[jossclimb]

I feel down this rabbit hole after reading Breath by James Nestor. Got serious about practising 5.5 second inhales / exhales and started forcing myself to adjust to nose breathing (even during exercise)

It did a total number on my anxiety levels and pulled me out of the constant cortisol fuelled fight or flight mode I found myself as I slowly crashed and burned into the ground

I wish someone had taught me as a child, it would have made a marked difference on my life, I am sure of it.

[baby]

Post the technique here so lazy people like me can read about it!

[broguinn]

I read the same book, and while it did help me in several respects (nasal breathing, mandibular and maxillar expansion via an orthodontic device, mouth taping), I only used its box breathing techniques under acute stress. It wasn't until I read a chapter in Peter Attia's Outlive about breathing techniques that I started changing my breathing in a way that, for me, feels like it's actively stimulating the vagus nerve. Here's how it works.

You want to breathe to expand your entire diaphragm, breathing into your upper and lower chest. One way to do this is to breathe through your nose slowly enough that you can't hear the sound of your own breathing.

To get a hang of it, lay on your back on a flat surface, place a hand on your stomach and a hand on your chest, and breathe in slowly. You should feel your stomach and chest rise evenly, neither too much in the stomach, nor too much in the chest.

Once you understand this feeling, you can practice it throughout your day. You feel your whole diaphragm expand, feeling the tension through your chest, stomach, and even expanding into your lower back. Anyways, that's how it's described in the book. I can say that since starting this breathing technique, I've felt a lot calmer. Best of luck, check the book out if you'd like a far more detailed and accurate explanation than mine.

[QuantumGood]

Highlighted in the book:

Nasal Breathing: Inhaling and exhaling through the nose to filter and humidify the air, increase oxygen uptake, and engage in diaphragmatic breathing.

Tummo Breathing: A Tibetan practice combining visualization and breath control, involving deep inhalations and exhalations to generate body heat.

Holotropic Breathwork: Rapid and deep breaths, usually accompanied by music, to achieve altered states of consciousness.

Buteyko Method: Focuses on shallow and reduced breathing to increase CO2 levels, promoting relaxation and better oxygen uptake.

Box Breathing: Inhaling, holding the breath, exhaling, and holding the breath again, all for an equal count, to calm the mind and increase focus.

Pranayama: Various yogic breathing techniques to control breath and energy, aiming to balance the body and mind.

Pursed Lip Breathing: Inhaling through the nose and exhaling slowly through pursed lips to improve lung function and control.

Sudarshan Kriya: A rhythmic breathing technique used in conjunction with meditation to reduce stress.

I teach a simplified breathing method for actors called "Flash Breathing" that teaches a series of breaths starting at the speed of gasping, ending at the speed of slow, deep breathing, and concentrating on the "space" between exhaling and inhaling. Very effective.

[talldrinkofwhat]

I think they're talking about box breathing:https://www.healthline.com/health/box-breathing

4s:Full breath in

4s:Hold

4s:Full breath out

4s:Hold*

*this one seems the least natural to me as you're just sitting there, at the bottom of an invisible pool, wasting away.

[eep_social]

> 5.5 second inhales / exhales

> nose breathing

They did! Breathe in and out through your nose, spending 5.5 seconds each on inhale and exhale. This leads to taking the “optimal” 5.5 breaths per minute. Try to do this all the time but don’t experiment with new techniques when you’re driving a car or operating heavy machinery.

The book talks about all kinds of other stuff too but that’s the tl;dr.