[ninenines]

Lot of people tend to have respiratory failure before situation gets worrisome and breath exercises are a definite way to help your body do what a ventilator does

In yoga asanas, there are few breathing exercises that existed in ancient India and I myself can attest to it that I was able to overcome lot of allergies practising it,

Here is a resource to follow along. https://youtu.be/iUKjuni-6l8 starts at 9 mins and goes on for 15 mins or so

And yes everyone breathes the wrong way, we pull in stomach when inhaling which is supposed to be otherway round, I know it's surprising to hear that we are breathing wrong. if you want the proof just notice a child breathing that's the most natural form of breathing

If you are looking for keywords to look up, the are anuloma viloma & kapalabathi.

Stay safe, stay healthy.

[blurbleblurble]

Yes! Breathing like that will purge carbon dioxide from your blood more quickly and result in higher oxygen levels. There are some really powerful exercises based on oxygen breathing in quite a few different traditions. Some names I've heard of are "holotropic breathing", "circular breathing", "breath of fire", "round breathing", "bioenergetics breathing", and "Wim Hoff method". Wilhelm Reich made use of oxygen increasing breathwork in his orgone therapy back in the mid 20th century.

This stuff can really bring about powerful alternate states of mind, and I've personally experienced some deep spiritual and psychological release from oxygen breathing exercises.

At this point I've come to think that peoples' natural response during an anxiety attack, which is to hyperventilate, might actually be a healthy, desireable reaction. But we socially repress and stigmatize it. Fear and anxiety are uncomfortable to us, so instead of holding space for working through that stuff naturally, we stuff it.

I'm telling you though, the feeling relief that controlled hyperventilating can bring is unbelievable.

[rand_r]

The evolutionary history of how we developed an instinct to hyperventilate is an interesting question.

However, I have to put up a warning that hyperventilating doesn't actually increase oxygen levels. It's a dangerous practice because it surpasses the natural drive to breath by depleting CO2 in the blood to abnormally low levels.

Our breath drive depends on CO2 levels and can get fooled by hyperventilation into letting you black out from lack of oxygen. This section on Wikipedia explains the physics of the situation really well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freediving_blackout#Shallow_wa...

[rusk]

> The evolutionary history of how we developed an instinct to hyperventilate

Presumably it's a fight or flight response. It's redundant and counterproductive of course in many modern stress situations but if you had to fight off a predator or catch that animal the extra jolt of vascular activity probably makes perfect sense.

[bichiliad]

That was a really interesting link. It sounds here like hyperventilation, in practice, is dangerous only if you might become oxygen-starved right after (like in diving). A lot of these breathing exercises, like the one in the video above, aren't necessarily dangerous for that reason.

[nradov]

I don't use any particular breathing technique and my blood oxygen saturation is typically very close to 100%, just like most other people without lung disease. If you're getting benefits from breath work then that's great, but it's not because of oxygen levels.

[blurbleblurble]

Good point! I was thinking in terms of oxygen/CO2 balance. But strictly speaking, I realize your right in that hyperventilating won't actually increase absolute oxygen levels.

[jules]

If this is the case, what causes the light-headedness when you hyperventilate?

[goldenkey]

"Low carbon dioxide levels lead to narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. This reduction in blood supply to the brain leads to symptoms like lightheadedness and tingling in the fingers. Severe hyperventilation can lead to loss of consciousness. For some people, hyperventilation is rare."

[blurbleblurble]

I understand the tingling of the fingers to be caused by a reduction of calcium ionization:

"Low levels of carbon dioxide cause tetany by altering the albumin binding of calcium such that the ionized (physiologically influencing) fraction of calcium is reduced; one common reason for low carbon dioxide levels is hyperventilation."

[brodouevencode]

I highly recommend everyone look into Wim Hoff's work. It's not only helpful but he's also a super interesting guy.

[delackner]

This interview shows Wim Hof Guiding someone through a full single round:

https://youtu.be/JPPlicAEFec?t=3058

Four rounds in a row first thing in the morning blows coffee away by a long shot.

And the free app to make it easy to track progress: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wim-hof-method/id890471578?m...

[kingdomcome50]

I tried it with them, and you know what? It felt good. That said, there was no shortage of red flags coming from Hof. Expelling the cancer? The bacteria? Hm...

I had to stop when the Russel Brand was trying to explain that the mediation quieted the narrative in his head. Hof attempted to finish his thought in exactly the wrong way, then pulled a 180 upon being corrected. Really had the feel of that guy in the mall trying to sell you hand cream...

[delackner]

The messenger's clothes don't matter if the message is verifiable.

Go read the clinical study. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4034215/

Look up his list of Guinness records. Marathon in the desert. Climbed nearly to the top of Everest in shorts and no shirt. World record for longest breath hold underwater. etc.

Only someone who feels strange would even think to try these things.

[rv-de]

Hyperventilating reduces oxygen levels in your body due to the Bohr effect. That's why it can cause you to faint.

[mtalantikite]

I'd also suggest practicing nadi shodhana pranayama with breath retention. There is some evidence that holding your breath in a controlled way exercises your spleen, like endurance divers train for, which injects oxygenated red blood cells into circulation. [1][2] It obviously has an effect on respiratory capacity as well. [3]

There are plenty of resources on Nadi Shodhana -- I'd suggest Iyengar's "Light on Pranayama" -- but I'd recommend starting with a 1:1:1 ratio of inhale:hold:exhale counts through alternate nostrils, then moving on to 1:2:2 and then 1:4:2.

[1] https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/news/enlarged-spleen-key-div...

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3694106/

[3] PDF warning: https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1113/EP086...

[WalterBright]

> we pull in stomach when inhaling

Wat? My stomach goes out when I inhale. I could not find any way to pull in my stomach and inhale.

[madhadron]

It is a common dysfunction in western cultures to lift and try to expand the ribcage when breathing in, while dragging the gut in. It results in a much smaller breathing volume, lots of weird, unnecessary physical stresses. Kind of the same kind of thing as people bending their spine weirdly backward when told to stand up straight.

[rusk]

I used to do this as a kid, and noticed it at one point and thought it weird. I must have subconsciously corrected it over the years since then cause it's not how I breath any more …

I wonder is it related to prevalence of sitting?

[readarticle]

Simply “fill” your chest while inhaling and your stomach can’t not go in.

Imagine a cartoon of someone taking a deep breath before blowing out a candle or something.

[AlexCoventry]

It's unhealthy but anatomically possible to breathe while your abdomen is pulled in. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319924

Try it. You end up breathing using your rib cage instead of your diaphragm.

[sah2ed]

That unhealthy form of breathing is called vertical breathing. The correct form is horizontal breathing [0] helpfully shared elsewhere in this thread.

0: https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-breathe/

[djtriptych]

I upvoted. HN hates comments like this but I've also had similar experiences. Asthmatic as a kid, high blood pressure in my 20s. All of that disappeared.

[rusk]

> HN hates comments like this

Surprised you haven't got the old "anecdata is no data" response yet …

[rimliu]

post hoc, ergo propter hoc.

[djtriptych]

yeah working out muscles makes them stronger. Must be a myth.

[rimliu]

It was about asthma and hbp, not some stronger muscles.

[djtriptych]

try it sometime.

[Zenst]

>And yes everyone breathes the wrong way, we pull in stomach when inhaling which is supposed to be otherway round, I know it's surprising to hear that we are breathing wrong. if you want the proof just notice a child breathing that's the most natural form of breathing

Interesting as in martial arts the kiai is from the base of the stomach clenching with a breath out.

More so as I breath in via the chest not the stomach, not given that much thought, though did a lot of competitive swimming and that may of played a part, not something I considered.

[aesyondu]

> And yes everyone breathes the wrong way, we pull in stomach when inhaling which is supposed to be otherway round

This statement confused me, so just to be clear, this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldNnKVGxabA demonstrates the correct way to breathe right?

Wrong - pull in stomach (breathe with chest)

Right - expand stomach

[ninenines]

Yes I am so sorry for the confusion.

When we breathe, first the lungs fill up, as adults we exhale at this point. We should continue breathing until full lung capacity i.e until it pushes the diaphragm down which in turn pushes the stomach giving a sense of pot belly, if you have a pet or a child notice their stomach while they breathe.

There seems to be little confusion about chest/stomach breathing. We draw air with lungs which reside in the chest, its just that we are training our body to take deep and longer breaths we get a feeling that we are drawing with stomach

As PG says one needs child like curiosity, we need to child like breathing :)

[0xcafecafe]

Your interesting tidbit about breathing led me to pay attention to my style. Seems I am doing the "right" way, stomach distends on input and vice-versa. It seems impossible to do the other way. I wonder how people get into that habit.

[djmips]

That was quite helpful thanks.

[TriNetra]

Extracting from (with slight modification re retention) https://www.amazon.com/Wellness-Sense-practical-emotional-Ay...

>>> Respiratory cleansing purifies your entire body. It pacifies the three doshas and strengthens the seven dhatus. It flushes your lungs and blood with fresh and excess oxygen that results in definitive strengthening of your immune system and your overall wellbeing. Respiratory cleansing has a calm effect on your mind as well. It improves your memory, virility (or fertility) and strengthens your neurological system. According to the yogic texts, it allows the practitioner to live longer and healthier. It is called pranayama. Prana means vital life force and yama means to elongate it. The science of pranayama is a different subject matter and is not part of the mainstream Ayurveda.

Prerequisites For all the breathing exercises, it is more rewarding to sit cross-legged. Sitting in this posture allows you better control on the flow of the vital energies in the body. In case, you can't sit cross-legged, it is okay to sit in a chair. Breathing exercises should not be done while lying down. In all the exercises, your back and neck should be in one straight line. Your posture needs to be firm and straight but not tense. It is best to do these exercises on empty stomach in the morning. If you are doing it during the day or at night, make sure there is a minimum of two-hour gap between your meal and the exercise. And, that's assuming you had a light vegetarian meal because a light vegetarian meal completely digests in two hours. If you had a heavier meal, you may want to increase the gap to three hours or more. Start all breathing exercises with an exhalation first. This is a subtle but extremely significant point. Exhalation allows you to expel toxic air in your system. If you start with an inhalation, you simply pressurize the foul air to circulate through your system. A general rule of thumb is to be followed for all yogic exercises: if they make you uncomfortable, stop right away and seek expert guidance.

Simple Deep Breathing Simple deep breathing is a hassle-free, potent and easy exercise. Assuming you have followed the prerequisites, just sit comfortably, rest your hands in your lap if you are sitting cross legged or on your knees if you are sitting in a chair. Start with exhale as per prerequisit. Inhale deeply and gently with both nostrils. Fill your belly and lungs with fresh air. Do not hold it and instead start exhaling gently. Pull your stomach in as you exhale and gently push your stomach out as you inhale. Simple deep breathing can be done for fifteen minutes in the morning. Do it for five minutes and take a break of two minutes and then do it for another five minutes.

Alternate Breathing Alternate breathing is a type of pranayama that is excellent for neurological and respiratory cleansing and detoxification. It forms part of the nervous-system-purification (nadi-shodhana) regime. It is called anuloma-viloma in yogic texts. To do alternate breathing, follow the prerequisites. As always, start with complete exhalation with both nostrils. Put the thumb of your right hand on your right nostril to close it. Now breathe deeply, steadily and gently through your left. DO not hold the breath. Put the middle finger of your right hand on the left nostril and lift your thumb to open the right nostril. Exhale completely, steadily and gently. Ideally, your exhalation should be so soft that you should not even hear yourself breathing out. Yogic scriptures state the standard one-four-two rule for pranayama. It means if it takes you one second to breath in, for example, you should hold the breath for four seconds (four times the length of inhalation) and exhale over two seconds (double the length of inhalation). However, as I stated earlier, retention of breath should be done only if you have been guided by an expert and if you are observing all the rules. At one stretch you can do twenty repetitions. One complete repetition is inhale from the left, hold, exhale from the right, inhale from the right, hold, and then exhale from the left. This is one repetition. If you have the time, you are free to do it twice or even thrice a day. There is no better purifier of your entire nervous system than pranayama. It is nothing short of a miracle exercise handed down to us by the ancient yogis.

[SketchySeaBeast]

Is it possible to separate the spiritualism and pseudo-science from the actual facts? Lines like saying belly breathing "pacifies the three doshas and strengthens the seven dhatus" serves to discredit any possible real benefits.

[TriNetra]

I think we always have the option to ignore what doesn't fit in our world-view. I mostly just copied text on breathing from the book on Ayurveda in which these things are fundamental building blocks of the human physiology.