Influence of Mindfulness-Based Breathing Exercises on Autonomic Balance, Blood Pressure, and Salivary Cortisol Levels in Healthy Adults
Updated: Sep 10
Research Article | 2024 | Volume-1 | Issue-2 | Page 33-43
1) Dr. Shahan Layek, Independent Researcher, West Bengal, India
2) Dr. Manoj Kumar, Tutor, Department of Physiology, JHMC-WB
Abstract
Background: Mindfulness-based breathing exercises are increasingly used as a simple, non-pharmacological approach for reducing psychological and physiological stress. Controlled breathing combined with mindful attention may influence autonomic nervous system activity, cardiovascular regulation, and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis responses.
Objective: To evaluate the influence of mindfulness-based breathing exercises on autonomic balance, blood pressure, and salivary cortisol levels in healthy adults.
Methods: A prospective interventional study was conducted among healthy adults who participated in a structured mindfulness-based breathing program. The intervention consisted of slow, controlled breathing with focused awareness practiced regularly for a predetermined period. Autonomic function was assessed using heart rate and heart rate variability parameters, including time- and frequency-domain indices. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured using a standardized automated device. Salivary cortisol samples were collected under standardized conditions as a non-invasive marker of physiological stress. Pre- and post-intervention measurements were compared to determine the effects of the breathing intervention.
Results: Following mindfulness-based breathing exercises, participants demonstrated improvement in autonomic balance, characterized by a reduction in resting heart rate and sympathetic predominance together with increased indices of parasympathetic activity. Significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were also observed. Salivary cortisol concentrations decreased following the intervention, suggesting attenuation of physiological stress. Improvements in autonomic parameters were associated with favorable changes in cardiovascular and stress-related measures.
Conclusion: Mindfulness-based breathing exercises may provide an effective, accessible, and low-cost strategy for improving autonomic regulation, reducing blood pressure, and attenuating physiological stress responses in healthy adults. Regular practice may have potential value in cardiovascular health promotion and stress management. Larger randomized controlled studies with longer follow-up periods are warranted to establish the magnitude and persistence of these effects.