Yoga pill coming soon? New research has uncovered a scientific breakthrough that could lead to a pill offering the same stress-relief benefits as yoga. Experts at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California have identified a brain pathway that plays a crucial role in rapidly alleviating anxiety.
New researchers investigates how voluntary breathing can impact emotional regulation
In a study published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers investigated how voluntary breathing can impact emotional regulation. The findings revealed a pathway in the brain that connects voluntary breathing—such as the breathing exercises performed in yoga and meditation—to the calming of the mind. While it has long been recognized that slowing one’s breath can help alleviate stress and anxiety, the underlying mechanisms have remained unclear until now.
The study discovered a group of cells in the brain’s cortex that transmit signals to the brainstem, which in turn communicates with the lungs. This breakthrough not only explains the physiological process behind breath-based relaxation techniques but also provides scientific support for practices like yoga.
Yoga pill could replicate the calming effects of meditation
This discovery opens the door to the possibility of developing a “yoga pill,” a drug that could replicate the calming effects of these breathing exercises to help treat anxiety.
Sung Han, the senior author of the study, expressed excitement about the discovery, noting that understanding this “top-down breathing circuit” has been a long-standing challenge in neuroscience. “It’s exciting to find the neural mechanism that explains how slowing down breathing can control negative emotions like anxiety and fear,” Han told the Los Angeles Times.
Anxiety medication affects many areas of the brain that control different behaviors. However, drug Han hopes to see in the future would only target the brain circuit responsible for controlled and conscious breathing.
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