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Yoga, QiGong and Breathing useful in the COVID-19 Pandemics?

In recent years, researchers increasingly focus on the benefits of breathing exercises and its significant health potential. Conscious breathing practice intended to achieve specific health goals is mostly represented in the eastern medicinal traditions, which include different movement-contemplative exercises, such as yoga, qi gong or tai chi.

Although part of the medical community believed that the best approach for COVID-19 epidemics is to cover the respiratory ways by face-masks in order to eliminate contagiousness, there is another medical viewpoint presenting remarkable benefits of conscious breathing exercises including yoga, qi gong and tai chi, which result in better psycho-immune equilibrium.

The health-beneficial effect of breathing is very complex; we invite you to learn more in our “Applied techniques” section.

Breathing interconnects and affects different regulatory systems of the body, including the cardiorespiratory system, psycho-immune system or the autonomic nervous system.

Mindful breathing generally induces a restorative condition, thus eliminates the consequences of stress-induced pathologic mechanisms.

Another hypothesis suggests an ultrarapid extracellular communication pathway (proton transmission mediated through the matrix of hyaluronic acid) which may also contribute in the holistic regulating effect.

Further to this topic we are happy to share one recently published review, which shows the health potentials of breathing practices, which, by having a high benefit–cost ratio, could be implemented as a standard routine in public health programs:

Mendo B, Gonçalves M, Lopes L, Matos LC, Machado J. Can Yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi Breathing Work Support the Psycho-Immune Homeostasis during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Narrative Review. Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Oct 2;10(10):1934. doi: 10.3390/hea

Breathing exercises, yoga and qi gong are implemented in all of our Mehana Programs. You are very welcome to choose one for you!

Dec 5, 2022

Author: Kristina Höschlová