A “yoga pill” to end anxiety? Neuroscientists discover a brain circuit that instantly deflates stress
LA TimesYour heart is racing, your arms are tingling and your breathing is shallow. Sung Han, senior author of the study, says he’d like to one day see a “yoga pill,” as he calls it, on the market to ease anxiety. That’s the aforementioned “circuit.” The discovery validates soothing behavioral practices such as yoga, mindfulness and even “box breathing” — the latter a technique that involves repeatedly breathing in, then holding your breath, for four-second counts in order to relieve stress — because it grounds these behavioral practices in science. “If you’re in panic, breathing techniques alone may not be sufficient to suppress anxiety,” Han says. “To target the slow breathing circuit, we need to understand the opposite circuit, so we can avoid targeting it,” Han says.
History of this topic
Yoga in a pill box: Study discovers how the brain controls slow breathing, meditative thoughts
Hindustan Times
Prescribing calmness: Could a pill provide the benefits of yoga?
Firstpost
Breakthrough brain discovery may lead to ‘yoga pill’, scientists say
The Independent
Yoga in a pill? Groundbreaking research might bring about prescription calmness
LA Times
How Weeks of Yogic Care Helped Me Win Over My Mental Health Battles - News18
News 18
Yoga exercises for lowering heart disease risk factors
Hindustan Times
These Breathing Exercises Can Help you Cope with Anxiety, Relieve Stress
News 18Discover Related