Your mental health is deeply connected with your breath. Understand anxiety and fear, its epicenter in the brain, the story of a girl who had never experienced fear until scientists discovered her trigger, a discovery that has unfolded another dimension to fear and anxiety. Understand the correlation between fear and your breath and ways you can fix your breath to win over fear and anxiety.

1. Breathing &
anxiety

2. Do you have anxiety?
Check for these symptoms
racing thoughts
shortness of breath
upset stomach
feelings of dread or panic
poor memory
confusion
sweating
feeling restless
constant worry
physical weakness
feeling dizzy
trouble concentrating
Take this anxiety test

3. Anxiety is caused by an overactive
amygdala, part of the brain that has a
size similar to an almond.
anxiety
explained
Anxiety is an oversensitivity to perceived
fear. Fear is the core of all anxieties. Fear of
losing control leads to panic attacks, fear of
gaining weight leads to anorexia.

4. In the late 60s, a girl whom psychologists would
name SM was born with a rare genetic condition
that in a few years destroyed her amygdala. SM
had a normal IQ, memory, and perception. As SM
entered her late teenage years, her sense of fear
diminished.
SM could easily register happiness, confusion, or
the sadness of friends and family, but didn’t have
a clue when someone was scared or threatened.
What if you did not have an
amygdala?

5. SM said she never felt fear, even when threatened
with a knife or a gun. The researchers gave SM an
electronic diary that she carried for three months to
record her emotional state. Fear didn’t make an
appearance in the list of emotions. On a battery of
questionnaires, SM wrote that she wasn’t afraid of
public speaking, death, her heart beating too fast, or
being judged negatively in a social setting.
The girl who knew no fear

6. SM experienced fear for the first time in 30
years when she was made to inhale carbon
dioxide as part of a research study by a group of
neurosurgeons and psychologists.
SM was made to inhale air through an inhaler
mask connected to an inhaler bag that
contained 35% CO2 and the rest room air. Her
shoulder muscles tensed, and her breathing
became labored. She yelled, 'Help me! I cannot
breathe!'
When the girl who knew no
fear experienced fear

7. James Nestor in Breath,
The New Science of a Lost
Art
"The amygdala is not the only
alarm circuit of fear. There is a
deeper circuit. It is a deep fear
and crushing anxiety of being
unable to take another breath."

8. Your breath is
linked with
your emotions.
Breath & fear
Some facts
Quick breathing rates and involuntary
holding of breath trigger fear and anxiety.
Conscious slower breathing -> Reduce
anxiety
If you are suffering from anxiety, you are likely
holding your breath without your knowledge like SM.

9. Sudarshan Kriya
A breathing technique for anxiety
Sudarshan Kriya is a rythmic breathing
technique practiced by millions across the
world. Here is why it works for anxiety.
Stress hormone cortisol
Blood pressure
Emotional regulation
Belongingness hormone
oxytocin that drives
away anxiety
Regulates breathing
pattern and raises
awareness, so that
you don't skip a
breath.

10. What the world is saying

11. How you can learn
Sudarshan Kriya?
You can learn Sudarshan Kriya in a 3-day
workshop (2 hours/ day) conducted by
The Art of Living.
The workshop is available in both online
and offline modes.
The online workshop is called Online
Meditation & Breath Workshop.
The offline workshop also known as the
Happiness Program is conducted in cities
and towns across the world.