A neuroscientist and author of the book 'The Bridge Where Butterflies Live' explains how the brain, like the body, can be trained to better cope with anxiety.
The author advocates for taking better care of mental health, just as we have normalized going to the gym or taking care of our diet. The researcher proposes an integral approach to well-being that connects biology, consciousness, and breathing.
The title of her book is inspired by two linked concepts: the 'bridges' between neurons that allow for brain plasticity and the 'butterflies' that Ramón y Cajal, considered the father of modern neuroscience, evoked to talk about neurons. The author traces a path between Heidegger's philosophy - building, inhabiting, and thinking - and neuroscience, focusing on three essential actions: building, inhabiting, and thinking.
One focus of her work is breathing as an accessible and powerful tool for emotional regulation. Studies have shown that breathing slowly reduces the activation of brain networks associated with anxiety and mental rumination.
Conscious breathing can also improve attention and memory. Nasal inhalations activate the olfactory bulb and generate electrical impulses to the hippocampus, organizing neurons. What we feel while inhaling through the nose is more likely to be remembered.