I hum and have always done so. Recently, I have caught myself humming at some odd moments, like when watching presidential election results, reading news about the many wars in the world, working on writing projects and thinking about the approaching holidays. I sometimes hum tunes, sometimes just random sounds, sometimes out loud, frequently under my breath and audible only to myself, and occasionally just inside my head. For some people, humming can be a vocal tic or habit, or even a compulsion. Others hum when they feel happy or when they hear a catchy tune, and I have done that. However, for me,
humming also serves as a calming act when I need to focus and think clearly, or when there is overwhelming stress or excitement. I have practiced it to the point where it is now an automatic response in certain situations.
Broadly defined, humming is the vocal
production of continuous, low-frequency sounds that generate vibrations in the body, triggering various physiological and neurological reactions. So, what happens in the body and brain when someone hums? There are not a lot of studies on just casual humming. However, there is an ancient yoga practice called Bhramari Pranyama or “humming bee breathing” which has long made claims of calming the nervous system and mind. It is done by relaxing, taking a deep breath in through the nose and then, on exhalation through the nose, making a low-pitched humming deep in the throat for as long as comfortable. Humming creates vibrations that move through the larynx, pharynx and chest, and stimulate the vagus nerve - a major component of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which controls involuntary body functions like heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion, and impacts mood. Vagus nerve stimulation activates the ‘rest and digest’ parasympathetic arm of ANS which produces calming and counteracts the ‘fight-or-flight’ sympathetic nervous system active during conditions of chronic stress. Studies of heartrate variability in individuals wearing heart monitors while practicing ‘bee breathing’ show changes reflecting parasympathetic activation and associated with relaxation. In one study, this effect was found to be superior to that of sleep and physical activity on the same parameters.
Humming also greatly increases nitric oxide in the nasal passages and lowers diastolic blood pressure. Not only is this good for overall health, theoretically, the increase in nitric oxide with humming can improve blood flow to the brain, enhancing oxygenation and nutrient delivery, and leading to better cognitive function. Humming is also useful as a way to engage several parts of the brain involved in producing and controlling sound and breathing. In addition, if you hum a tune you know, your brain must also carry out pattern recognition, memory retrieval, and motor planning to produce the correct sound.
Some small studies suggest that humming can stimulate the release of serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins, which may improve mood and reduce anxiety and depression. There may even be melatonin release with humming contributing to improved sleep. Humming can also be practiced as a form of mindfulness to focus on the present moment, improve attention, block out distractions and reduce intrusive thoughts. One study looked at a one-week practice of 10 minutes per day of Bhramari humming in college students and found improved attention and focus on cognitive performance testing. At times, humming occurs when the brain is in a resting state, not focused on external tasks and free to wander, especially in individuals who are musically inclined. Particularly in those instances, after humming, the brain is in a relaxed and open state which can lead to enhanced creativity or problem-solving.
Despite significant interest and many claims about its possible benefits, research on this topic is in the early stages and quite limited. But humming is free, accessible, simple, fun, and can feel pretty good. So whether you prefer a bee buzz, a note or melody, why not give it a try. Happy humming holidays.
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Post by: Nadia Fike
Read more: 1. Goldman, J and Goldman, A. The Humming Effect: Sound Healing for Health and Happiness. Healing Arts Press, 2017. 2. Trivedi, G., et al (2023). Humming (Simple Bhramari Pranayama) as a stress buster: A Holter-based study to analyze heart rate variability (HRV) parameters during Bhramari, physical activity, emotional stress, and sleep. Cureus,15(4). doi: 10.7759/cureus.37527.
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