I didn’t anticipate getting much out of Breath. I (foolishly) thought I knew what I needed to know on the topic. Listening to Nester on the 10% Happier podcast intrigued me enough to invest in the book. I figured it would be a strong review, and reviews are vital…we all forget stuff along the way. I was pleasantly surprised; the book not only reminded me of the basics of breathing, but it also taught me a few key new things, such as how important nose breathing is. My biggest takeaway was “shut your mouth; breathe through your nose.” 🙂
The problem with trying to entice people to read a book on breathing is that we are already breathing. If we weren’t, we wouldn’t be alive. The topic seems somewhat “been there, doing that.”
To delve into the book, one must first buy into Nester’s thesis that, yes, we are all breathing, but most of us are not breathing CORRECTLY. Ninety percent of us are breathing in a way that doesn’t serve us, which is problematic because no matter what you eat or how much you exercise, you cannot optimize your health if you are not breathing properly. The missing pillar of health is breath.
Everything starts with how and how often we breathe; the quality of our breath impacts everything from our athletic performance to our quality of sleep. Making even slight adjustments to the way we breathe can jump-start athletic performance; rejuvenate internal organs; halt snoring, allergies, asthma, and some autoimmune disease; and even straighten spines.
We take roughly 25,000 breaths a day, which can be helpful. Those 25,000 breaths offer almost endless opportunities to create positive change!
Now, most of us don’t spend much time thinking about those 25,000 breaths. This is, for the most part, a good thing. Breathing should be automatic; automaticity allows us to breathe without having to divert attention away from day-to-day activities. Automaticity only becomes a negative when you have developed suboptimal breathing strategies; then you are simply automatically breathing with subpar form. (Obviously breathing sub-optimally is better than not breathing at all, but breathing optimally should be our goal.)
Before Nester wrote this book, he was one of the 90%. Nester admits he put no intentional thought into his breath pattern. That changed through researching the book. Nester actively participated. First, he used an apparatus that only allowed for mouth breathing. Then he switched and used a tool that ensured he only used his nose to breathe. The results were that breathing through his mouth increased his snoring, blood pressure, and sleep apnea and decreased his performance. Whereas, breathing though his nose on the other hand decreased his snoring, blood pressure, and sleep apnea and increased his performance.
If you are part of the 90% of us who have never thought about the breath, now is the time to start. With awareness brings choice; once you know how you are breathing you can adjust your technique. Below are a few of the main takeaways from Nester’s book. If you are interested in “actionable steps” vs “exposition,” skip “Breathing 101” and go directly to “Let’s get physical.”
Breathing 101
Inhaling brings oxygen into the body, fuels movement, and feeds our brains; inhaling amps us up. When in danger, we breathe faster. Think “fight or flight” or “mobilization” mode.
Exhaling engages our parasympathetic system; it calms us down. Think “rest and digest” or “campfire” mode.
Too many of us are “chest breathers”; we take shallow, rapid inhales. Many of the experts Nestor consulted believe that frequent, almost manic inhales are a symptom of a constant state of stress. In our anxiety and distraction, with bad posture and laptops propped on kitchen tables, we gasp for air as if we were drowning. This pattern of “gasping” — of chest breathing — can lead to chronically tight chest and neck muscles, a flared rib cage, and a generalized sense of anxiety.
Your breathing style should ideally match your goal of that moment. For example, if you are doing the modern equivalent of running from a tiger, feel free to focus on the inhale. Inhaling charges up our nervous system. Exhaling on the other hand, calms us down. When you are trying to calm your anxiety or fall asleep, take longer exhales. The calmer you want to be, the longer your exhale should be.
According to Nester, the key is to create a baseline way of breathing that revolves around breathing through the nose and getting a full exhale. Mouth breathing spikes stress hormones, increases blood pressure, increases rates of sleep apnea and snoring, and negatively impacts heart rate variability. The mouth should only be a “backup” ventilation system for when the nose is plugged, or you need some extra oxygen at the end of a race or intense workout. Extending the exhale will move the diaphragm up and down, which will get air out so you can get air in.
An ideal breath rate is roughly 5.5 breathes per minute: take 5.5 seconds to breathe in and 5.5. seconds to breathe out. This pattern allows blood flow to the brain to increase, and for the heart and the nervous system to coordinate. Of course, if this is too intense, start with breathing in for 3 seconds and out for 3 seconds. ALWAYS start where you are!!
Let’s get physical! Time to create some embodied knowledge!
1. Find your nose
Your nose is your HVAC system; it cleans air, heats air, moistens air for easy absorption. Breathing through your nose triggers a cavalcade of hormones and chemicals that lower blood pressure and ease digestion.
Get comfortable breathing through both nostrils; each offers slightly different benefits. Think of the right nostril like a gas pedal ― it stimulates the sympathetic nervous system which increases circulation, body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate. It feeds blood to the left side of the brain, our logical centre. Think of the left nostril as our “break.” The left nostril is more connected to the parasympathetic side of our nervous system. The left nostril cools the body, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and decreases circulation. It feeds blood to the right side of the brain.
TRY IT!
Alternative nostril breathing
Sit tall; don’t slouch. Put your right thumb on your right nostril. Hold down and inhale through your left nostril. Then place one of your right fingers on your left nostril and hold. Pause. Hold your breath. Next lift your right thumb and exhale through right nostril. Finally hold your right nostril with your right thumb and hold your breath. Repeat.
Box breathing
Sit tall; don’t slouch. Take 4 seconds to inhale. Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Take 4 seconds to exhale. Hold your breath for 4 seconds.
2. Find your diaphragm
Think of your diaphragm as your thoracic pump or your “second heart.” As we inhale the diaphragm descends, which creates a negative pressure in the thoracic cavity and draws blood into the heart. As we exhale the positive pressure of the diaphragm ascending allows the blood to shoot out to the body. The diaphragm is like an umbrella that expands and contracts. Most of us only use small range of diaphragm movement which puts burden on heart.
TRY IT!
Start on your back, right hand on the side of your waist so that your fingers reach slightly under your lower back, and your left hand on your upper chest and neck. Breathe in. Feel the diaphragm descend. Your inhale should create pressure into your right hand and into your back. The left hand on your chest should not move. Exhale. The pressure on your hand right hand should lessen as your diaphragm ascends.
Now practice this 3-dimensional diaphragmatic breathing on all fours, standing, sitting, and walking. Inhale into your back ribs, obliques, and pelvis. Your chest should rise last, or not at all. Exhale with control as the pressure leaves your ribs, obliques, and pelvis.
Use a TheraBand for extra tactile feedback. Sit on a hard chair. Hook a long TheraBand around your mid back, where a bra band would sit. Hold the ends of the band with your hands. As you inhale feel the band expand behind and your diaphragm descend downwards; feel weight in your pelvic floor and sit bones. As you exhale your ribs should become less connected to the band.
Test yourself. Stand in front of the mirror. Breathe in and see what happens. Your torso should expand slightly. Your chest and neck should stay relaxed. If, as you breathe in, all the muscles pop out of your neck and your chest rises before your torso expands, you are probably chest breathing and/or breathing too aggressively. What happens as you exhale? Can you notice yourself exhaling?
3. Find your exhale
Train your body to take a FULL exhale vs a partial exhale. Think of this skill as a muscle, you must consciously strengthen it to get stronger. To strengthen it consciously extend your exhale.
TRY IT!
Inhale for 3 seconds. Then exhale for 6 seconds.
Final thoughts
You take your breath with you so you can LITERALLY work on your breathing at any time. Practice box breathing while waiting for elevator or purposely take a long exhale to calm yourself down when talking to a frustrating human.
Remember, there is no ONE perfect way to breathe. Everything in life depends on context and intention. Know how you habitually breathe ― your normal ― and why and when you breathe in particular ways. Then match your breathing to your goal. Inhale to amp you up. Exhale to calm you down.
Become the “pilot” of your body vs simply the passenger.
It is easy to understand intellectually that how we breathe is important; it is another to learn to breathe differently. Knowing and doing are two different things. To change your habitual automatic way of breathing requires repetition; repetition is the mother of all skill. Set an alarm or establish a colour cue to ensure you get your “reps in.” When the alarm goes off do 5 purposeful breaths. When you see your chosen colour do 5 purposeful breaths.
Be compassionate with yourself as you work through the process. You have taken literally millions of breaths throughout your life ― changing the pattern will take time.
Patience grasshopper!!
