The Science Behind Breathwork

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The average person breathes over 25,000 times per day, and yet most people don’t consciously focus on breathwork. There is a deep connection between your breath and your physical and emotional wellbeing, but unlike other automatic physical processes, your breath is something you can actively control.

Conscious and focused breathing, or breathwork, has been practiced for centuries by spiritual practitioners, but it has just recently received increased attention from modern scientists. Thus far, studies have found that every single breath we take can have an impact on our anxiety levels, blood pressure, heart rate, and so much more. We’ve only just began to scratch the surface of the multitude of benefits that derive from controlling our breathing.

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How Does Moksha Technology Work?

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We designed the Moksha to slow down your exhale in an engaging way. Our patent-pending breathing tool is scientifically designed to provide the ideal resistance to slow down your exhale, and has a sensor that allows you to interact with hundreds of exercises and games within the Moksha App.

Anxiety

Anxiety is the way our bodies respond to feelings of stress. It is an emotional and physical response that occurs when we feel nervous or fear future or unknown activities, but its effects can often feel debilitating. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues and affects up to 40% of American adults. Whether you feel yourself rapidly breathing, your heart racing, or completely panicked, you aren’t alone.

One of the most common biproducts of anxiety is encouraging shallow breathing. The New York Times writes that the average adult only engages as little as 10 percent of their diaphragm. Shallow breaths can keep you in a constant state of stress, so a combination of anxiety and shallow breathing patterns will cyclically keep you in a state of panic.

In order to break that cycle, Moksha boosts and trains your ability to practice slow and conscious breathwork, a scientifically backed practice to reduce anxiety. While the sympathetic nervous system is triggered by perceived dangers and responsible for energy and adrenaline, the parasympathetic nervous system counteracts this response. Slowing down your exhale signals your vagus nerve and activates your parasympathetic nervous system to calm you down. A study published by the Division of Molecular Psychiatry at the University of Bern states the vagus nerve can be directly influenced by breathing to create resilience and mitigation of anxiety symptoms.

‍Clinical studies on high-anxiety populations further support that deep, diaphragmatic, slow breathwork interventions yield significant stress and anxiety benefits. Through guided meditations and breathing practices, Moksha is engineered to help you create a habit out of slowing down your breath.

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