This may be a stupid question, but why do we need to exercise breathing? We do it all the time anyway, shouldn't we be pretty good at it by now?
You don't do breathing exercises to get better at breathing. It's for your brain.
4-7-8 Breathing
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Re: 4-7-8 Breathing
#82This may be a stupid question, but why do we need to exercise breathing? We do it all the time anyway, shouldn't we be pretty good at it by now?
not stupid at all! the idea is that practicing conscious breathing techniques can have effects on your stress levels and cognition and such. it's not that you're learning how to breathe, but rather how to breathe for a desired effect .
Stress relief, thanks, that makes sense.
Re: 4-7-8 Breathing
#83There are lots of different ways to do this. The important thing for anyone wanting to get started is just to get started and not get hung up on which one you're doing. Box breathing, Wim Hof method, etc, are all great and any breathwork is better than none. For an intro to the topic, James Nestor's Breath is excellent.
is Nestor's book really excellent? I didn't make it more than halfway through because nowhere could i find any references for all the outlandish claims that are made. A lot of them are implausible anyway, and so far as I know the actual science does not support all these theories put forth in the book. If a thing is made out to be the cure to everything, it's likely the cure to nothing. would be happy to have some go…
This is a decent critique: https://geeky.yoga/2021/12/20/breath-book-review/
Re: 4-7-8 Breathing
#84[dead]
Re: 4-7-8 Breathing
#85I wonder how much is the specific technique vs. the fact that something like 4-7-8 requires you to pay attention to and focus on your breathing? Have their been any studies where participants were asked to do tasks while also box breathing etc?
I wonder the same thing too. Especially since there are all kinds of different techniques that people recommend. And because the ideal length of time for the different phases must surely vary from person to person, since it's a physiological thing and everyone's body is different. It really seems to me (disclaimer: I'm a layperson) like the important thing is just focusing on measured breathing, not the exact one-siz…
I think the important thing is only that you exhale longer than you inhale. Inhaling activates SNS, exhaling PNS, the latter is for relaxation. So the more you can tilt that ratio towards exhaling while still breathing comfortably the better
Re: 4-7-8 Breathing
#86Plum Village (a Buddhist community founded by Thich Nhat Hanh) has a free app with hours and hours of different kinds of breathing and other types of meditation. They also upload meditations regularly on their youtube. This web page also has some good resources and breathing meditations. https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/mindfulness-practice Highly recommend
ok certainly this is a high quality source BUT breathwork should be done with supervision of a practitioner that has some sense. Like swimming (?) this ordinary activity can do great damage in relatively rare situations, or someone trying to do "extreme" practices without guardrails.
Your position is that breathing practice is too dangerous to attempt unsupervised due to risks equivalent to drowning while swimming?
While I don't doubt there's a way to breathe so wrong that it has negative effects, I'm sceptical.
But I wouldn't think twice about swimming alone, so maybe I live on the edge.
Re: 4-7-8 Breathing
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
Every time I try breathwork (be it box or x-y-z) I feel that the intervals are too long - by the time I finish breathing out my brain goes into panic mode and the next breath is not enough to compensate. I find them the exact opposite of relaxing.
You can begin with an easier pattern… Breathing through the nose, in for a count of three and out for five, then repeat. As long as the outbreath is longer than the inbreath, you will get some effect. Could also try relaxing first by massaging the Vagus nerve. An easy way to start with that is to massage in a circular motion the skin area in front of the Tragus (front skin flap) on each ear. You can combine that with…
Even easier: start by simply breathing in and out through your nose, without trying to control the duration. Just sitting and breathing.
Re: 4-7-8 Breathing
#88Plum Village (a Buddhist community founded by Thich Nhat Hanh) has a free app with hours and hours of different kinds of breathing and other types of meditation. They also upload meditations regularly on their youtube. This web page also has some good resources and breathing meditations. https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/mindfulness-practice Highly recommend
ok certainly this is a high quality source BUT breathwork should be done with supervision of a practitioner that has some sense. Like swimming (?) this ordinary activity can do great damage in relatively rare situations, or someone trying to do "extreme" practices without guardrails.
I made a simple app inspired by Richie Davidson’s research that teaches people how to change their state with breath.
Re: 4-7-8 Breathing
#89from the website '... Developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, ... ' most certainly not. yoga practitioners have been doing this / similar exercises for quite a while now.
Re: 4-7-8 Breathing
#90[dead]