Practical Guide to Breathing
How to Breathe Better - Methods and Applications
Breath Toolkit
I. Coherent Breathing
II. Wim Hof Method
III. Coffee, Water, Whiskey Breathing
IV. Free-Diving
I. Coherent Breathing
Optimal breath-rate = 5.5 seconds in : 5.5 seconds out
Ancient Art
Ancient religions practice 6:6 breathing through prayer.
Om Mani Padme Hum - Buddhism
Om "sacred sound of the universe" - Jainism
Sa Ta Na Ma - Kundalini yoga
Khechari - Hinduism
Ave Maria (latin version) - Catholicism
African, Hawaiian, Native American, Buddhist, Taoist, Christian - all developed prayers with a 6:6 breath rate.
Modern Science
Where:
2001, University of Pavia, 2 dozen subjects.
Measurements:
Record changes in blood flow, heart rate, nervous system activity.
Experiment:
Compare biometrics between
reciting religious prayers/mantras
baseline state
Participants recite
Buddhist mantra (Om Mani Padme Hum)
Catholic Ave Maria (Latin version of the rosary)
As stated, these prayers induce a 6 : 6 second breath-rate.
Researchers Patricia Gerbard and Richard Brown discovered:
Blood flow to brain increased
Coherence between bodily systems
Heart, circulation, nervous system coordinate to peak efficiency
Harmony, coherence, unity
Coherent Breathing
Optimal Breath Rate = 5.5 : 5.5 seconds
5.5 : 5.5 = 11 second breath-cycle
= 5.5 breaths/minute (spooky symmetry)
Effects
"Coherent Breathing" used to treat anxiety, depression and lung damage.
Mitigates panic attacks
Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression
Calm body, calm mind
Stops asthma attacks
Treated “irreversible” lung damage of 9/11 survivors
“Ground-Glass Lungs” caused by ash and particulates
Within 2 months patients showed significant improvement
Engaged in 30 minutes of Coherent Breathing per day
Coherent Breathing - How To?
Breathe 5.5 seconds in
Breathe 5.5 seconds out
II. Wim Hof Method
Origin
Based on the Tibetan Buddhist art of Tummo.
Tum-mo = “Inner Fire”
Summary
Complete multiple rounds of Wim Hof Method
Prolonged cold exposure
Repeat
Breath
Preparation
Sit in yogic pose or lying down
Expand chest, straight spine —> opens chest to expand lungs
Do not eat within 4 hours —> stomach restricts lung expansion
Avoid stimulants —> increases heart rate, oxygen consumption
Practice
Deep, fast, forceful breaths
Inhale/exhale <3 seconds each
Complete 30-50 cycles
Breath begins in stomach and ends in upper chest; “wave”
Breath hold
Naturally exhale final breath (not forced)
Stop breathing (1-3 minutes easily attainable)
Hold until gasp for air
Inhale
Hold breath for 15 seconds
Exhale
Repeat Steps 1-3
Side Effects
Light-headedness during deep breathing
Tingling in extremities
Euphoria
Deep relaxation
Mental focus, empty mind
Cold Exposure
Listed in order of impact
Cold swim/bath —> 15 minutes each day
Meditate in cold air —> 30 minutes each day
Cold shower everyday
Commitment
Build a daily routine.
The hardest part is starting.
Personal Routine:
Wake up, sit outside, breathe while sitting
Exercise, then jump in cold lake/shower
Go to bed, breathe lying down
The momentum will build. It will become easier.
“Inner Fire” - Superpower Effects
Tibetan monks recorded raising body temperature in extremities by 17 degrees Fahrenheit on command
Groups trained by Wim Hof
Controlled heart rate (both increase and decrease)
Superhuman immune system
Wim Hof injected with E. Coli bacteria. He killed it inside of 10 minutes. Typically this bacteria causes hospital visits…
Stimulate sympathetic nervous system, “Fight or Flight”
Release of adrenaline, cortisol, norepinephrine
Adrenaline = athletic/mental performance
Cortisol = block short-term inflammatory response
Norepinephrine = redirect blood flow to brain
Natural High
Over 100 deep breaths (about 3 cycles) released
opioids
dopamine
serotonin
Psychedelic effect believed to be release of endogenous DMT
Focus
Empties the mind, ideal for meditation
Physical stimulation - athletic performance
Wim Hof World Records
Submerged in ice up to the neck for 1 hour 53 minutes
No hypothermia
Swam 100 meters under Arctic sea ice
Climbed Mt. Everest
Only wore shorts and shoes. No shirt or warm clothing
No oxygen tank. Made it to 23,000 feet —> inside “death zone”
Ran a marathon in Namibian desert
Over 100 degrees Fahrenheit
No water
Ran half-marathon in snow and ice
Barefoot
Completed in 2 hours 17 minutes
Change Your Breath, Change Your Life | Lucas Rockwood | TEDxBarcelona
III. Water, Coffee, Whiskey Breathing
Coffee Breathing
Purpose
Stimulate
—> activates Fight or Flight response (sympathetic drive).
Use in the morning in lieu of coffee
Use before exercise
Practice - Skip to 7:02
Inhale 3-4 seconds
Proper posture. Feel upper chest expand.
Exhale in 20 short bursts
By the end, squeeze abdomen to exhale deeply
Side Effects
Fight or Flight (sympathetic drive) activated —> cause of stimulation.
This is a state of stress! Use with caution.
Avoid before sleep and meditation.
Water Breathing - Skip to 4:09
Purpose
Relax —> simple tool to reset mind and body
—> similar to drinking water throughout the day to maintain homeostasis.
Use anytime
Stressed from work, emails, meetings? Water Breathe.
Practice (1:1 breath-cycle)
Inhale 4 seconds
Pause
Exhale 4 seconds
Pause
Repeat
Side Effects
Physical and mental relaxation.
Eases neuroticism and reduces agitation.
4-6 breaths/minute = half normal breath-rate.
Whiskey Breathing - Skip to 5:27
Purpose
Sedate
—> activates Rest and Digest response (parasympathetic drive).
Use before falling asleep
Meditation
Practice (1:2 breath-cycle)
Inhale 4 seconds
Exhale 8 seconds
Repeat
For deeper relaxation, extend exhale as long as possible…
Side Effects
Deep relaxation.
Avoid when attention is required:
Driving
Working
Exercising
IV. Free-Diving
Free diving is the art of breath-holding in order to dive to extreme depths.
Divers regularly swim without air tanks to 50+ meters (150+ feet).
Deepest Dive - No Limits (assisted; weights, balloons)
Herbert Nitsch
253.2 meters = 830.8 feet
June 2012
Deepest Dive - Free Immersion (unassisted)
William Trubridge (New Zealand)
124 meters (406 feet)
16 June 2016
Longest Breath Hold - Static Apnea (not swimming)
Budimir Šobat (Croatia)
27 March 2021
24 minutes 37.36 seconds
Free-Diving Disciplines
Apnea Tables
Yoga
Diving
Apnea Tables
Purpose
Hunt
Collect pearls, abalone, oysters, mollusks <40 meters
Spear fish <100 meters
Health
Lower heart rate, blood pressure, state of consciousness
Extreme Sport
Push the known limits of the human body
Practice
Apnea Tables train the body in two ways:
Lower consumption of O2
Lower production of CO2
Diving creates a low O2 / high CO2 environment.
Apnea Tables simulate diving.
Left Column = CO2 Apnea
Adapts body to low CO2
Right Column = O2 Apnea
Adapts body to low O2
Side Effects
Light headedness
Tingling sensation in extremities
Physical energy
Mental clarity
Yoga
Purpose
Lungs can inflate larger than our chest.
Tension in the body limits this expansion.
Yoga relaxes, stretches, and strengthens the body to allow full inhalation/exhalation.
Practice
Two Types of Yoga:
Asana
Dynamic pose, static breath
Inhale = physical stretching of body
Exhale = strengthening of diaphragm
Increases lung volume
Pranayama
Static pose, dynamic breath
Inhale != Exhale -> ex: slow inhale, quick exhale
Increases efficiency of breath
Principles
Before we begin, we must cover two basic breathing principles:
Three-Part Breath
Stomach = outward belly
Diaphragm = outward ribcage, downward diaphragm
Chest = upward/outward chest & back
Exhale in the same order. Breath = Wave
Nasal Breathing
Inhale through nose always!
Exhale through nose or pursed lips (slow exhale)
Asana
Downward Facing Dog
Focus on driving hands into ground
Force air into upper back
Chair Pose
Focus on driving hands towards sky
Round trunk to engage abdominals and hamstrings
Force air into upper back and ribcage
Child’s Pose
Focus on stretching arms away from body
Relax trunk onto heels
Force air into upper back and chest
Bound Ankle Pose
Erect posture
Focus on Three-Part Breath
Slow = Better
Most breathe into the upper chest.
Some breathe into the diaphragm.
Few breathe into the belly and back.
Asana yoga teaches the breath to engage that which is neglected.
Pranayama
Shining Forehead Breath
Slow, full inhale -> “Three-Part Breath”
Quick, forceful exhale -> engage abdominals
Repeat
Inhale:Exhale duration = 2:1
Alternate Nostril Breath
Cover left nostril, inhale through right nostril
Cover right nostril, exhale through left nostril
Repeat
Inhale:Exhale duration = 1:1
Diving
Purpose
Experience meditative states
Longevity, innumerable health benefits
Interact with wildlife
Explore the ocean
Practice
After a few months of training, most can dive to 100 feet.
Commitment to training required to break 150 feet.
Life-long divers can reach 300+ feet.
Free-diving requires practice (like everything)
Apnea Tables
Yoga
Diving
“Master Switch of Life”
As we descend, our body engages a primitive mechanism.
Heart rate slows to as much as 7 BPM in expert divers
Brain waves slow to dream states (yet divers are conscious)
Vasoconstriction
Blood flows from extremities to organs
Blood = Internal pressure to counteract water pressure
How to activate “Master Switch of Life?”
Submersion in water (diving)
Simply placing the face in water “flicks the switch”
Splashing water on the face… real benefits
No other part of the body will activate this by itself
Longevity
Low Heart Rate = Long Life
Whales, sharks, dolphins, elephants
“Length of a life is not measured in the number of days we live, but in the number of breaths we take.”
Momento Vivere,
@BowTiedBreath
Memento Mori hahahah