Effect of Bhramari Pranayama Practice on Cognitive Functions in Healthy Volunteers

2022 International Journal of Physiology  
Bhramari Pranayama (Humming bee breath) is one of the common slow pranayama practices, which involves inhaling through both nostrils and while exhaling produce sound of humming bee. Practicing pranayama reduces the effects of stress and strain on various systems by increasing the vagal tone. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there are heightened feelings of stress, anxiety and depression and pranayama can be an effective way to improve our mental and emotional well-being. This study has been
more » ... hosen to assess the effect of Bhramari pranayama on cognitive functions and to compare the immediate and training effects of Bhramari pranayama in the study group. An observational study was conducted among 110 students in a medical college aged between 18-22 years for a period of 2 months. The participants were instructed to do 9 rounds of Bhramari Pranayama after which the immediate effect of the Pranayama and 3 weeks of Pranayama practice on cognitive functions was assessed. After training of Bhramari Pranayama for 3 weeks, a statistically significant improvement was observed. The study shows the possibility that Bhramari Pranayama has a beneficial effect on HRV in medical students, as the autonomic balance shifts towards the improvement of parasympathetic tone. The study also showed better attention, concentration and improved cognitive functions immediately after performing Bhramari pranayama which might be due to increased alertness and calmness.
doi:10.37506/ijop.v10i4.3340 fatcat:thvr7jdqebaylotxvngywav6ke