Breathwork
“You can eat all the right foods—be it Paleo or Keto, you can be in really great shape—but if you are not breathing properly, you will never be healthy.”
That’s a pretty big truth bomb by Scientific Journalist James Nestor, who authored the book “Breath.” Nestor’s book is just part of a wave of interest in breathwork that can be seen permeating popular culture these days. The growing popularity of breath practitioners like Wim Hof, Patrick McKeown and Brian MacKenzie has influenced many in the health and fitness field, and now breathwork is as popular and commonplace as meditation or yoga as a de-stressing tool to have in your arsenal. But with all these breathing techniques floating around, which one is right for you—and under what circumstances? These questions led us to create...
The Coffee Talkers Guide to Breathwork
You get 20% more oxygen into your lungs from a nasal breath than from a mouth breath. Up to half of the world’s population are habitual mouth breathers—and chest breathers (shallow breaths from the chest, rather than deeper belly breaths that expand the diaphragm fully). So step one is simply to be conscious of how you breathe, and to breathe through your nose, using deep belly breaths, as much as possible. For this reason, we prefer to do the following exercises using nasal breathing.
To start the day, we love The Wim Hof Method. This is a breathing method based on the ancient Tebetan practice of Tummo breathing, meaning “inner fire.” Find a safe, comfortable place to sit or lie down. This method is a series of 30-40 deep belly breaths, followed by a breath hold after the last exhale (Hof describes the exhale as a release—the idea is that you do not forcefully exhale). You then hold your breath until it becomes uncomfortable, then you take a deep breath and hold for 15 seconds, then exhale. Do this for three to four rounds. What it does for you: it temporarily alkalinizes your blood, which is great for overall health; it lowers your blood pressure; lowers your heart rate; boosts your immune system; reduces inflammation; and changes your brain chemistry as serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins are released, giving you an overall feeling of euphoria. Wim Hof has a free app where you can breath along with Wim for a free trial period (link below)
To treat acute stress throughout the day, and to relax right before sleeping, we love the breathing practice known as Sama Vritti—or “equal breathing.” This method is 10-20 minutes of equally timed inhales and exhales through your nose. Try to start with four seconds in, and four seconds out. You can increase up to eight seconds, but notice which amount of time makes you the most relaxed—that is the time for you (six seconds works great for us). What it does for you: after even three or four rounds of this breathing, you’ll feel de-stressed, and you’ll start to relax; your blood pressure will lower; your heart rate will slow down; and you will also get all the feel-good brain chemicals going, giving you a feeling of euphoria.
To re-energize when feeling sluggish, or to boost creativity, try Nadi Shodhan Pranayama or “alternate nostril breathing.” Use your thumb and ring finger to alternatively close each nostril. Breath deeply in one nostril, and out through the other nostril for two minutes. Then switch. With this technique, you also want to have equally timed in and out breaths. What it does for you: you will feel re-energized, and feel a sense of balance in your mind and body that stimulates creative energy.
We hope you will give these techniques a try, and that you will experience less stress—which we hope will help you more effectively navigate your day. As with most things we write about, consistency is the key—so keep at it.
Until next time,
Scott and Lennart