Most people take their breathing for granted as an automatic function that keeps them alive, nothing more. However, ancient cultures saw breath very differently. In centuries-old yoga practices, breath work is seen as a tool that can be applied in meditation or healing for profound effects.
Yogic breathing is actually the origin of a popular modern health trend called 4-7-8 breathing. 4-7-8 breathing is one of several rhythmic breath patterns used to bring about a specific outcome.
What are the Benefits of 4-7-8 Breathing?
If you are feeling stressed, anxious, or can’t sleep, chances are it’s your sympathetic nervous system that is in control. It controls your fight or flight response that triggers the release of stress hormones, and makes your breathing shallower and your heart beat faster. By slowing down your breathing, or using techniques that encourage deeper more diaphragmatic breathing, you can flip the switch in your body telling it to rely more on your parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is what calms you down, turning off the cascade of stress hormones.
While this is certainly part of the benefit of 4-7-8 breathing, research shows other possible benefits: reduced blood pressure, improved heart and lung function, reduced frequency and severity of migraine headaches, and improved quality of life for those with chronic conditions.
How to do 4-7-8 Breathing
The 4-7-8 breathing technique is straightforward and simple. It works better if you are lying down in a prone or supine position, or seated with good posture, keeping your spine straight.
Once you are ready, place your tongue so it is gently touching the roof of your mouth. Keep your tongue there for the duration of the exercise.
Relax as you inhale through your nose for a count of 4, then hold your breath for a count of 7, then exhale out of your mouth for a count of 8.
If you’re the sort of person who responds better to prompts, here’s a video you can follow:
If you find you are straining to hold your breath, or struggling to exhale slowly enough, simply quicken the pace of the 4-7-8 count, and slow it down over time as your body adjusts gradually and comfortably to a more relaxed pace.
The Interaction Between Breath and Skin Health
Those who experience severe and/or chronic skin conditions such as eczema, TSW, psoriasis, or acne, often suffer from sleep problems. It can be very hard to sleep due to pain, oozing, and itching. They also suffer from higher levels of stress and anxiety (When will my next flare-up be? When will my face look normal again?), as well as depression. Deep breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, and other relaxing rhythmic breathing techniques may help skin patients relax and calm down naturally, helping them sleep better and boosting their mood.
Our lungs, much like our skin, are also a major detoxifying organ of the body. The more we can keep them healthy, inhaling and exhaling deeply to expel the body’s waste products, the less work placed on other organs to pick up the slack.
Lungs are also related to the skin in Traditional Chinese Medicine as both surfaces are exposed to the environment, and both are sensitive to fluctuations in the immune system that cause allergies. Many people who suffer from eczema or psoriasis also suffer from asthma and respiratory allergies. It’s not uncommon for both their skin and their respiratory symptoms to share the same flare-up triggers.
Conclusion
The beneficial effects of breathing techniques such as 4-7-8 breathing, show that our whole body’s health profile is interconnected. Our breath, mood, physical health, and skin health, all impact each other, and what is good for one is likely good for all.
Want to Learn More About Skin Health?
Click HERE to get the Amethyst Holistic Skin Solutions Newsletter. You’ll receive interesting information about skin health via articles, before/after pictures, case studies of Amethyst patients, videos, interviews and more. Feel free to share this article with someone who you think may benefit.
About the Author
Olivia Hsu Friedman, LAc, Dipl.OM, DACM, Cert. TCMDerm, is the owner of Amethyst Holistic Skin Solutions and treats Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, and TSW. Olivia treats patients via video conferencing using only herbal medicine. Olivia is Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Acupuncturists, serves on the Advisory Board of LearnSkin, and is a faculty member of the Chicago Integrative Eczema Group sponsored by the National Eczema Association.