
One hour of slow breathing changed my life - viburnum
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jul/26/every-breath-you-take-the-lost-art-of-breathing
======
impendia
I started reading his book _Breath_ , and he made the starting claim that, in
essence, you could choose to be either energetic or restful by picking one
nostril to breathe out of for awhile. (Naturally we breath out of one nostril
at a time, and the body goes back and forth, but "it's a balance that can also
be gamed").

I found this claim a bit... suspicious, and Googled, and didn't find much
scientific evidence for this claim. I found a bunch of blog posts by yoga-
affiliated people, and the like.

I asked about this on Biology Stack Exchange, unfortunately with no answer.

[https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/94651/](https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/94651/)

I would be very curious if any HN reader knows more about this. That said, my
impression of Nestor (who is a journalist, and not a scientist) was that he
was perhaps a bit too eager to jump to conclusions.

~~~
dcuthbertson
> Naturally we breath out of one nostril at a time

I don't understand how anyone can make that statement with a straight face.
Unless one nostril is blocked, we use both simultaneously. There's no balance
to be gamed.

~~~
crazygringo
That's not actually true. If you research it, you'll find that most people's
nostrils alternately dilate and contract (the tissues reduce/swell). Most of
us breathe primarily through only one nostril at a time, and it switches
approximately every half hour. This is entirely unconscious and we're
generally not aware of it.

There is a little bit of airflow in the constricted nostril, but nowhere near
comparable to the other. You can test this by covering up your nostrils
individually and comparing how easy it is to breathe through them. Then wait a
half hour and try it again. (Note that a minority of people do not have this.)

However, this is not something you can consciously control or override, any
more than you can override contractions in your intestine.

~~~
Izkata
> (Note that a minority of people do not have this.)

I'm probably one of them then, because I've tested this on and off for years
whenever someone makes the claim, and it's never true for me.

It's just really annoying how many people say with absolute certainty that
everyone does it.

~~~
rolleiflex
It’s more like one nostril is high-velocity and the other is low-velocity, not
that one is completely blocked. The evolutionary reason is thought to be that
it aids the perception of low PPM volatile organic compounds (i.e. bad smells
= rot, toxic chemicals) because the ‘blocked’ nostril is used as a sense
chamber which lets the air spend more time within, thus increase the effective
sensitivity of your sense of smell.

If you do not have this behaviour (which can disappear with certain
neurological diseases or just idiopathically not exist) you also likely have a
reduced sense of smell.

~~~
sn41
Can confirm that I "smell" through one nostril at a time. I can smell more
sensitively than others (for example, realise that milk is rotten before
others do). I have noticed that when I try blocking one of my nostrils, my
sense of smell is considerably lower, and it is not always the left nostril or
always the right nostril. It kind of alternates, and I don't know the pattern.
It might be that both nostrils alternate doing the task of smelling at
different times.

------
tzot
> Hindus considered breath and spirit the same thing

It's funny, because I just realised that πνεύμα(pneuma)/spirit in Greek has
the same root as πνεύμων(pneumon)/lung: the verb πνέω(pnéo), which means I
breathe.

This is not Mr Portokalos talking from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, people: πνέω
is traced to the older Indo-European stem pnew- , and the whole point of my
comment is that there is a lot of heritage in language through the eons from
older cultures and civilizations.

Trivia: the suffix -μα (like in the words pragma, dogma, trauma etc) generally
means “the result or the carrier of the verb's actions”, so like pragma
(“thing”, what is/has been made/done), dogma (what one believes in; the
firmness of the belief is irrelevant to the ancient word), trauma (“wound”;
the result of being wounded), pneuma would be what is being breathed; and
there's another connection to old roots: alcohol is «οινόπνευμα» (spirit/fumes
of the wine), and alcoholic drinks are called “spirits”.

Fun stuff :)

~~~
thiagocsf
In Portuguese the root “pneu” by itself means “tire” (as in a car tire).

Fun stuff indeed!

~~~
dredmorbius
A _tyre_ (or _tire_ is) a _wheel dressing_ , the word being a truncation of
_attire_. This can be any final dressing of a wheel.

An inflatable rubber pneumatic tire is a _subclass_ of tire, and truncation or
abbreviation to _pnue_ is as good as any.

Locomotive wheels on trains have steel tyres.

[https://www.etymonline.com/word/tire](https://www.etymonline.com/word/tire)

------
dmje
No one seems to have mentioned Wim Hoff here
([https://www.wimhofmethod.com/](https://www.wimhofmethod.com/)). He’s got
some claims that verge on the suspicious but the actual method itself is worth
doing purely if you’re an interested sort.

Before, I can do about 40 seconds held on an out breath, after, about 2:40.
That’s kinda interesting.

I’d also recommend trying it if you’re a meditator. Do a WH session first,
then sit. It’s really great for finding mind space: a bit buzzy, a bit like a
natural high, but for me it meshes pretty well with a breath following
meditation.

~~~
graeme
Are you referring to the hyperventilation technique? I ended up at one of his
workshops randomly and tried that.

It’s actually an old technique to increase the ability to hold the breath. The
hyperventilation clears carbon dioxide from the system (hypocapnia). That’s
what the buzz is.

Never ever ever ever ever do this underwater or you have a serious risk of
death:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freediving_blackout#Shallow_wa...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freediving_blackout#Shallow_water_blackout)

Hof did not warn of this at the time, though I believe he does now after
someone died using the technique while swimming.

As for the cold resistance, Hof’s twin brother Andre displayed the same
physiological traits that Hof has, despite not having undergone the same
training:
[https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal...](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0101653)

The one interesting thing I have seen related to Hof is that he apparently was
able to suppress the immune response to an endotoxin. Though it would be
interesting to see that same study done on his twin.

This is a reasonably good article: [https://www.pepijnvanerp.nl/2016/01/wim-
hof-method/#andre](https://www.pepijnvanerp.nl/2016/01/wim-hof-method/#andre)

I think Hof is well intentioned, sincere, a poor communicator, and prone to
both mystical thinking but also interested in scientific verification.

~~~
djtriptych
yeah all these techniques are ancient in origin. Revived for every new
generation.

Pranayama is at least a thousand years old and encompasses all of this. And
many of the foundational texts refer to even older practices.

------
konaraddi
This article is very relevant to what I've recently experienced. I haven't
experienced the sweating but I've experienced the serenity that follows
controlled breathing.

I'm reading an English translation of Ramana Maharshi's Upadesa Sara with
commentary and verses 11-14 talk about controlling the breath (pranayama). A
few relevant points made in those verses:

* Controlling your breath can help quieten the mind.

* There are such things as harmful breathing patterns so it's important to seek the guidance of experts to avoid them.

* The simplest breathing exercise that's easy to do right without an instructor is to observe the breath as it is.

I've made a conscious effort to observe the breath randomly throughout the day
and it has a calming effect. These past few days have felt good. Observing the
breath before sleep has made it easier to fall asleep.

FWIW, the verses also mention that, as far as being serene is concerned,
pranayama is a short term solution to a long term problem (and the gist of
Upadesa Sara is on the long term solution but I digress).

~~~
betenoire
I'm prone to anxiety, and find myself hyperventilating often. Is this what you
mean by "harmful breathing patterns"?

I've tried the "box breathing" with little luck, but have adapted a version
where the exhale is 2-3x longer than the inhale. (inhale for 2 seconds, hold
it a couple seconds, exhale slowly for 4-6 second, hold again).

I've also found better luck at inhaling into my belly, instead of letting my
rib cage expand. It seems to release the tension/anxiety that I'm holding in
my chest better.

~~~
konaraddi
> I'm prone to anxiety, and find myself hyperventilating often. Is this what
> you mean by "harmful breathing patterns"?

I meant "practicing breathing exercises incorrectly" (and I see now that's
what I should've written in the first place, thanks for pointing that out).
Upadesa Sara doesn't expand upon what it means to practice breathing exercises
incorrectly or mention what the side effects are. Much of Upadesa Sara is
concise so much is left up to the reader to reason or learn about.

After I read your comment, I spent too much time thinking about how I breath
(whether thru the belly or chest) and started breathing weird haha. After a
few hours, I figured out that I mostly breathe through the belly. I think.
Anyways, genuinely happy to hear you found something that works for you.

~~~
kovek
I once ended up intensely enjoying my breath through the night (Did not
sleep). I don’t recommend it. I wonder if that’s a type of discouraged
breathing.

------
nojs
I have found breathing exercises to strengthen my diaphragm hugely helpful for
acid reflux. I lie down with weights on my abdomen and breathe from the
diaphragm for about 10 minutes a day. I’ve been able to stop PPIs completely
by doing this regularly.

~~~
lukemccomb
Do you have more info on this? I’ve suffered from GERD for a long time now and
have found ways to mitigate the effects but this seems like an interesting
potential treatment.

~~~
nojs
I can’t find the video I followed originally but what I do is pretty simple. I
lie on the floor with one hand on my chest and one hand on my belly (just
below the sternum). Then I breathe paying attention that only the lower hand
moves, ie that I’m using my diaphragm. I put the weights (small metal plates)
under the lower hand to add resistance. I recall seeing some papers explaining
the mechanism being related to how the diaphragm kind of wraps around the
oesophageal sphincter, so strengthening it helps it close.

~~~
lukemccomb
Thank you, super helpful. Definitely going to give this a shot.

------
martindbp
> We’ve become conditioned to breathe too much, just as we’ve been conditioned
> to eat too much.

How is one conditioned to breathe too much? We eat too much because there is
so much available to us and it's engineered (by trial and error) to be as
delicious as possible. That has not been done to air.

~~~
abendy
> people with anxieties or other fear-based conditions typically will breathe
> way too much. So what happens when you breathe that much is you're
> constantly putting yourself into a state of stress. So you're stimulating
> that sympathetic side of the nervous system

[https://www.npr.org/sections/health-
shots/2020/05/27/8629631...](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-
shots/2020/05/27/862963172/how-the-lost-art-of-breathing-can-impact-sleep-and-
resilience)

> you can over breathe when people at a gym or when people are jogging you see
> them really going to get the maximum amount of oxygen in that's not what is
> happening to your body so you are offloading the co2 by offloading too much
> co2 you're causing constriction in your circulation

[https://youtu.be/zWQxNoqKE6E?t=786](https://youtu.be/zWQxNoqKE6E?t=786)

~~~
SketchySeaBeast
That first one feels very chicken and egg - if you're anxious your sympathetic
nervous system is going without the breathing. Can breath be used to relax
you? Absolutely, but that's as much about focusing the brain on the breathing
instead of the anxious thoughts as anything else.

~~~
jerf
It's a reasonably well established principle of psychology (real science, not
pop-sci) that a surprising amount of what you perceive to be your emotional
state is mediated through your body. That is, you experience a stressor, so
the "low level" portions of your brain activate bodily reactions to that
stress, and what your high-level brain perceives as stress is actually the
bodily reaction rather than the original stressor. Exerting such control as
you can on your body (since it is non-zero, but not total either) is a
legitimate way to control your (perceived) emotional state, which then feeds
back into the entire system.

(This also factors in to how hard it is for some people to figure out _why_
they are stressed; the part of the brain trying to work that out isn't
necessarily as connected to the stressor as you might intuitively think.)

I've been having some low-level morning sleep paralysis lately (it has come
and gone my entire life, & it has never been remotely as bad as I've heard
some people describe); recently I've discovered an easy way out of it is to
just hold my breath (or really, just stop inhaling), which triggers just
enough stress to break through the paralysis. YMMV.

~~~
rrrrrrrrrrrryan
I had sleep paralysis as a child once in a while (which isn't uncommon), but
as an adult I only get it after a period where when I've consumed cannabis
with some regularity, then stopped.

It may or may not apply to you, but my friends that have sleep paralysis say
this anecdote holds true for them as well.

~~~
monadgonad
Similarly, I get it if I've been drinking a few days in a row, then stop. Both
of these drugs suppress REM sleep so my theory is that the sleep paralysis is
a rebound effect.

------
matsemann
I've done a lot of breathing exercises due to freediving. I think the main
benefit for me was that it's almost like meditating.

While lying there and breathing up or holding my breath, my mind is completely
clear. No thoughts, just staying as relaxed as possible focusing on my
diaphragm. No scrolling on my phone thinking about my day, nothing. Just
relaxing. Except the last minutes when the body screams at you to breathe
because of the co2 buildup, heh.

But not sure if there's anything more to it than that? I don't do it as often
anymore, but get the same focus from working out.

------
jniedrauer
I wonder every time I see things like this whether more conventional exercise
will also do the same thing. I'm a recreational runner, and as I become more
fit, I notice that my body is capable of entering deeper and deeper states of
relaxation. When I go to sleep at night, my breathing and heart rate slow to
rates that I never could have sustained before getting in shape. Being
conscious and in control of my breath is important, especially at high
altitude. And a long run out in nature definitely puts me in a meditative
state.

I wonder if this kind of conventional exercise might provide more "bang for
your buck" than just controlled breathing in isolation.

~~~
bob1029
Exercise will certainly accomplish similar objectives. After a few months of
intense circuit training, I started to realize that I could get away with
breathing a lot less frequently. Once my resting heart rate dropped below
50BPM, it was like having a mental switch I could throw on demand to enter
into a state of calm. Just a few seconds of focus and I could deal with a
monster of a stressful situation with ease. I really need to get back into it.
The time investment is substantial, but exercise always pays really good
dividends.

~~~
nmfisher
One of my pet theories is that regular exercise strengthens your core muscles
and allows you to recruit those core muscles more effectively.

This is what allows the diaphragm to expand more and thus facilitates deeper
breathing. More oxygen per breath, and fewer heartbeats required to circulate
it through the bloodstream.

Could be total rubbish, but I'd be interested to see a study either way.

------
jimnotgym
I have often wondered if controlled breathing was actually a big part of what
smokers find relaxing. When I gave up smoking I noticed sucking air through a
small paper tube was also relaxing.

~~~
Imanari
That makes a lot of sense! Especially the breathing out part could compound
the direct effect of the drug. These long and pleasant breath-outs that you do
when you got something done and can finally kick back.

------
divan
If anyone had a chance to read a book – is it just exploring and describing
observation about breathing or it attempts to answer how different breathing
actually works and effects the health?

I remember watching this amazing TEDx talk which gives an on state
demonstration of how breathing directly affects blood flow / pulse:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xc3XdOiGGI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xc3XdOiGGI)

There is another interesting video I've watched years ago with some hints that
breathing directly influence mitochondrial activity, but it's in Russian, so
not sure if it's worth sharing. Another thing indirectly mentioned was that
breathing is the only "low-level" body function that we control conciously to
some extent, so its effect on health is a neat byproduct and can be used for
"hacking" metabolism and low-level body functions.

Anyway, I'm wondering if there is something more than "conscious breathing can
do amazing things to your health" in this book?

~~~
qnsi
I am at the beginning of the book, but for my taste it's too much storified
(if that makes sense). He talks a lot about how he found something out and his
personal experience with learning about breathing.

Also similar to OP here [1] I was super curious about his claim that you can
influence a lot of stuff in your body by picking one nostril you breath with.
I googled for confirmation and wasn't satisfied with the results. Later he
also recommends oxygen deprivation (breathing very shallowly while running and
warns about blackouts)

He doesn't cite studies in a usual science like way. So I decided I won't read
the book in full.

Hope this helps.

[1]
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23980094](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23980094)

------
captain_price7
"No breathing can heal stage IV cancer"

I like how this sentence is true in two very different ways...

~~~
tenaciousDaniel
Give a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a night. Set a man on fire, and he'll
be warm for the rest of his life.

------
adamhearn
James Nestor’s podcast episodes with Ben Greenfield and Joe Rogan both are
very interesting. Obviously there is some material crossover between the two,
but I found unique things from each.

I really the breathwork will become the new fad, but for good reason. It’s
amazingly powerful.

------
elliottkember
I'm surprised none of these comments mention "singing" or "prayer". Both are
forms of breath control, and both extremely therapeutic.

------
yetanotherjosh
Anyone interested in the topic should learn about the Buteyko technique and
the work of Konstantin Buteyko. He was a Russian scientist who studied the
negative effects of chronic hyperventillation, the positive effects of healthy
breathing, and developed a technique to restore healthy breathing.

For example, he developed a way to measure the health of someone's respiration
through a simple test called the "control pause." To measure your control
pause, bring your attention to your breath and without changing your breath,
stop breathing at the end of your next natural exhalation. Start a timer, and
see how long it takes before your body generates any minor uncomfortable
signal in an urge to breathe (an urge to swallow, any kind of muscle
contraction, anything subtle expressing a demand to breathe). As soon as you
reach such a signal, stop the timer. People who breath healthily (according to
Buteyko's research) have at least 40 seconds on the timer. (This is NOT a
breath holding test, and if your regular respiration gets faster or deeper
after you complete it, you did it wrong.) Most people certainly are not even
close to 40 sec. And that, according to Buteyko, is because most people
severely overbreathe. The consequence of this dysfunction, of being in a
constant state of chronic hyperventillation, is that the blood vessels
contract, and surprisingly, less oxygen is transferred to the cells because
CO2 is a necessary catalyst for the transfer of oxygen to the cells, and
hyperventillation drains the blood of CO2. Healthy breathing, according to
Buteyko, is minute and nearly visually imperceptible.

~~~
baxtr
Are there any scientific foundations underlying his techniques?

------
daragh99
I'm curious to read the book. I've practiced breathing techniques from yogic
and meditative traditions for maybe 15 years now. Even just a minute of
deeper, slower breathing has a calming effect on my mind and body, for the
most part.

The breathing practices/exercises are, for the most part, useful and
interesting. I have to let go of a lot of the metaphysics in these traditions
though, there is a certain amount of "woo" to wade through.

------
sg47
I'm a recovering thyroid cancer (good cancer) patient. My breathing and
immunity had become bad due to my surgeries/treatment but also stress,
occasional hookah smoking, etc. After suffering from severe bronchitis and
cough for the first months of this year, I started doing the breathing
exercises in this video
([https://youtu.be/iUKjuni-6l8?list=PLxdtWIiZAUhoD6mxvZ0gO9ohE...](https://youtu.be/iUKjuni-6l8?list=PLxdtWIiZAUhoD6mxvZ0gO9ohEQEI9fB5X&t=527))
regularly (4-6 times a week) based on a HNer's recommendation. All my symptoms
have completely disappeared, my breathing has become slower and I have become
a much calmer person. My lungs feel really clear. Highly recommend doing these
breathing exercises regularly (every day for the first month if possible).

This guy, Michael Bijker, also has a lot of good videos on breathing
exercises. Here's an example -
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBZInO0-ZHk&list=PLxdtWIiZAU...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBZInO0-ZHk&list=PLxdtWIiZAUhoD6mxvZ0gO9ohEQEI9fB5X&index=2&t=765s)

------
vmurthy
I've recently started listening to the audio book "Biofeedback and Mindfulness
in Everyday Life" [0] by Inna Khazan, a clinical pscyhologist[1]. For the more
skeptical minded who want the data/ more exploration, she references a bunch
of studies attesting to the efficacy of breathing techniques and how it
impacts health etc. I won't say the book has changed my life mainly because I
am still listening to it and there's a l ong way to practise these but so far
the results are encouraging ( More peace of mind , great sleep (experience)
plus data on my Apple Watch app and energy levels)

[0] [https://www.audible.in/pd/Biofeedback-and-Mindfulness-in-
Eve...](https://www.audible.in/pd/Biofeedback-and-Mindfulness-in-Everyday-
Life-
Audiobook/B07VCTR1CZ?ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_&pf_rd_p=fbaa688e-a578-4e09-8a7e-c311598d4470&pf_rd_r=DAAYKX0CQ9H2DWF0725A)

[1] [https://innakhazan.com/wp/13-about-
me/](https://innakhazan.com/wp/13-about-me/)

------
MrYellowP
Nice to see something like this getting upvotes.

I once had a friend who was out of sync with her inner rythm ... so to speak.

After identifying the problem, we've sat down for an hour and I've taught her
how to breathe properly, especially - but not only - slowly.

It changed her life ... with a catch.

People noticed she was calmer and happier. People liked her more. She got
promoted. She started earning more. Her life improved significantly, for
months.

And then it hit her. Her ego inflated so much, she started overworking
herself. She lost her sense for her limits. Her ego couldn't handle the
relative increase in energy, which got even worse due to the relative increase
in self-confidence.

Burnt herself out. At least one month hospital.

Breathing techniques are no joke. When you're doing it "wrong" all your life,
the sudden increase in energy when you begin doing it "right" can be both
quite massive and very lasting.

~~~
2511
If you don't mind- could you please elaborate on "taught her how to breathe
properly"

~~~
MrYellowP
That's too broad. What do you want to know?

------
vijucat
An interesting resource that I found on the topic of breathing is
[https://www.normalbreathing.com/](https://www.normalbreathing.com/)

Dr Artour Rakhimov claims that breath starvation (breathing slowly and less)
is key to _higher_ oxygen absorption; and definitely not deep breathing! "Take
a deep breath" makes sense if you have been hyper-ventilating, but not ALL the
time.

I found his site via his "How to unblock a blocked nose in 1 minute" video, a
technique which works even when both nostrils are clogged:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhOTUBZYTEg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhOTUBZYTEg)

------
krn
The Science of Breath (1903)[1] by William Walker Atkinson[2] is a fundamental
read on the subject.

[1]
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/1603864180](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1603864180)

[2]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Walker_Atkinson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Walker_Atkinson)

~~~
andai
Worth noting that WWA's works are now public domain and can be found for free
online, eg. (same book)
[http://yogebooks.com/english/atkinson/1903sciencebreath.pdf](http://yogebooks.com/english/atkinson/1903sciencebreath.pdf)

------
spekcular
Does a quick practical guide about how to do this and reap the benefits exist
anyway?

I'm also curious about finding references for the studies he mentions.

~~~
vl
In the article he says he inhales for 5.5 seconds, then exhales for 5.5
seconds.

~~~
controversy
Have to watch when applying this. I was dehydrated and in the ER. Very
stressed. I hate needles and giving blood. Had to do that. Then had a sit up,
stand up test. Stated to panic. Counted. Then started to pass out.

~~~
twox2
Are you saying you got dehydrated and had to go to the ER as a result of this
breathing exercise?

------
wazoox
A friend of mine had pneumonia 30 years ago, and a physiotherapist told him to
breathe with the abdomen as part of his treatment. I tried it for my asthma,
and it worked pretty well. After a while, it came naturally and I mostly
breathe this way all the time. Slowly, and from the belly :)

~~~
jointpdf
Also known as diaphragmatic breathing:
[https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9445-diaphrag...](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9445-diaphragmatic-
breathing)

I was taught this as a way to control some very acute anxiety from
hypochondria that took over my life for ~6 months before I could get
treatment. Apparently it worked, since I haven’t suffered from that type of
anxiety since.

------
vadansky
Might as well ask it here, since goolgling this leads me down the
hypochondriac nuts hole.

I've noticed I yawn ALOT. Furthremore when I yawning I feel like only 1 out 5
yawns are "proper complete" yawns that actually get enough air in (that's the
best way I can explain).

I was thinking this might be a sign my nose is too stuffed normally and I'm
not getting enough oxygen, but reading this thread I might be over
oxygenating?

Some extra information, I've noticed this a while but I have been exercising a
lot lately, and lost about 20 pounds, so I do feel relatively healthy and
active.

~~~
JoeyJoJoJr
I don't yawn much at all, but sometimes (usually in bed) I do get an
uncomfortable urge to have deep yawns. It is frustrating because most of the
yawns feel unsatisfying, like I didn't get a deep enough breath with the yawn.
It feels as if there is some tension around my lungs or diaphragm. After about
10-20 minutes of this and consciously trying to relax these muscles, I may get
in a couple of big satisfying yawns, but it takes a while to get to that
point.

------
wenc
I was skeptical about breathing exercises but turns out focusing on something
as trivial as breathing can and does help in relaxation and anxiety relief.
(not a substitute for medication/therapy of course)

This is easy for anyone to test empirically -- just YouTube "relaxation
exercises".

I happen to like this one from the University Health Network in Toronto, which
helps me fall asleep (I've never gotten to the end awake)

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj9kLb5gTYg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj9kLb5gTYg)

~~~
crystaln
This is a form of meditation, not so much a breathing exercise. The efficacy
of meditation has been established for thousands of years.

------
moltar
This author seems to be on a PR circuit. Was on Rogan podcast recently. Heard
other health podcasts mention the book and that they’ll have him on soon.

I’m not saying it is wrong. Just to be aware.

~~~
tomcooks
Sorry aware of what? Isn't it how new material gets to people?

------
paulgerhardt
Two minutes of 5.5 second inhales and 5.5 seconds exhales hyperventilates me
to the point of dizziness.

There’s a lot of qualifications for this number and freedivers explore most of
them:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aXxXCXptYA&t=12m10s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aXxXCXptYA&t=12m10s)

6 seconds in and 12 out is my ideal breath-up. Shallower breathes for
meditation. The video above has a good exercise for finding your ideal breath-
up.

------
filipeisho
I don't know if any of you would be interested in this but after reading a lot
of articles like this I programmed a simple app to help you breath while you
work on the computer (distraction free). If you wanna check it out:
[https://github.com/filipeisho/breathe](https://github.com/filipeisho/breathe)
Any feedback is highly appreciated!

------
systematical
3 months ago my gut reaction would be to not even click on this, but having
been stressed out at work recently I started doing yoga and meditation again,
which in themselves do a bit with breathing. Anecdotally I've noticed some
positive changes in my amount of energy and stress. That could all be a
coincidence and if nothing else I am gaining flexibility again. What I'm
taking too many words up to say is, I am inclined to give this a shot.

------
new_guy
If anyone wants to learn to breathe properly I can recommend this book:

[http://www.yogebooks.com/english/atkinson/1903sciencebreath....](http://www.yogebooks.com/english/atkinson/1903sciencebreath.pdf)

A lot of the stuff on Google search and even the so called 'experts' know
nothing at all about this science. When you get deep into it you can even
unlock psychic abilities (seriously).

------
givan
All Europe has gone mad about breathing exercises. For four or five years I
have made money by treating people who had ruined their breathing by such
methods! Many books are written about it, everyone tries to teach others. They
say: "The more you breathe, the greater the inflow of oxygen," etc., and, as a
result, they come to me. I am very grateful to the authors of such books,
founders of schools, and so on.

If, for example, we change our breathing, we change the rhythm of our lungs;
but since everything is connected, other rhythms also gradually begin to
change. If we go on with this breathing for a long time it may change the
rhythm of all the organs. For instance, the rhythm of the stomach will change.
And the stomach has its own habits, it needs a certain time to digest food;
say, for example, the food must lie there an hour. If the rhythm of the
stomach changes, food may pass through more quickly and the stomach will not
have time to take from it all it needs. In another place the reverse may
occur. It is a thousand times better not to interfere with our machine, to
leave it in bad condition rather than correct it without knowledge.

To work on oneself one must know every screw, every nail of one's machine—then
you will know what to do. But if you know a little and try, you may lose a
great deal. The risk is great, for the machine is very complicated. It has
very small screws which can be easily damaged, and if you push harder you may
break them. And these screws cannot be bought in a shop.

One must be very careful. When you know, it is another thing. If anyone here
is experimenting with breathing, it is better to stop while there is still
time.

Gurdjieff G. I. - Views from the Real World (Experiments with breathing talk)

~~~
twox2
So how do you recommend a layman improve their breathing without fucking
themselves up? Is it so complicated that we can't do it on our own without
professional help?

~~~
lozf
He's quoting Gurdjieff: [https://holybooks-lichtenbergpress.netdna-ssl.com/wp-
content...](https://holybooks-lichtenbergpress.netdna-ssl.com/wp-
content/uploads/Views_from_the_Real_World_-_Gurdjieff.pdf)

------
Ozzie_osman
No science here, but anecdotally I find a lot of things that require focus on
breathing to be really relaxing. Meditation, yoga, exercise, even things like
scuba diving and smoking (I don't smoke regularly, maybe hookah a few times a
year).

------
hkr3
[https://youtu.be/p1av5fG7sOA?t=3031](https://youtu.be/p1av5fG7sOA?t=3031)
This is more ancient that many know. Breathing has a direct impact on the body
and the mind.

------
Apocryphon
Are there any online breathing courses or services worth taking? I've read of
diaphragmatic/belly breathing before, but I think I need an actual coach to
check if I'm doing it correctly.

~~~
sg47
See my comment in this thread for recommendations.

------
barrenko
Breathing works, just as basic spirituality. But, further you get into cultish
stuff and "spiritual" experiences because you're basically restricting oxygen.

In Zen they even warn of it.

~~~
bayindirh
I practice Zen and, after certain point you don't even watch your breathing.
You just become aware of it. So, you restrict nothing.

Unfortunately meditation and spirituality is a very sharp and two edged sword.
You need to find the correct people alongside the correct path.

In our way, there's no _Spiritual Experience (TM)_. You just become aware of
the issues in your life and with yourself, then you try to solve them. We say
that "something is useless if it doesn't improve your real life in a
perceivable way".

~~~
nprateem
Advanced Zen practitioners most definitely do report what many would call
spiritual experiences. The difference is they let those experiences go instead
of chasing them or attaching much significance to them.

See for example the later chapters of "The Mind Illuminated", or the excellent
"Science of Enlightenment" audio talk by Shinzen Young.

~~~
bayindirh
Your explanation is actually what I've intended to say. We don't cling to
them. They're not important as-is and not to be chased.

I've also got my fair share (of experiences) but, I don't remember any of them
except one or two odd ones. I remember them because they've proved to be some
pivotal moments which my life became better afterwards.

------
jb775
Wasn't there a HN post somewhat recently about the scientific health benefits
of breathing exercises? I can't find it.

I made a note to read it after I saw the post but forgot about it until now.

------
ZeljkoS
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breathwork](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breathwork)

------
techload
[https://www.sacred-texts.com/oto/lib9.htm#4](https://www.sacred-
texts.com/oto/lib9.htm#4)

------
andai
The Guardian wants me to register to read the article. I had to use a US-based
web proxy to get it to load.

------
la6471
Very timely article ... people in this country needs a calming effect that is
non toxic at this time.

------
forgotmyp77
i started this technique several years ago, and it's done wonders for both me
mental state and attention and my meditation practice.

whenever annoyed or waiting, several deep breaths and then continued breath
awareness for as long as i remember.

------
nilsocket
We Hindus don't just consider it as breathing, our world view is different.
Breathing techniques in India are called Pranayama which means controlling
prana.

This is an excerpt from chapter-3 of Raja yoga by Swami Vivekananda.

Pranayama is not as may think, something about breath. Breath indeed has very
little to do with it if anything. Breathing is only one of the many exercises
through which we get to the real Pranayama. Pranayama means the control of
Prana. According to the philosophers of India the whole universe is composed
of two materials, one of which they call Akasha, It is the omnipresent, all-
penetrating existence. Everything that has form, everything that is the result
of combination, is evolved out of this Akasha. It is the Akasha that becomes
the air, that becomes the liquids, that becomes the solids; it is the Akasha
that becomes the sun, the earth, the moon, the stars, the comets; it is the
Akasha that becomes the human body, the animal body, the plants every form
that we see, everything that can be sensed, everything that exists. It cannot
be perceived; it is so subtle that it is beyond all ordinary perception; it
can only be seen when it has become gross, has taken form. At the beginning of
creation there is only this Ākāsha. At the end of the cycle the solids, the
liquids, and the gases all melt into the Akasha again, and the next creation
similarly proceeds out of this Akāsha.

By what power is this Akasha manufactured into this universe? By the power of
Prāna. Just as Akasha is the infinite, omnipresent material of this universe,
so is this Prāna the infinite, omnipresent manifesting power of this universe.
At the beginning and at the end of a cycle everything becomes Akāsha, and all
the forces that are in the universe resolve back into the Prāna; in the next
cycle, out of this Prāna is evolved everything that we call energy, everything
that we call force. It is the Prāna that is manifesting as motion; it is the
Prāna that is manifesting as gravitation, as magnetism. It is the Prāna that
is manifesting as the actions of the body, as the nerve currents, as thought
force. From thought down to the lowest force, everything is but the
manifestation of Prāna. The sum total of all forces in the universe, mental or
physical, when resolved back to their original state, is called Prana.

"When there was neither aught nor naught when darkness was covering darkness,
what existed then? That Akäsha existed without motion." The physical motion of
the Präna was stopped, but it existed all the same.

At the end of a cycle the energies now displayed in the universe quiet down
and become potential. At the beginning of the next to cycle they start up,
strike upon the Akäsha, and out of the Akāsha evolve these various forms, and
as the Ākāsha changes, this Prana changes also into all these manifestations
of energy. The knowledge and control of this Prāna is really what is meant by
Pranayama.

------
binarymax
Isn't this meditation? What is the difference?

EDIT: rereading this - yes, it is meditation. Why is it being rebranded and
written about as if it is some new discovery?

~~~
smoe
Although it might be done for pure marketing purposes in this case, I think
sometimes calling something differently can help losing some "spiritual
baggage", and open the topic up to people that would otherwise not engage with
it.

Also, "slow breathing" is very descriptive, just reading it I know what to do
(even if I might not know how slow), whereas if I wanted to meditate I would
have to read up first what I'm supposed to do and which of the many different
practices I want to try out.

~~~
bfieidhbrjr
It's not just slow breathing. It's in one nostril, pump stomach muscles, out
the other, pump stomach, repeat. There are YouTube videos demonstrating it.

~~~
smoe
I haven't read the whole article, but in the beginning the author describes
his first sessions as nothing more complicated than breathing slowly.

"The voice instructed us to inhale slowly through our noses, then to exhale
slowly. To focus on our breath. [...] The next day I felt even better. As
advertised, there was a feeling of calm and quiet that I hadn’t experienced in
a long time. I"

So does one need the more advanced techniques or do you get like 80% there by
just explicitly taking some time out of your day to slow down?

------
yboris
Does anyone else find this style of writing absolutely aggravating?

The first paragraph has absolutely 0 value to me as a reader. It's almost like
the goal of the writer is to take up as much of your time as possible.

~~~
viburnum
Haha, I posted this here and I agree, it the author to get to the point.

------
jagannathtech
Pranayama

------
lostmsu
Yes, but can it charge water?

------
dutch3000
isn’t this just like.., uh.., sleeping?

------
lrnStats
Mental health Tangent-

I wonder how far the American Medical Association/physicians have set back
medical discoveries.

The traditional solution is Drugs. Some recommend exercise (although a friend
recently couldn't get a prescription for Physical Therapy until after trying
steroids for 2 weeks). Even fewer recommend diet changes.

Could this breathing method be a drug free solution to various psychological
disorders? (Don't get me wrong, people may need drugs, but it's something to
consider before a Physician gets someone addicted to Drugs for the rest of
their life.)

It just seems like every industry has made huge strides in technological
progress and scientific knowledge, then you have medical which is still
unknown. Engineering and Medicine are both applied sciences, it seems either
bizarre or corrupt that medical is far behind and has low quality outcomes,
despite high costs.

~~~
spaceisballer
I mean diet and exercise can have profound effects on your health. My personal
experiences have been that doctors I have been to are likely to prescribe
something and then toss in “also you should exercise and lose some weight”. I
herniated a disc and basically my options were steroid shots or surgery. I
opted for the steroid shots just to get rid of the constant numbness and pain
down my leg. But there had been no real help on what to do now. “Strengthen
your core” um ok thanks. All that to say a lot of time is spent treating the
symptoms and not the cause. Meanwhile I’m stuck finding the cause and then
trying to remedy it.

~~~
abrichr
Unless you sustained a back injury, the cause is most likely weak core and
trunk muscles, which places strain on your spine. Therefore, strengthening
your core and trunk is the solution.

I have had excellent results with reverse back extensions [1] and inversion
table stretches and crunches.

Good luck!

1: [https://youtu.be/3d9_W--eUcI](https://youtu.be/3d9_W--eUcI)

