#15 - 5 Forms of Breathwork to Take Health and Performance to the Next Level

Today we are going to cover different forms of breathwork.

Breathing is hugely underrated as a tool to control the mind and body.

Its effects are noticeable and can be felt quickly.

I think it’s exciting to have the ability to raise or reduce our alertness levels almost at will.

Breathing is also something I am personally passionate about.

Some unfortunate genetics when it comes to face structure and allergies led to me having very poor breathing just a couple of years ago.

My nose was inefficient and dysfunctional. I was getting sick too often and not sleeping as well as I could.

After not getting what I wanted from doctors I took matters into my own hands.

While I still have a way to go to get my breathing where I want it to be, progress has been good.

This post is a summary of what I have learned so far.

Some dos and don’ts when it comes to breathing

Even though breathing is something we all do automatically, we can get it wrong.

It pays to learn about what better and worse breathing is.

Knowing this can help us make adjustments that will serve us over time.

So, as a general rule, try to avoid:

• Mouth breathing all the time

• Breathing too often

• Breathing into your chest rather than your stomach

Therefore, aim to:

• Breathe through the nose as much as possible

• Breathe slightly slower

• Breathe through the abdomen, not the chest and shoulders

Now, let’s get onto some different forms of breathwork to try.

Coherence Breathing

This is the most fundamental type of breathing.

Start here when it comes to breathwork.

It is very simple.

5.5 seconds inhale. 5.5 seconds exhale. Around 5.5 breaths per minute.

This teaches the body to breathe both slower and deeper (something many of us could become better at).

This duration of inhalation and exhalation has been described by James Nestor - author of the awesome book Breath as “the perfect breath”.

That sounds quite good to me.

Now, 5.5 seconds is difficult to track in your head!

So, just go onto YouTube and type in “Coherence Breathing” and follow the routine.

It’s a great thing to get into the habit of doing.

Physiological Sighs

Physiological Sighs aren’t a form of breathwork as such.

They are more of a type of breath that we can take any time, any place.

The physiological sigh is the fastest way currently known to science to calm our nervous system.

In scientific speak, it can move us from a state of sympathetic drive to parasympathetic drive.

In other words, taking us from stressed to calm.

In today’s hyperactive, chronically-stressed world, this is an amazing thing to be able to do.

Calm down almost at will. Who doesn’t want that?

To do a physiological sigh, take a sharp inhale through the nose, followed by another short breath in.

Then, exhale slowly and fully through the mouth.

Repeat as many times as you like.

Box Breathing

Box Breathing is often touted as the breathwork method of choice for the US Navy SEALs.

If it’s good enough for them, it’s probably good enough for the rest of us.

It’s very simple to do.

1. Breathe in

2. Hold

3. Breathe out

4. Hold

5. Repeat

Steps 1-4 are done for the same amount of time. Typically 3,4 or 5 seconds.

Repeat for 3-5 minutes.

This is another great way to activate the calming wing of our nervous system.

It is also great for developing carbon dioxide tolerance, which is a key aspect of stress tolerance. You can learn more about stress tolerance here.

I typically do box breathing after exercise.

Calming the body like this after training is a superb way to get the recovery process started.

Give it a try.

4-7-8

4-7-8 is a deeply calming form of breathwork pioneered by Dr Andrew Weil.

1. Breathe in quietly through the nose for 4 seconds

2. Hold your breath for 7 seconds

3. Exhale slowly through the mouth for 8 seconds

4. Repeat 4 times.

This method is often done at night as a means of helping us fall asleep faster.

I have experimented with this myself and it does seem to work.

Another positive tool to add to the arsenal.

The Wim Hof Method

Each of the forms of breathing we have looked at so far has to do with calming ourselves.

The Wim Hof Method is different.

Created by Dutchman Wim Hof, this is an intense form of breathing.

It involves taking repeated fast deep breaths before a long breath hold.

This is before taking a shorter recovery breath and going for another round.

When you do this form of breathing, you feel a difference.

It’s an energising experience, that also helps with improving stress tolerance.

For a deeper dive into the Wim Hof Method, click here.

That’s it for today.

I hope this synthesis of breathwork practices was useful to you.

Have a good one!

• Adam