The 10-Second Rhythm Hidden in Prayer

In 2001, a team of researchers in Italy set out to test whether prayer could strengthen the natural rhythms of the human heart. They connected 23 healthy adults to heart and blood pressure monitors. Then they asked the volunteers to recite the Ave Maria, a prayer from the rosary, in Latin, and to chant a yoga mantra. [1] These two practices come from very different parts of the world, yet the monitors showed the same result for both. The volunteers' breathing slowed to about six breaths a minute, and the natural rhythms of their hearts grew much stronger. The researchers wrote that both the prayer and the mantra "caused striking and synchronous increases in existing cardiovascular rhythms." [1] Their finding raises a simple question that this article seeks to answer: what makes six breaths a minute so special?

Your heart follows your breath

The first part of the answer is that your heart listens to your breathing. Each time you breathe in, your heart speeds up a little, and each time you breathe out, it slows down a little. [2] This pattern is normal, healthy, and happens with every breath you take. Scientists have also known for a long time that slower breathing makes these small ups and downs in heart rate bigger. [2] In other words, the pace of your breathing works like a dial that you can turn to change the rhythm of your heart.

Your blood pressure has a rhythm of its own

The second part of the answer is that your blood pressure keeps its own steady beat. Your body checks your blood pressure all day long, and it uses your heart to keep that pressure in balance. When your blood pressure rises, your heart slows down, and when your blood pressure falls, your heart speeds up. [2] This system takes a moment to respond, and that short delay gives it a natural rhythm. [2] For most people, the rhythm repeats about once every ten seconds, which works out to six times a minute. [2] This means your body already has a built-in ten-second rhythm, whether you notice it or not.

What happens when the two rhythms line up

When you breathe six times a minute, your breathing and your blood pressure rhythm begin to move together. Each breath takes about ten seconds, so it matches the timing of your body's blood pressure cycle. Researchers Paul Lehrer and Richard Gevirtz compare this effect to a microphone held in front of a speaker. [2] The sound feeds back on itself, and a loud squeal rings out at one single pitch. [2] Your body does something similar, but in a helpful way. At about six breaths a minute, the waves in your heart rate and blood pressure grow bigger and stronger. [3] Your body's blood pressure control system also responds more strongly at this pace. [3] The prayer study showed this same response getting stronger while the volunteers prayed and chanted. [1] When your breath and your blood pressure keep the same time, your body's natural balancing system grows stronger.

Can slow breathing lower blood pressure?

These changes happen in the moment, but the bigger question is what happens when people make slow breathing a habit. Lehrer and his colleagues found that when people practised this kind of paced breathing at home twice a day for about three months, their blood pressure control system grew stronger even while they were resting. [2] They also point to a growing body of evidence that this training can help people with high blood pressure bring it down. [2] A review led by Piyush Garg looked at the wider picture. The team combined 15 studies on many kinds of breathing exercises, and most of the people in those studies had high blood pressure. [4] On average, the breathing exercises lowered the top blood pressure number by about 7 points and the bottom number by about 3 points. They also lowered heart rate by about 2 beats a minute. [4] The researchers called breathing exercises "a safe practice that does not require any equipment." [4] They also wrote that it "could be an important adjunct non-pharmacological modality to control hypertension." [4] In plain English, breathing exercises can work alongside medical treatment for high blood pressure. If you manage your blood pressure with a doctor, include your breathing practice in that plan. The researchers also called for larger and longer studies to confirm the size of these benefits. [4] The evidence so far points in a hopeful direction, and it makes a good case for giving slow breathing a regular place in your day.

How to find your own pace

Six breaths a minute is a helpful starting point, but each person's best pace is slightly different. For most people, that ideal pace sits close to six breaths a minute. [2] When you slow your breathing down, each breath also needs to be a little deeper so that you still take in enough air. [3] The goal is to keep every breath smooth and easy. If you ever feel strained or short of air, speed up a little until you feel comfortable again. A simple way to begin is to breathe in while you slowly count to five and then breathe out to the same slow count of five. That gives you one full breath every ten seconds. With a little practice, you can find the pace that feels right for your own body.

An old rhythm with a new explanation

The researchers behind the prayer study came away with an intriguing idea. They suggested that the rosary "might be viewed as a health practice as well as a religious practice." [1] If they are right, people may have been breathing at this healthy pace for centuries without knowing why it helped. Today, science can explain what those prayers and chants were doing. They slowed the breath until it matched the body's own ten-second rhythm. That rhythm helped the heart and the blood pressure system work together more strongly. Early research suggests that practising that same rhythm regularly may also help bring blood pressure down. [2]

The best part of this discovery is that you already carry this tool with you everywhere you go. At O₂xy Wellness in Red Deer, our mantra is "Breathe deeply. Heal well." The ten-second rhythm is one of the simplest ways to live them out, because it costs nothing and needs only your own breath. You can practise it before bed, in the car before work or while you wait for an appointment. The studies in this article looked at breathing exercises on their own, so slow breathing is an everyday habit that sits alongside hyperbaric oxygen therapy and the other care you receive at our clinic. Try a few slow breaths today, and notice how your body responds.

Sources

[1] Bernardi, L., Sleight, P., Bandinelli, G., Cencetti, S., Fattorini, L., Wdowczyc-Szulc, J., & Lagi, A. (2001). Effect of rosary prayer and yoga mantras on autonomic cardiovascular rhythms: Comparative study. BMJ, 323(7327), 1446–1449. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7327.1446

[2] Lehrer, P. M., & Gevirtz, R. (2014). Heart rate variability biofeedback: How and why does it work? Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 756. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00756

[3] Russo, M. A., Santarelli, D. M., & O'Rourke, D. (2017). The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human. Breathe, 13(4), 298–309. https://doi.org/10.1183/20734735.009817

[4] Garg, P., Mendiratta, A., Banga, A., Bucharles, A., Piccoli, M. V. F., Kamaraj, B., Qasba, R. K., Bansal, V., Thimmapuram, J., Pargament, R., & Kashyap, R. (2024). Effect of breathing exercises on blood pressure and heart rate: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Cardiology Cardiovascular Risk and Prevention, 20, 200232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcrp.2023.200232