencies of verbal and spatial tasks during both phases of

the nasal cycle resulted in demonstrating that verbal efficiency is greater while the

subjects were breathing primarily in the right nostril and that spatial skills were enhanced

during left nostril dominance. The experiments with unilateral forced nostril breathinghelp to further define the relationship between the nasal cycle and the alternating of EEG

activity on the two sides of the brain. This inter-hemispheric association has been

proposed to determine a given individual's mental perspective at any given moment.

The nasal mucosa is one of the most abundant tissues that is innervated by both thesympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

Greater airflow or decongestion in one nostril is regulated by greater sympathetic activity

in the nasal mucosa of that side. Congestion or diminished airflow is maintained byenhanced parasympathetic dominance.

Enhanced sympathetic dominance in the nasal mucosa would correspond to greater

sympathetic tone in the ipsilateral hemisphere, and therefore, lesser blood flow and

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mental activity. Experiments were performed to investigate the possible effects of

altering the natural phase of the nasal cycle on the pattern of EEG activity in the two

hemispheres. The results indicate that forced nostril breathing through one side cangenerate a relative increase in the EEG activity of the opposite hemisphere. The effect

appeared to be generalized across the entire hemisphere. The effects of the breathing

exercises produced almost immediate changes in the EEG activity.

Experiments have shown the activating effect of hyperventilation through the nose (asopposed to oral breathing) on EEG activity in the cortex in human and nonhuman

species. This suggests that the EEG activity is produced by a neural reflex mechanism in

the superior nasal meatus. This activating effect could be elicited by air insufflation intothe upper nasal cavity without pulmonary exercise. Researchers did find activation of

cortical activity by deep nasal and /or uninostril breathing as opposed to oral breathing.

The consistent and selective effect of forced uninostril breathing in normal subjects on

the general pattern of EEG activity in the hemispheres suggests the possibility of

therapeutic approaches to states where hemispheric dysfunction has been shown to occur.Schizophrenia is associated with greater left cerebral hemisphere dysfunction and

depression and other affective disorders are associated with greater right hemispheredysfunction. Cases of acute personality shift was also accompanied by an immediate shift

in nasal dominance.

The data from these studies clearly suggest that individual conscious awareness and

control of the breathing rhythms offer a means of synchronizing ones attention with thebody vibrations, the cellular rhythms and the mental activity. In addition, this cyclical

awareness offers a means of selecting types of mental activity and enhancing its probable

output efficiency.

REFERENCES:

Alternating Cerebral Hemispheric Activity. Werntz, Bickford, Bloom, Shannahoff-

Khalsa; Human Neurobiology (1983) 2:39-43

Alternating Lateralization of Plasma Catechcolamines and Nasal Patency in Humans.

Kennedy, Ziegler, Shannahoff-Khalsa; Life Sciences, Vol.38, pp,1203-1214.1986

Nasal Airflow Assymmetries and Human Performance. Klein, Pilon, Prosser,Shannahoff-Khalsa; Biological Psychology 23 (1986)

Selective Hemispheric Stimulation by Unilaterial Forced Nostril Breathing;. Werntz,

Bickford, Shannahoff-Khalsa; Human Neurobiology (1987) 6:165-171.

Nature's Finer Forces; Rama Prasad; Theosophical Pub.House; Madras, India; 1947.

Rhythms of Being; E. E. Richards; The Third International Keely Conference, Phil.,Pa.1990.

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