June 2001

The health benefits of deep breathing

"Several studies have shown that learning to take deep, slow breathes--a standard feature of yoga-can ease stress and, if done regularly, cause a sustained reduction in blood pressure. Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration approved a medical device for treating high blood pressure that uses sound patterns to help people learn that breathing technique. Three clinical trials showed that otherwise healthy people who used the device 10 to 15 minutes a day for six to eight weeks lowered their systolic blood pressure (the upper number) by 7 to 16 mm/Hg and their diastolic pressure (the lower number) by 2 to 11 mm/Hg. " (For more information, call the manufacturer toll-free at 877-988-9388.)