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Box Breathing

quietkit.com

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Re: Box Breathing

#121
post #73
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is only because you're not able to recognize your urge to breathe for what it is...a buildup of CO2 rather than a need for O2. With practice in breathing exercises, you learn to recognize the start of contractions (in the diaphragm) as a stage in the breath hold that's typically around 1/3 of your maximum. With more practice, you can start to recognize more subtle symptoms of low O2...tingling in the extremities…

> And running out of O2 underwater leads to black outs, especially in shallow water as water pressure drops fastest when surfacing those last 10m-20m. Because people swim faster when they're close to the top?

Maaaats' answer is excellent, but I thought I'd add one bit for non divers.

When you learn to dive, the most fundamental fact you learn is that the every 10.5m you descend under water adds 1 atmosphere (bar) of pressure. It's customary to round that down to 10m to make the calculations both easier and more conservative. But the important realization from this calculation is that pressure changes more rapidly near the surface. Descending those first 10m doubles the pressure. From 10m to 20m only adds 50%. From 20m to 30m adds even less, 33%.

And it's that percentage change that is most noticeable underwater. You have to equalize the pressures in your ears and sinuses most in the first 10m under water. And since pressure effects your body's ability to deliver oxygen to the brain, that rapid decrease in pressure near the surface when surfacing is where someone low on oxygen will pass out.

This also explains another part of maaaats' answer. Since a freediver is wearing a wetsuit that compresses with pressure (and the lungs also compresses with pressure), their buoyancy will depend on depth. Being neutrally buoyant at 10m deep is a common practice for all but the most experienced freedivers. This means for those first 10m, you actually have to kick your fins to go down or else you'll just float back up to the surface. But beyond 10m, you can just let gravity take you down. And it works the same way coming up. You actually have to kick to get back to 10m, but once you pass that point, the buoyant force starts to help you get to the surface. Experienced freedivers might actually exert themselves less in those last 10m since they've got that assist from buoyancy.

Re: Box Breathing

#122
post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If anyone is interested, David Blaine has an interesting TED Talk on holding your breath. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFnGhrC_3Gs

TIL: The longest time breath held voluntarily (male) is 24 min 3.45 secs and was achieved by Aleix Segura Vendrell (Spain). How is that thing even possible? your body would work in an entirely different manner!

He pre-breathes 100% oxygen for up to 30 minutes prior to the breathhold: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_apnea#With_pure_oxygen

World record without this trick is 11 min 54.

Re: Box Breathing

#123
post #117
post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A word of caution about him: I spent some time recently researching into his method, and there were too many red flags coming up. These included not summiting and having to be evacuated in poor condition from mountains that he was claimed to have climbed (often the claims are not made by him directly, but also not contradicted by him). Having run a half-marathon distance while a full marathon is claimed. And acting e…

I support skepticism about things like this, but I will say: Wim is not scamming people. He's showing them how to do something that works to lengthen his breath retention underwater and the regulation of his body heat. What he does is similar to pranayama, and dissimilar to hyperventilating in that he's pausing between the inhale and the exhale, a lot like the Navy SEALS. Wim is not a great public speaker, and Englis…

>If you are going to claim that people have drowned by following his methods, you should link to it.

http://www.parool.nl/binnenland/-iceman-oefening-eist-opnieu...

I did not say, nor do I think, that Wim Hof is scamming people. He appears genuine, although often evasive. And I do not think it has anything to do with English being his second language.

However, I do get a feeling that _someone_ is using him behind the scenes to make money, due to the false/exaggerated claims made about the results of his method and the related publications, and the method getting heavily commercialised and promoted.

As for the method itself, like I wrote before, it is nothing new. It is controlled hyperventilation (and cold showers). Like many kids, I discovered it when competing with friends in who could hold their breath the longest.

It has also been used by free-divers for a long time, and there is evidence that it may cause brain injury when done repeatedly (in addition to blacking out and drowning). Which is why I would not recommend anyone to "just try it".

Too many red flags for me personally, and I just wanted to share that since the topic came up.

Re: Box Breathing

#124
post #16

There's growing evidence that breathing is linked to brain activity in interesting ways [1]. There's also the "4-7-8" breathing technique that is supposed to help you fall asleep faster. [2] On top of that, concentrating on breathing takes your focus away from other inner monologue and intrusive thoughts; meditation programs typically start you off on that path. [1] https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2016/12/rhyth…

Thank you for the 4-7-8, it seems worthwhile to try regularly!

Shameless plug:

I made an iOS app for 4-7-8.

Essence — Breathing Relaxation

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/essence-breathing-relaxation...

Re: Box Breathing

#125
post #123
post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I support skepticism about things like this, but I will say: Wim is not scamming people. He's showing them how to do something that works to lengthen his breath retention underwater and the regulation of his body heat. What he does is similar to pranayama, and dissimilar to hyperventilating in that he's pausing between the inhale and the exhale, a lot like the Navy SEALS. Wim is not a great public speaker, and Englis…

>If you are going to claim that people have drowned by following his methods, you should link to it. http://www.parool.nl/binnenland/-iceman-oefening-eist-opnieu... I did not say, nor do I think, that Wim Hof is scamming people. He appears genuine, although often evasive. And I do not think it has anything to do with English being his second language. However, I do get a feeling that _someone_ is using him behind the…

Fair enough. Wim Hof and his organization have warnings on every single page of their tutorials telling people not to do the exercises in a swimming pool, like the guy did who died. Below is a screenshot of them. Saying that people die following his method, when they do the exact opposite of what he says, is inaccurate. Nobody should try it near water, or driving, or anywhere but sitting in a meditative position.

http://imgur.com/a/j8F7o

Wim's marketing is crap, and frankly, he's not making a lot of money off of this. No one is.

The method may not be new, but many old things are not known or popularized. Kids may discover it, but we are still learning about the effects of this technique on the body.

Re: Box Breathing

#126
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And running out of O2 underwater leads to black outs, especially in shallow water as water pressure drops fastest when surfacing those last 10m-20m. Because people swim faster when they're close to the top?

Maaaats' answer is excellent, but I thought I'd add one bit for non divers. When you learn to dive, the most fundamental fact you learn is that the every 10.5m you descend under water adds 1 atmosphere (bar) of pressure. It's customary to round that down to 10m to make the calculations both easier and more conservative. But the important realization from this calculation is that pressure changes more rapidly near the…

The details here are great even for divers :)

Re: Box Breathing

#127
post #89
post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> All of this without mentally counting Wait, some people can count on their fingers without in their head going "One, Two, Three, Four"? I can't. Suggestions for how to gain this skill first?

Instead of 1, 2, 3, 4, in your head say "left, middle, middle, right." Repeat until natural, then change it to be "this one, this one, this one, this one." Repeat until natural, then repeat some more until you can do it by the pattern alone without verbalizing anything internally. Or don't think of it as counting, just think of it as a drumbeat. Bah-bah-bah-BAH. Bah-bah-bah-BAH. Make sure to go slow enough that it's…

that's cheating! we want the power to instinctively tell how many seconds have elapsed. maybe even what time it is.

Re: Box Breathing

#128
post #58
post #19

It's been known for thousands of years in yoga as "samavritti pranayama", or "square breath". The advice is to count on the finger of one hand. Inhale while stepping 1 2 3 4, Hold 1 2 3 4, Exhale 1 2 3 4 and Hold 1 2 3 4. All of this without mentally counting, just use your fingers to do the steps. It is recommended before meditation for calming the agitated mind. Another method is to count breaths in increasing cycl…

There was an ashtanga teacher in SoCal who did pranayama practice with a few students prior to Mysore practice. It was really demanding, somebody counted 55 inhale-exhale cycles in an hour, something like that

Do you happen to remember the teacher? Looking for a good ashtanga class in socal

Re: Box Breathing

#129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Everyone thinks Pranayama and Yoga are from Buddhism Not me, as written.

Anything to discredit Hinduism.

Hinduism eats other religion, it's the super set religion, which is cool except for the cast system and that it says we all are living in the downward spiral (Kali Yuga) where people are as far away from God as possible. I don't wanna live in a downfall...

Re: Box Breathing

#130
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's because video of breathing exercises on Instagram/Facebook won't garner as many likes as impressive as a scorpion pose on the mountain top. Let's be honest, a good number of yoga practitioners here in the West do it for superficial reasons instead of actual personal improvement.

Yeah, it's just about fitness for a lot of people.

'Bout dem yoga pants, too, bruh.
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