Yoga is an integral part of what many call “Indian culture”, and the breathing technique pranayama has been practiced in the subcontinent for a long, really long time. Close your left nostril with your thumb, inhale for five seconds from the right one and hold your breath. Now close your right nostril and slowly exhale from the left. It’s a long-standing breathing technique that’s been advocated for generations.
This well-known breathing technique has never been a point of contention to rally Indians on Twitter – at least until now. American magazine Scientific American, in its article titled ‘Proper Breathing Brings Better Health’ termed pranayama as ‘cardiac coherence breathing’. “Cardiac coherence’s stabilization of the heartbeat can dampen anxiety powerfully. Conversely, patients with overactive heartbeats are sometimes misdiagnosed as victims of panic attacks because their racing heartbeat affects their mind,” the article states.
Scientific American put out a tweet on Jan 27, uniting Indians everywhere.
Cardiac coherence breathing exercises can stabilize the heartbeat and have a powerful ability to dampen anxiety. https://t.co/jHA8djKOsB pic.twitter.com/Ve7hM0myoW
— Scientific American (@sciam) January 27, 2019
The Scientific American does mention pranayama as “the first doctrine to build theory around respiratory control”, and that these recommendations appeared centuries ago. It then goes on to detail how cardiac coherence is a more popular technique that is around today.
This did not go down well with many Indians, including Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor, who said, “Detailed description of the benefits of the 2500-year-old Indian technique of pranayama, dressed up in 21st c. scientific language as "cardiac coherence breathing"! It's taking the West a few millennia to learn what our ancients taught us millennia ago, but hey, you're welcome...”.
Detailed description of the benefits of the 2500-year-old Indian technique of pranayama, dressed up in 21st c. scientific language as "cardiac coherence breathing"! It's taking the West a few millennia to learn what our ancients taught us millennia ago, but hey, you're welcome... https://t.co/LLltRZ3pP5
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 29, 2019
Twitter then took it upon itself to school the magazine.
A corrective tweet is in order I guess. I am sure you have read the comments below your tweet and the comments on retweets @sciam Time to give its due to where it actually belongs, rather than just repackaging our age old practices and calling them your observations. https://t.co/Zn5RMRm03n
— Arfi Lamba (@arfilamba) January 30, 2019
Americans had problems in pronouncing Anulom Violm, so they named it Cardiac Coherence Breathing. https://t.co/ZXI3KQR5w7
— Nipoon (@NipoonJ) January 30, 2019
If you do this while having your turmeric latte & clarified butter
— Vishal Gondal (@vishalgondal) January 30, 2019
You can live forever @LukeCoutinho17 @RajivMakhni https://t.co/xkAa9bkFen
Another case of Turmeric Latte. Pranayama of Yoga called as "Cardiac Coherence Breathing". Next thing we know, it will be patented and sold back to us terming it as superior way of living. Just saying it existed in ancient cultures is not enough. https://t.co/d7K2DKj6kK
— Renuka Govind (@Renzz2010) January 29, 2019
That's pranayam for you! https://t.co/whFqnkJejQ
— deepakmalani (@deepakmalani) January 30, 2019
Plagiarism at it's best. When the West tries to copy something and rename it show how intelligent they are. https://t.co/4Ry3K06ncC
— Rugwed (@IamRugwed) January 30, 2019
So you mean....... pranayama? https://t.co/GlyxGp9dbQ
— SUSAN (@barnzzy) January 30, 2019
I’ve been doing pranayama for my health since I was 12. I really need the West to stop pretending it invented these things and packaging & selling it back to us in patronizing & racist ways that strip it of cultural identifiers. It’s imperialism under a different name. https://t.co/Mtwq45d2oa
— Aparna Ramen (@aparna_ramen) January 30, 2019
Would you like some cardiac coherence breathing exercises with your chai soy latte and mindfulness-based stress reduction? https://t.co/h8ch4z6WBO
— All-Subduing Smirk Samādhi (@apophaseshift) January 30, 2019
For 5,000 years, this was called pranayama. But, ok. We can call it cardiac coherence breathing. Whatever. https://t.co/cc5tSPwFw9
— Individual 1 is almost done (@ruth_schleifer) January 29, 2019
This is what Indians have been calling pranayama for the past 2500 years. The west loves to rename and claim the stuff we've been doing for millennia https://t.co/AdpeWNeLZN
— Dr. Yasmin (@DoctorYasmin) January 29, 2019