Heart Rate Variability & the Month of Cheshvan

Heart Rate Variability

In Cheshvan( חֶשְׁוַן), we leave the warm, extroverted summer months and begin to retreat inwards. Cheshvan is known as, “Mar (Bitter) Cheshvan” because of the lack of holidays and energy channels to connect to. This month could feel like we are spiritually falling from the last month, Tishrei, which was filled with holidays and a celebrations. The highs and lows are what makes us alive! Cheshvan is the “descent”, the bitter downfall, from the bluffs of the high holidays. Just like a heartbeat, the ups and the downs are what enlivens us! A healthy Heart Rate Variability is a measure of our long term, basic well-being.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a biological marker of the autonomic nervous system, our body’s survival mechanism. It has 2 branches: the SNS and the PNS:

The SNS (sympathetic nervous system) uses adrenaline, and other chemicals, to take an action and fuel the movement of the body.

The PNS (parasympathetic nervous system) regulates the body (through acetylcholine) to regulate digestion, healing, sleep, dreaming, etc.

Optimal functioning of these two systems is what helps us live at a high frequency.

The measure of Heart Rate Variability is the healthy balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways.

Inhale: activates the SNS, increases the heart rate

Exhale: activates the PNS, decreases the heart rate

Healthy individuals with a balanced HRV are able to remain calm during turbulence, choose to respond instead of react, assess what is happening in a situation and take the best action. A high heart rate variability is associated with health and longevity.

An individual with a poor HRV are easily thrown off balance. The minimal fluctuations of the heart rate has detrimental effects on the body and the mind. The lack of coherence between heart rate and breath can make the body vulnerable to many physical illnesses (heart diseases, cancer) and mental problems (such as depression, chronic stress, anxiety, and PTSD).

Thankfully, evidence-based studies have proven that YOGA improves Heart Rate Variability! Particularly, yoga infused with slow breathing techniques, (such as alternate nostril breathing, ocean breath, etc) can increase the vagal tone and improve HRV. This is why yoga can calm your brain, heart and gut. (Body Keeps the Score)

This Cheshvan, we practice these slow breathing techniques and accept and acknowledge both the valleys and peaks of our emotional wellbeing.

Cheshvan is an auspicious time to pay attention to your breath patterns. Use these questions as a self-assessment. Know that your breathing patterns change depending on the time of day , mood, and situation. Check-in with these questions throughout your yoga practice and throughout your spiritual journey.

Breath Check-In: How Do I Breath?

(Go through this checklist, and write down all of the patterns that apply to you )

• My breath feels smooth

• My breath is shallow

• I breathe into my upper chest

• I don't feel the movements of my breath

• I breathe into my belly

• I hold my breath when I inhale

• I don't exhale fully

• I hold my breath after breathing out and hesitate on the inhale

• I feel anxious when I pay attention to my breath

• I feel calm observing my breath

Alternative Nostril Breathing

One great breathwork practice is called, Alternative Nostril Breathing. This technique helps balance the two hemispheres of your brain, reduces insomnia, clears subtle energy channels, improves focus, supports the lungs, reduces stress, and supports healthy blood circulation. This breathwork practice stimulates the Vagus Nerve, which calms the heart, brain, and gut* (the body part of the month of Cheshvan). This technique is an accessible and simple way to bring you back to your center in times of chaos, stress, or unease.*Brown & Gerbarg, 2005 (Yogic Breathing in Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression)

Tips: Try to match the length of your inhalations, exhalations, and pauses. Option to set the pointer finger on your third eye throughout the cycle for a balance point. Please refrain from this practice if you are on the 1st or 2nd day of your menstrual cycle, or if you are pregnant.

Step 1:

Close your eyes, settling into the moment.

Step 2:

Using your right Hand, close off your Right nostril with

your thumb and inhale through the Left Nostril, slowly and deeply.

Step 3:

At the top of your inhale, close off the left nostril with your Right ring finger. Let go on your Right nostril.

Step 4:

Exhale all the way through the Right nostril. Pause at the end of the exhalation.

Step 5:

Inhale through the Right Nostril slowly. At the top of the inhalation, close the right nostril with the thumb. Release your left nostril and release the breath out. Briefly pause.

Step 6:

Continue this cycle for 5-10 minutes.

Step 7:

Pause, and notice the effects of your practice. Allow the subtle energy shifts to integrate and sink in. Reflect or journal on your experience.

Breathwork Reflection

Breathwork can be very powerful and transformative. Breathing practices can relax your psychological defenses and release a flow of unconscious material to surface, such as forgotten memories or buried emotions. It's very important to reflect and monitor your experiences as you feel changes arise during your practice. Slow down and check in with yourself, often.

How was this practice for you? Was it easy or challenging, and why?

How did your focus, clarity, or thoughts shift before and after the practice?

How many rounds of this practice were you comfortable with? What body sensations did you experience?