Optimal Breathing \ stacker news ~health

5913 sats \ 21 comments \ @BTCFC 26 Feb health

I first started getting into breathwork and was awakened to the power of controlled and conscious breathing give or take 3, 4 years ago, when I was struggling to get a hold of my health and came across The Wim Hof Method on YouTube. It just so happened to appear on my recommendations and so I thought, why not. For those who have tried the WHM, you probably know that it is quite the intense breathwork, and for those who have never tried it, I recommend giving it a try and experiencing it for yourself at least once.

Wim Hof Breathing Follow Along

Explanation of what it does physiologically

I practiced it regularly for a while and I would say it did help to serve as a catalyst to progressing towards taking back control of my health and optimizing my health.

From there, I began to get very interested in breathing, the mechanics, and different forms of breathing techniques. Therefore, I picked up books such as Breath by James Nestor, and The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown as well as McKeown's other books. Both of these authors, one a curious journalist, and the other a professional breathing expert, both came to the same realization that if we were to change anything with our breathing right now, it would be to become a better nasal breather. Nestor's book is more surface level and based off his personal struggles and experiences, while McKeown's books get more in depth into the mechanics and physiology of breathing in certain ways. If you are intrigued by the idea of optimal breathing, I recommend you check the works of both authors out!

My personal progress with breathing, breathwork, and breathing practices, has been starting with the WHM, and then learning and practicing the Oxygen Advantage method, which is a method that emphasizes the gradual building up of tolerance to CO2 within the body, to now mixing and using what I've learned as well as trying out and experimenting different breathing techniques in order to experience first hand the effects of each. As of late, I've been playing around with different breathholds. The Oxygen Advantage emphasizes breathholds after the exhale, which can help with building CO2 tolerance as well as help with vasodilation and allowing oxygen to get deeper into your tissues. But I've also been playing around with breathholds after the inhale, which purely based off personal experience feels to bring better clarity to any sort of brain heavy activities. After listening to the Huberman Podcast episode on breathing, I decided to try box breathing as well.

Huberman Episode on Breathing

With that being said, what are your overall experiences with breathing? Do you bring attention and focus to breathing at times? Do you practice any sort of breathwork and what are the experiences and potential benefits you have felt? Would love to hear yalls inputs, experiences, and opinions!

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45 sats \ 1 reply \ @Tef 26 Feb

First time I hear about this technique. Should explore it a little bit more. Thanks for sharing. 🙏

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @BTCFC OP 26 Feb

Of course! Happy breathing!

20 sats \ 3 replies \ @kr 26 Feb

I can’t say I spend much time focusing on my breathing. I tried the Wim Hof routine once but didn’t feel like it was a powerful enough experience to try again.

How did you feel when you first began? Was your first experience the most valuable one? Or did it take a few experiences before you really got into a good rhythm?

478 sats \ 2 replies \ @BTCFC OP 26 Feb

When it comes to the Wim Hof Method, I have heard of people having very intense experiences like borderline out of body type stuff, but that was never the case for me. It was more of a calming, at peace feeling I got especially during the breathhold at the end, and I continued because I liked that feeling. It also did feel like it boosted my energy, which at the time I needed. I haven't actually done it in a while. I have been doing cold exposure via cold showers, which Wim also is a proponent of but when it comes to the breathing technique I've been focusing on other areas, although knowing what I know now of how the WHM serves as a sort of controlled stressor and functions to stimulate and strengthen your autonomic nervous system, I may get back into doing it as another tool in addition to cold exposure, working out, and other controlled stressors.

31 sats \ 1 reply \ @kr 26 Feb

cold showers were a big shock to my system the first time i tried them, felt great for hours afterwards

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @BTCFC OP 26 Feb

Solid episode explaining the ins and outs of cold exposure like cold showers. Helped me to understand why exactly we should implement it and how to utilize it.

10 sats \ 2 replies \ @arrivederci 27 Feb

A little suprised to find no mention of pranayama (प्राणायाम) here, which are yogic breathing practices.

This page has 5 book recommendations for learning about pranayama and, on the basis of it having the book I've read and found insightful as the 2nd recommendation, I think it's probably a good list.

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @BTCFC OP 27 Feb

Thanks for the link! Will definitely read some of these recommended books! Yeah, I have taken yoga briefly before and took a full class in community college so I've practiced certain forms of pranayama, just never dove into breathing from that angle. Although, I do assume many modern breathing practices stem from something like pranayama, and I'm sure the breathing techniques I practice are mentioned within the texts of pranayama.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @arrivederci 27 Feb

I do assume many modern breathing practices stem from something like pranayama

Yes, I think this is almost certainly true with respect to Wim Hof (who I'm also a fan of)

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @OriginalSize 26 Feb

Can you give a tldr on Wim Hof and the differences between the breathing methods? I'm wondering if any of them are based on the natural involuntary breathing cycle.

452 sats \ 0 replies \ @BTCFC OP 27 Feb

Sure I'll do my best!

TLDR: -Wim Hof: a form of controlled hyperventilation, used as a method of eustress to stimulate and strengthen the autonomic nervous system.

The oxygen advantage: emphasizes the importance CO2 within the process of functional breathing and respiration. Focuses on teaching people to build a tolerance towards CO2 in order to maximize breathing potential and allowing incoming oxygen to get deep into the body.
Huberman: he mentions a few breathing techniques that I also have used. One of the them is box breathing which is practiced by breathing in for a certain number of seconds, holding for that same number, exhaling for the same number, and holding again this time on the exhale for the same number, essentially forming a "box" when breathing. He also explains the power of a extended and deliberate exhale from the mouth as a useful tool to immediately lower your heart rate, which I have tried and monitored, and it does indeed work to lower HR immediately. He mentions a few other like the physiological sigh, but these are the ones that left an impression on me.
Cadence Breathing: very basic breathing practice where you breath in and out with a focus on a specific cadence. For example, breathing in for 5 seconds, and then exhaling for 5 seconds repeatedly. This can be used to bring your body, mind, and autonomic nervous system back into a state of homeostasis.
Nasal breathing: besides Wim Hof, most people who bring up proper, functional, optimal breathing recommend that you spend most of your daily life breathing through your nose, as it has filter, warms the air you breathe, and can prevent one from over breathing, on top of other benefits.

All in all, all of these conscious breathing practices aim to make your involuntary breathing more efficient. Mindful breathing has become more widely known to be a powerful tool that allows us to have more control over our autonomic system, both the sympathetic and parasympathetic. And the beauty is anyone can start practicing and possibly bettering their life today without spending money on any tools.

Hope this more or less answered your question!

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @OT 26 Feb

You should try one of these 10 day Vipassana courses that they have all around the world (S.N. Goenka).

For the first 3 days or so you observe natural breath. As it comes in, as it goes out, sometimes through the left nostril, sometimes through the right, sometimes a short breath, sometimes a long breath.

I think it's called Satipattana and they use it to try and establish a constant mindfullness.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @BTCFC OP 27 Feb

Very cool! Will check it out! Thanks!

42 sats \ 2 replies \ @bitcoinBhavik 27 Feb

This book is more than enough to know about Breath.

https://archive.org/details/epdf.pub_prana-and-pranayama

Breath is everything, i mean literally everything. In india, we are being taught about breathing techniques since we are 3-4 years of age. We feed our body through Breathing. some saints have developed skills to live simply on their breath, one can cure any disease with proper breathing techniques. The energy in our body permeates through Prana(Breathing), in fact you will ne surprised that the time was defined by the breath of a Human. If one can achieve 12 Breathe in a minute involuntarily by practising Yoga and Meditation, one can open their receivers if their body and experience the whole universe, he attains every power, beyond the physics. It is the deep rabbit hole.

Come to india if you want to experience it. Most of the knowledge is gone in the last 1000 years of invasion in india but still there is lot left, few people here in india are living on the earth for at least 400-500 years, in Himalayas and other places all around india.

Mind blowing. 🙏🏻

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @BTCFC OP 27 Feb

I appreciate the recommendation!

I do agree with you how powerful the breath is. It's been a big part of my focus when it comes to improving my health and I personally have experienced the benefits of learning to breathe properly, and implementing different breathing techniques for different purposes. Interestingly, my breathing rate per minute on average is around 12 bpm so I guess I'm going in the right direction!

Yes! Would love to visit India one of these days!

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @bitcoinBhavik 28 Feb

Great, I would encourage you to learn Pranayama, Kapal Bhati, Anulom Vilom. Just search on YouTube.

Within a week or two, you will start experiencing immense peace and you will start moving faster in a time, thus enjoying your time. Life will look a lot bigger, you will attract positive energy, your wish will change, your behaviour will change, it will align with your energies, you will experience love everywhere. But if you want to go deeper in Meditation then I recommend you to find a Guru-Teacher who has the experience of doing the same. It’s not advised to go without Guru in Yoga. I am still learning for last 10 years.

Thanks🙏🏻

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @DesertDave 30 Mar

I love with wim hof breathing as a practice. I don't do ice baths and all that. I am always looking to slow my breathing down and breath more deeply. slow the heart rate down. I believe this a key to longevity for the human body. breath is everything

11 sats \ 0 replies \ @BTCFC OP 30 Mar

Breath is huge for sure, one of the most physiologically interesting functions for me!

10 sats \ 2 replies \ @erict875 27 Feb

I was taught abdominal breathing in martial arts (taichi) , it engages the diaphragm, while the chest remains still. Are you familiar with the Buteyko breathing method? I played with it as well for a while. It's similar to the Oxygen Advantage method you describe.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @BTCFC OP 27 Feb

Yes I'm somewhat familiar since as you mentioned the Oxygen Advantage method has been greatly influenced by the Buteyko method. How was your experience with the Buteyko method?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @erict875 27 Feb

My experience is only more theoretical than practical. I'll try to get back to it.