Summary rVNS breathing

rVNS breathing consists of 2 parts.

1. Breathe in slowly through your nose into your stomach.
2. Breathe out very slowly through your mouth. This works best with a hōki, which automatically slows your exhalation through the right counter pressure. In addition, in stressful and anxious situations, you don't have the nerve to control your exhalation. The hōki helps you in these situations.

How does rVNS breathing reduce anxiety & stress?

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for states of anxiety and stress. When we are stressed this increases blood pressure, breathing rate, makes you sweat more and generally makes you feel unbalanced.

The autonomic nervous system is also responsible for relaxation. And this is largely due to the vagus nerve. When the vagus nerve is activated, stress hormones are reduced, your blood pressure and heart rate decrease and you generally feel deeply relaxed [ 1 ]

That's exactly what we use. We can activate the vagus nerve through rVNS breathing [ 2 ]

Because the relaxation response occurs immediately after the nerve is activated, rVNS breathing is an ideal tool in anxious and stressful situations in everyday life. Whether in the car, before an important presentation or exam, at social events or on the plane: simply take a few rVNS breaths quickly with the hōki and you will feel more relaxed again.

Is this all scientifically proven? In any case. Please read our detailed article here with over 50 sources.