Breathing for Vagus Nerve Reset (4-4-6-2)

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Enjoy this breathing exercise to reset your vagus nerve.
This pattern is 4-4-6-2 breathing.
Breathe in 4 seconds
Hold for 4 seconds
Breathe out 6 seconds
Pause for 2 seconds
You can breathe in and out through your nose, or you may find it easier to breathe out through your mouth like you are blowing out a candle.
You take 3.75 breaths per minute when doing this exercise.
This 4-4-6-2 breathing pattern was tested in some research studies and was found to create measurable vagus nerve stimulation.
Vagal Mediation of Low-Frequency Heart Rate Variability During Slow Yogic Breathing
pubmed.ncbi.nl...
Sudarshan Kriya yogic breathing in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and depression
www.researchga...
Slow deep breathing can reset the vagus nerve by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for the rest and digest state, which is the opposite of the fight or flight state. It slows down our heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. This can help to reset the vagus nerve and bring us back to a state of balance.
In addition, slow deep breathing can help to increase vagal tone. Vagal tone is a measure of how active the vagus nerve is. When we have high vagal tone, our vagus nerve is able to better regulate our body's functions, including our heart rate, breathing rate, and digestion.
Slow deep breathing can help to increase vagal tone by stimulating the baroreceptors in our blood vessels. Baroreceptors are sensors that detect changes in blood pressure. When we slow down our breathing and focus on deep breaths, we increase the activity of the baroreceptors, which sends a signal to the brain to slow down the heart rate and blood pressure. This can help to reset the vagus nerve and bring us back to a state of balance.
Here are some of the benefits of slow deep breathing for the vagus nerve:
Reduces anxiety and stress
Improves sleep quality
Reduces inflammation
Improves heart health
Improves digestion
Boosts the immune system
If you are looking for a way to reset your vagus nerve and improve your overall health, slow deep breathing is a great option. It is simple, free, and can be done anywhere.

[@Headfulness]

Try my app Pocket Breath Coach pocketbreathcoach.com. Customize the breathing pattern, listen while using other apps, set sleep timers, and more.

[@andrevandenheever6740]

Had, and still have, digestive problems all my life (66 yrs). Lately getting better since I am working on it in several ways. Other youTuber - creator of a very informative channel recommended that I do hrv breathing. I would think vagal breathing is very much the same since the vagus nerve regulates about all the organs. So I did this and suddenly realised my in breath is weak ( I do meditation, yoga, hrv breathing - Forrest Knutson- ao). This is in spite of the fact that I have very strong and big lungs due to competitive swimming at a younger age. After about 3days of this breathing - 10 minute sessions I sensed that my in breathing was already much better. What I think hapeened at a very young age is that the anesthesia was not administered correctly (I actualky remember an operation where I was not completely out - everything was spinning like crazy). This must have caused a lifelong problem with my breathing which now feels better ( I always sensed something was off with my breathing as if I had problems getting air). Thank you. This helped tremendously!

[@Tildaria]

Well, your description of this breathing exercise ‘takes my breath away’! Beautifully explained! Love it! Thanks a lot!❤ Rock on!🎉 … Now, I got to breathe …😅

[@andrevandenheever6740]

What might be easier is to animate the ball travelling around an oval slower on one side than the other? I tried the pendulum with my head, but it goes out of sight on the right 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Tildaria]

I came back today to do this exercise again.🫁❤

[@CourBarone]

Wow I love this. Perfect breathe and hold times

[@yvonnemariane2265]

and i luv how we first really hear the first wave crash only at 0:43

[@kanchanakrishnan6401]

Very useful...tnq

[@andrevandenheever6740]

I am still doing this exercise daily in the hope of getting my vagal nerve to function as it should and realised that the sharp transitions is not how one breathes. A human makes a gradual transition between the various stages. Find it a bit difficult, but not impossible. It would probably be exponentially more difficult to simulate more rounded transitions in the video, but that would make it easier to follow with more naturally breathing. Maybe it is just that I trained myself "wrong" initially?

[@Headfulness]

I like to think of the transition from inhale to exhale as a ball thrown up in the air. It goes up with some initial speed, starts to slow down, then there is an imperceptible pause as it reaches the top, then falls back down. There is a book called "Let every breath: Secrets of the Russian Breathmasters" that describes it as a pendulum. I'm going to add the rounded transitions to my app soon. I have a few new animations I've been working on.

[@andrevandenheever6740]

@Headfulness What seems to work for me is to track an oval with my head - in goes up on the left - out goes down slower on the right - clockwise round and round. Might be easier to animate such with the ball???

[@allanwhiting5941]

Wow I can breath feels 👌 ok😮

[@VajraYogini93]

🙏🏼💖😮‍💨🙇🏻‍♀️🧚‍♀️💎

[@irism7771]

Hi, Im just starting to learn how to do these breathing exercises. Do I have to do this for the whole 20 minutes when just starting out? Im getting dizzy

[@TheRightSlde]

You can start with 5 mins 2 times a day and build from there. I was told by my doctor. You may want to check with your dr

[@andrevandenheever6740]

Eash person's breathing rythm is quite unique so do what is comfortable for you, but do realise that the breathing muscles also needs exercise, so by working them they get stronger and more effective, so what is intially difficult will get easier over time.

[@JojoDeSantana]

Very good