A Gentle Nudge In the Wrong Direction
Sometimes health can be counter-intuitive - holding the breath is one of them
If I didn’t live on Earth and someone asked me how to stay happy and healthy I might say:
Breathe continuously
Eat well and often
Reduce stress; And
Relax
But because I do live on Earth, I know that that’s only half the story. In truth, life is more nuanced and paradoxical.
Exercise, for example, increases stress in the body before reducing it down.
Fasting from food cleanses the body and removes stagnant toxins.
Relaxation, if sustained long enough, can lead to a lack of life force energy.
And holding the breath from time to time can boost lung capacity and lung volume.
On paper, holding the breath makes no sense. However, in about 3 minutes time my hope is that you’ll see how powerful it can be and what you can do strengthen your lungs and thus your life.
This is me gently nudging you in the “wrong” direction. Although, it might not be the wrong direction at all…
The Power of Mini Breath-Holds
The nagging need to breathe comes from a cluster of neurons located at the base of the brainstem called central chemoreceptors. When we’re breathing too shallow and our carbon dioxide levels rise, these chemoreceptors send signals up to the brain that inform it to breathe faster and/or deeper. When we’re breathing too quickly, the same chemoreceptors direct the body to breathe slower to increase our carbon dioxide levels.
“This is how our bodies determine how fast and often we breathe,” James Nestor wrote. “Not by the amount of oxygen, but by the amount of carbon dioxide.”
This is important in terms of strengthening the lungs because the first impulse to breathe comes from a need to expel carbon dioxide and not because we need more oxygen. That comes shortly after. So by extending the urge to breathe out fewer breaths are needed to be breathed in.
A surprising way to do this is to hold the breath, especially on the exhale. Konstantin Buteyko - a brilliant Ukrainian scientist from 1923-2003 - knew this and it’s why he developed a technique called The Control Pause Test.
“Central to the method is a measurement called the Control Pause. This involves timing how long you can comfortably hold your breath following an exhalation. Having a control pause of less than 25 seconds is poor and 25 seconds to 35 seconds means there is room for improvement. The goal is to reach a comfortable breath hold time of 40 seconds.” - The Buteyko Clinic
He recommended starting early in the morning, soon after waking up as this is when the body is most relaxed. He then advised repeating the process another 4-5x during the day as this accounts for how different activities, emotional states, and times of the day affect the breath and thus the mind and body.
This exercise is especially helpful for those suffering from asthma and/or other pulmonary diseases.
Give it a try. You might surprise yourself.
The Control Pause Test
Sit down and take a normal breath in and out of your nose.
At the end of your exhale, pinch your nose with your fingers and hold.
Grab a stopwatch (or count in your head) and time how many seconds it takes before you need to breathe in again.
When you do, inhale and resume normal breathing.
Breathing at the end of the control pause should be normal. If you gasp for air you’ve probably pushed it too far.
Repeat once more now you are familiar with the technique.
How did you get on?
The easiest way Konstantin Buteyko knew if his patients’ lungs were strengthening over time was to track how long their breath holds were becoming. The same rules apply to you and me. So, if your breath holds are becoming longer as you continue to practice, your lungs will be strengthening. And as your lungs begin to strengthen, your health will naturally improve. And as your health improves, your life will start to extend.
“For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth.” - Sanskrit proverb
As a trained breathwork practitioner and someone who has been holding their breath every day for the last five years, I can vouch for its potential.
I personally credit a lot of my own healing to increasing the amount of time I can hold my breath for because, during my 20 years of anxiety, I also developed an inflamed gut. However, with the help of a daily breathwork practice and other supportive lifestyle choices such as eating a healthier diet, jumping into cold water, and meditation, my nervous system regulated itself again, and my gut lining healed. That’s why I’m such a big advocate of it.
Next week I’ll introduce another technique that will build upon today’s. However, it’s one that has even more potential for growth. So, you can consider today a warm up for next week. And I’m already excited to share it with you!