Episode 096 | BioHacking with BreathWork

Interview Partner Information

Name:

Buteyko, Wim Hof, Pranayama

Websites:

Book:

James Nestor: Breath

Transcript:

Hello and welcome to episode 96 of Elmar´s Tooth Talk: The missing link to total health.

Last time we talked about intermittent fasting as a means of biohacking your body.

In today’s episode, we carry on with biohacking. This time Biohacking your body with breathing.

What’s in it for you in this episode:

We talk about:

WHAT is BioHacking
WHAT Breathwork can be used for
WHAT you need to know
HOW it can benefit your mind, body, and spirit.
WHAT styles of breathwork will you find
WHERE can you find out more / some resources

What is BioHacking?

Just a brief reminder if you haven’t listened to episode 95 or never heard of biohacking. Here is a simple explanation.

With Biohacking we intend to improve our health aiming to be the absolute best version of ourselves.

Like with any new hobby or topic we want to dive into it is important to take it easy and get the basics right.

It’s best to start small looking for minor changes to your lifestyle, giving your body time to adjust, and then seeing how you feel.

Biohacking is a huge field and one can easily get lost or distracted.

Stick with the changes that work for you and ditch the ones that don’t.

Starting your biohacking journey

Starting your biohacking journey with breathwork is very powerful. It is transformative. It is always available. It is cheap. And it does not require any tools or fancy gadgets.

Breathwork is one of the simplest, most effective biohacking tools you will come across, to start with and it can become very advanced, scientific, and challenging depending on how far you want to take it.

Obviously, there isn’t just one method of Breathwork, but many different ways. There are for example the Buteyko Method, the Wim Hof Method, and Pranayama breathing to name just a few.

Before you dive deeper into one of these methods do your due diligence.

Challenging your body with continuous hyperventilation as you do with the Wim Hoff method might not be the best way for you.

Breathwork can bring about changes in all sorts of situations. This can be for the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual body.

WHAT Breathwork can be used for?

Breathwork can be used for calming, detoxing, balance, healing, sleeping, reducing pain, enhancing athletic performance, reducing uncomfortable feelings, mobility, burning fat, strengthening focus, reprogramming beliefs, establishing a deep connection with your Self, and supporting immunity.

Did you know that every single breath…

Massages each organ in YOUR belly.
Exchanges vital information between your environment and your immune system.
Informs your nervous system on which organ functions to activate or suppress.
Influences your blood pressure and level of vascular dilation / constriction.
Communicates through the brainstem to every thought and emotion you feel.
Determines the quality of your thoughts, attention, and actions.
Is electrically wired through the heart to influence every beat.
Sets the pace for how much calm or anxiety you experience.
Determines the level of metabolism in your mitochondria.
Pulses your brain and spinal fluid up and down.
Influences the pH level of your blood and tissues.
Regulates the levels of inflammation in the body.
Is an opportunity to come back to your center.
Is a tool to express yourself authentically.
Could be under your conscious control.

Your breath is the ultimate doorway into your subconscious. It is the most important biological function we have.

HOW breathwork can benefit your body, mind, and spirit

BODY

Breathing is more than just the physical aspect of breathing, inhaling, and exhaling. Breathing is a vital part of life. It helps deliver oxygen into your bloodstream and remove carbon dioxide.

The benefits of deep breathing are often instantaneous. You activate your parasympathetic nervous system, slow down your heart rate and lower your blood pressure. So next time you are in a “fight or flight” situation where cortisol and adrenalin are soaring, take a deep breath and you can feel how your body relaxes.

MIND

Deep breathing can also help calm and slow down the emotional turbulence in your mind. Research confirms that breathwork can help with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Deep breathing can also help you access deeper states of mind.

SPIRIT

Breathwork can also be spiritual.

When you practice breathing, you can move beyond your body and mind, and connect to your true Self and the Universe.

Many people who practice breathwork experience spiritual awakenings.

There is soo much more about breathing. However, this brief introduction gives you an idea of what improved breathing can do for you and your overall health. Explore further and chose a method that fits your circumstances.

Where can you find more information about breathing?

Resources:

James Nestor’s Sunday Times Bestseller book BREATH is a very good starting point

I just listened to David Tilston’s Podcast “Human First”. In his latest episode, he interviews one of the world experts on breathing, Dr Paul Dallaghan. So, listen to this in-depth interview with one of the masters of breathing.

Dr Paul has studied breathwork for decades and he offers great insights and advice on his website samahitaretreat.com. He is an advocate of pranayama breathing.

Dr Paul’s advice is before you start, decide where you will sit and when you will do it. Create a framework that works for you and stick to it.

He says, ideally, you start the exercise n the morning, then it is done, you have already achieved one part of your daily routine, ticked that box and you are much better prepared for what life will throw at you today.

Start with five minutes, be persistent and when you feel like it, increase the time you spend on it. Master the basics before you move on.

With Buteyko breathing, you start differently. Therefore, watch and listen to the audios and videos in the link provided in the transcript.

That’s it for today, check-out the three resources and let me know how you get on.

See you next time. Bye for now.