How Do I Interpret My Data After a Breathing Practice?
Camille Hougardy
August 15, 2024 • 2 min read
Measuring your HRV during your breathing practice in the Komi App can help you build greater awareness of your body's rhythms. How can you use this to enhance your well-being?
The Komi App allows you to measure your biomarkers in real-time during a breathing practice and review them afterward. Keep reading to learn more about how to interpret your data!
Heart rate variability (HRV) will unlock during your breathing practices after you've completed Lessons 1.0-1.7 in the Komi App. You'll be prompted to toggle HRV measurement on before your breathing practices, but you can also find the option in “My Profile.” When you complete a breathing practice with HRV measurement, you'll have to keep your finger on your phone camera throughout your practice just like you would for a morning HRV reading (to learn more about heart rate variability and daily measurement, check out Why Should I Measure My HRV Every Day?).
After you complete your breathing practice with HRV measurement, you'll be brought to a screen that looks something like this:
Figure 1: This is what you will see after you complete a breathing practice with HRV measurement.
Each peak that you see represents one heartbeat. If you were interested, you could count each beat and divide that by the length of your practice to find your average heart rate in beats per minute, but we'll also do that calculation for you.
As you scroll side-to-side through your data, you may notice that some beats appear closer together while others appear farther apart (Figure 2). This is one way of visualizing your heart rate variability.
As you exhale, your heart rate slows down due to input from your parasympathetic nervous system (Yasuma, 2004). When you inhale, the input from your nervous system is reduced and your heart rate will speed back up.
Figure 2: In this image, the heart is beating faster in section A, then it slows in section B, speeds up again in section C, and starts to slow again in section D. It is likely that this variation in heart rate corresponds to the individual's inhale and exhale.
As you continue to practice your breathing in the Komi app, there will be more synchrony between your breathing and heart rate and you'll see this pattern appear in your data more clearly.
If you notice a span of your practice that looks different than the rest, notice at what point in your practice that occurred, and see if you can identify what caused the change.
Figure 3: The highlighted section of data above looks different from the data preceding and following it. This user may have gotten distracted during their practice or briefly moved their finger on the camera.
Something as simple as getting distracted by a car outside or thinking about what you're going to have for dinner later (maybe wondering what your data might look like after you finish your session), shifting your body position, or yawning can be enough to change your body's rhythm. The more you practice noticing when you're getting distracted, or holding tension in your body, the more quickly you can bring yourself back into a place of regulation.
Checking in with your HRV during breathing practices can help you deepen your awareness of your body's rhythms and refine your ability to stay present and focused. Over time, this mindful practice can enhance your overall well-being and bring greater harmony to your daily life.
References
Yasuma, F., & Hayano, J. (2004). Respiratory sinus arrhythmia. CHEST, 125(2), 683-690. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.125.2.683
