Breathing is the essence of life. Whether awake or asleep, our bodies continue the rhythmic motion of inhaling and exhaling to nourish our systems with oxygen. But, what if we could harness the power of our breath to relieve the everyday stresses of life, reach our fitness potential or even control our immune systems? Turning this instinctive action into a conscious practice could do all of these things and more. “When a person is under stress, their breathing rate and pattern changes,” explains yoga instructor Diana Azavedo of ZenYoga in Dubai. “Each breath becomes shallow and small, which disrupts the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body. With corrective breathing, the muscles are properly oxygenated, fatigue is lessened and our physical energy is enhanced. Our breath is one aspect of the body that is voluntary as well as involuntary, and since we have the power to regulate it, we must utilise it to manage our stress levels by practicing proper breathing techniques.”
Ancient yogic breathing practices have focused on the art of the breath for centuries, whether Hindu breath meditation practices, Buddhist mindfulness or Native American teachings in the sacred breath. Wim Hof, aka The Iceman, believes in the power of these methods to push his body to its physical limits. Using regular exposure to extreme cold and the ancient Tibetan Buddhist breathing technique of Tummo (inner heat) – controlled hyperventilation that oxidises the blood and raises the pH levels of the body – the Dutchman has been able to achieve 20 world records for withstanding extremes of temperature, including the furthest swim under ice and the longest ice immersion (a cold one hour and 53 minutes). He has also climbed Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts and run a full marathon in the Namib Desert in 50-degree heat without water.
In a scientific study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy for Sciences, medical researchers concluded that Hof is able to achieve these feats by voluntarily modulating his immune response in order to suppress his immune reactions (for example, when injected with E. coli bacteria), induce massive releases of adrenaline and increase his metabolism by 300 per cent. Just by breathing. Hof might sound like a medical miracle, at the very least an anomaly, but in 2013, he taught 12 participants with no prior training his breathing techniques, after which they, too, were able to withstand E. coli without reacting. “My aim is that within a couple of years, we are all able to tap into the deepest layers of our physiology and reset our immune systems,” he told author Tim Ferriss in an interview, “bring it under our will.” We may not want to sit on an iceberg for hours or climb a mountain in swimwear, but a little of The Iceman’s breathing control may help to alleviate the strain of a modern life that leaves us constantly plugged in.
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“Stress is in-built into our survival system,” says Kiran Menezes, Managing Director at Miracles Wellness Center in Dubai. “It causes an adrenaline rush, which in effect helps us to assess and react to situations in our daily lives. Imagine a caveman hunting for food. As he is faced with a sabre-toothed lion, his body reacts by releasing cortisol, a stress hormone, into the blood stream. Fast forward to our time, we have deadlines and heated discussions, we are constantly rushing, facing careless drivers on the road: All these factors contribute to our flight or fight response.” The negative impact of stress affects our breathing, not just at the time, but also in the aftermath. “Close your eyes and think back to a time when you were in a really stressful situation,” says Menezes, “you will realise that your body instantly reacts as you recall that situation, even though it was in the past. Your breathing may become shallower or rapid, or you might even hold your breath for a microsecond. Your body recreates the sensations that go along with your thoughts.” Without knowing it, we have adopted shallow upper chest breathing patterns, contracting the abdomen on inhalation. “We have conditioned ourselves to hold our breath from a very young age,” Menezes explains. “Every time we think of something uncomfortable or experience a difficult emotion, we hold our breath, which leads to the emotion being held in the body as well. This slowly manifests in different ailments.”
The good news is that the cycle can be broken. “Breathing in a certain pattern will cause a pattern interrupt. It stops your thought process, so if your stress levels are on the rise, it will break that pattern immediately,” notes Menezes. “This allows you to divert your thoughts in a positive direction.” Mindfully try to slow abdominal breathing through the nose, recommends Azavedo; expand the abdomen as you inhale and contract it as you exhale. Feeling calmer? As in Hof’s case, more frequent practice could help to make that a permanent state. Pranayama (the breathing technique of hatha yoga), for example, is able to nourish the mind, circulate energy and increase vitality if practiced daily for five to 15 minutes (or at least three times a week).
“Focused breathing exercises help by introducing a calming effect on the mind and nervous system,” advises Azavedo. “When we breathe deeply, a message is sent to the brain to relax and calm down. The heart rate slows down, blood pressure lowers and this, in turn, promotes relaxation and reduces tension. When we start to observe the free flowing natural breath, we simply ‘be’. We transform from human doings to human beings and embrace our true nature, which is to observe and witness without judgment.” The simple act of paying attention to our breathing forces a welcome moment of contemplation, whether at our desks, in a meeting or stuck in traffic. It has an instantaneous effect. Whether it’s clarity or composure you are seeking, increased focus or energy, the first step is a deep breath. The next step is the ice bath.
Breathing Techniques
Sam Vritti technique or equal ratio breathing
To calm the nervous system, increase focus and reduce stress:
1. Inhale through the nose for a count of four
2. Exhale through the nose for a count of four
3. Aim to build to six to eight counts per breath
Wim Hof method based on Tibetan inner heat practice, Tummo
To control the autonomous nervous system to deepen mediation and fight disease:
1. Warm up by inhaling deeply and exhaling completely 15 times
2. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth 30 to 40 times, neither shallow nor deep breaths, imagining your body is being filled with oxygen
3. Draw the breath once more, fill the lungs without force, then empty your lungs of air and hold for as long as possible
4. Take a deep breath and hold for 10-15 seconds, exhale
5. Repeat the above steps three more times (record times to track progression)
6. Meditate for five minutes, increasing this time as you practice
Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing
To focus, energise and invigorate, this technique unites both sides of the brain:
1. Sit in a comfortable meditative pose
2. Hold the right thumb over the right nostril and inhale deeply through the left nostril
3. At the peak of inhalation, close off the left nostril with the ring finger and exhale through the right nostril
4. Continue for nine rounds in an alternating pattern
*Do not attempt any breathing exercises before entering, or whilst in, water
