Welcome to the second edition of "The Breathing 4.1.1."
Below, I share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (think "Jeopardy"). Enjoy!
4 THOUGHTS
1. We Don’t Need Harder Breathing Techniques
I recently finished the two-part interview with David Bidler on the Bravest Podcast. I highly recommend listening to both episodes. My favorite idea from David was this: We don’t need harder breathing techniques, we need to apply simple breathing methods to harder challenges. Well said.
2. HHPF High School Slow Breathing Program
Speaking of using simple breathing practices in hard situations, the Health & Human Performance Foundation (HHPF) partnered with Girard High School to implement a slow breathing program for the students. The program improved the students' tolerance to CO2 and decreased their anxiety. Pretty amazing stuff.
3. Relaxation Breathing - A Way to Lower Blood Glucose
There have been two studies examining a breathing technique called "Relaxation Breathing." I don’t hear much about it in the breathing community, but it appears to be helpful for lowering blood glucose. Here’s the method:
Inhale 2 Seconds, Exhale 1 Second
Inhale 2 Seconds, Exhale 2 Seconds
Inhale 2 Seconds, Exhale 3 Seconds
… (Exhale keeps getting longer) …
Inhale 2 Seconds, Exhale 10 Seconds
The progressively longer exhale is both relaxing and challenging near the end. I sometimes practice it when falling asleep. Give it a shot and see what you think.
If you’re interested, here are the two studies:
Relaxation breathing significantly lowers blood sugar after an oral glucose tolerance test
Slow breathing improves blood sugar by reducing body’s endogenous production of glucose
4. Oxygen Advantage + Yoga = High Altitude Yoga
My wife and I put together a class that combines yoga and breath-hold techniques from the Oxygen Advantage®. We’re calling it High Altitude Yoga™.
We’re holding a combined Virtual Masterclass where I teach the breathing principles and she teaches the yoga. If you’ve been in the breathing world for a while, the breathing concepts will not be new to you. But, combining them with yoga is both fun and challenging (we’ve had SpO2 drops in the mid-to-low 80s).
It’s going to be July 18th from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Eastern on Zoom. I hope you’ll join us!
1 QUOTE
"By voluntarily changing the rate, depth, and pattern of breathing, we can change the messages being sent from the body’s respiratory system to the brain."
- Richard Brown & Patricia Gerbarg, from "The Healing Power of the Breath"
1 ANSWER
Answer: The number of molecules in each breath we take.
…
(Cue the Jeopardy music.)
…
Question: What is 25 sextillion? [1]
(Note: That’s 25,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules!)
In good breath,
Nick
P.S. $98,000. (Ages 3 & Up.)
[1] Worrall S., “The Air You Breathe Is Full of Surprises,” National Geographic, Aug.13, 2012. View Article Here
(I found this through "Breath: The New Science of A Lost Art")