Breathless?….
Breathe less!

The counter-intuitive science of slow breathing…

SlowFlow is a specially made breathwork journey available to all Aria Breath members.

The transformative challenge is designed to help you adapt to a slower breathing rhythm over the course of 3 to 6 weeks depending on where you are starting from.

How it works…

Each day you are invited to engage in a 10-minute, musical breathwork practice; gradually slowing your breathing pace in time with soothing music.

By breathing with the calming sounds in each new session, you will be guided towards a profound shift in your body that will impact many areas of your health.

Experiment with 9 different pieces of music in multiple descending speeds; each inspired by the glacially slow movement of the celestial bodies of our solar system. Each track is mastered in 7 different, gradually slower rhythms as you progress through the programme..

Why take the Challenge?

For many lucky people, slow breathing is synonymous with relaxation… But, paradoxically, it can provoke anxiety in others.

Rather than being relaxing, some people find that slow breathing makes them feel breathless and causes the desire to take deep, rapid breaths.

This makes what should be a relaxing experience of breathing at the restorative "resonance frequency" (around 5 or 6 breaths per minute) difficult and unpleasant.

If you find that slow breathing provokes stress rather than relaxation, this challenge is for you!

Counter-intuitively, what causes this sensation is not the oxygen levels the body falling, but rather the levels of carbon dioxide in the body rising – it is CO2, naturally released into your bloodstream as your cells burn energy, that triggers the urge to breathe.

If you, hold your breath for a few seconds and explore the sensation of air hunger, you may notice it can feel very similar to the feeling of anxiety.

Because breath is such a primal survival need, when the stimulus for air hunger is not tuned correctly, it can feel overwhelming – ­triggering strong, anxiety-like sensations and emotional reactions.

This is why slow breathing can cause anxiety for some people – taking less breaths means we move less air through the body, and keep more CO2 in our blood stream… leading to air hunger, feelings of breathlessness, and the anxiety that comes with it.

The amount of time before the feeling of air hunger arises as we hold the breath varies from person to person.

But, the really good news is that it is not set in stone for anyone – we can quickly diminish the sensation of air hunger… and then in turn erase the anxiety that comes with it.

How can we achieve this? – You guessed it! By getting used to breathing more slowly...

SlowFlow aims to redefine your relationship with air hunger, transforming slow, rhythmic breathing from a source of discomfort to a source of tranquillity.

Completing the SlowFlow Training gives you the opportunity to recalibrate your body's CO2 relationship, making slow breathing feel natural and enjoyable. You'll be able to breathe at the resonance frequency without discomfort, unlocking the full restorative potential of the Aria Breath music library!

Are you ready for slow progress?!

Or read on for more details…

The Benefits of practicing slower breathing…

As you practice breathing with the music in SlowFlow, and increase the CO2 levels in your body, you will unlock body-wide benefits during every session, including:

• Improved Oxygenation: Despite the logical assumption that faster breathing should lead to more oxygen being delivered, in fact, slower breathing actually improves oxygen delivery to your cells due to a phenomenon called the "Bohr effect" (more on that later!).

• Increased Blood Flow: Because CO2 in the bloodstream causes vasodilation, breathing slowly and keeping more CO2 on the inside, leads to optimal blood flow – delivering nutrients throughout your body.

• Optimised Blood Pressure: Slow, diaphragmatic breathing leads to more finely tuned baroreceptors above the heart (the special sensors that measure your blood pressure) – improving the sensitivity of these receptors helps your body to support optimal blood pressure. This is especially true after you are comfortable to slow down to 8 breaths per minute and lower.

• Enhanced Mental Clarity: The meditative aspect of syncing your breath with music can improve focus, mindfulness, and mental clarity, but this is further supported by increased blood flow and oxygenation in the brain caused by increased CO2.

• Reduced anxiety: The deliberate slowing of your breath activates the parasympathetic nervous system, fostering a state of deep relaxation and a sense of well-being. This is especially apparent once you reach 6 breaths per minute!

• Increased Resilience: By aligning your breathing with the calming influence of music and increasing CO2 tolerance, you may begin to notice lower anxiety levels and enhanced resilience to stress… but remember, the process itself may not feel relaxing to begin with!

Ready to get started?

Want to know more?

Watch the mini-documentary “Breathe-In Harmony” to find out why music matters…