Researchers have already reported (Lee, Elhaouij and Picard, 2021) that breathing is an interesting field, because during breathing we can have voluntary control that can be adjusted to the external stimulus. In our master's thesis, we used abdominal breathing techniques for facilitating synchronization and found out if the influence of external sensory input (rhythm) affects the coordination of the parameters of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in the participants. The effect of the rhythm on the coordination of ANS was verified in a quantitative way by measuring the physiological state of the person based on heart rate variability (HRV), skin conductance level (EDA) and the temperature of the participants' fingers by wearing measuring rings. We were interested in whether the participants who performed the breathing techniques while listening to the rhythm had physiological markers of ANS more coordinated (with the rhythm) than the participants who performed the breathing without the rhythm. We were also interested in the level of entrainment within the group. We found that rhythm can induce lower arousal of the ANS in participants, but we had too small of a sample for the results to be statistically significant. The group that performed the technique in silence also showed a greater degree of relaxation, but only when measuring the temperature of the fingers. Our findings highlight the complex interplay between environmental factors and autonomic regulation, suggesting that the choice of auditory environment can significantly influence the physiological outcomes of breathing techniques.
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