The article in question is "Proper Breathing Brings Better Health", written by Christophe Andre, and was published on 15 January. The Scientific American posted a promotional tweet describing the set of exercises as "cardiac coherence breathing". It was this rechristening of the practice that irked Indians on Twitter.
Pranayama is integral to Yoga, practised since ancient times in India. It consists of breathing exercises, some of them quite exotic. Practitioners have advised people to do them for stress relief, freedom from insomnia and for myriads of psychosomatic illnesses.
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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
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
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
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Sankrant Sanu mocked the article, elucidating how modern science tends to hijack traditional knowledge.
1. Steal knowledge from ancient cultures and native traditions
— Sankrant Sanu सानु (@sankrant) January 28, 2019
2. Rename it and erase origins
3. Claim it as your invention, attack native traditions as “superstition.”
History of the West. These techniques come from yoga, developed over millennia of research in India.
"Copy paste and rename", said another Twitter user.
Copy, Paste, Rename n Boast.
— Shashidhar 🇮🇳 (@unitedindia2025) January 28, 2019
Nevertheless, there were few who opined that the article did give due credit to ancient Yoga.
“Pranayama (“breath retention”) yoga was the first doctrine to build a theory around respiratory control, holding that controlled breathing was a way to increase longevity.”
— SBKol (@SBKolmus) January 29, 2019
The article gives due credit to our yoga.
they have given us credit this time. pic.twitter.com/ihY2sHT6BW
— #OpenSourceSM🚩 (@DesiVigyan) January 27, 2019
