Slowing the respiratory
rate of breathing provides numerous benefits, including better breathing
efficiency . CHECKING YOUR BOL T SCORE
To meas ure your BOL T score, you will need some sort of timing device that
counts in seconds. The stopwatch on your smartphone or tablet is ideal.THE BOL T:
• Take a normal, silent breath in through your nose. • Allow a normal, silent breath out through your nose. • Hold your nose with your fingers to prevent air from entering your lungs. • Count the number of seconds until you feel the first distinct desire to breathe in. A low breath-hold time in seconds indicates a greater tendency toward
faster , upper chest breathing with no natural pause between breaths. Be awar e that people with asthma and COPD demonstrate significantly
lower breath-hold times than those with normal breathing. This is because
breathhold time is related to measures of lung function. The best way to get an accurate representation of your breathing is to
measure your BOL T score in the morning just after waking. When you are
fast asleep, breathing continues subconsciously and without interference. For this reason, the morning BOL T score gives a truer measure because it
indicates how well you breathe when you can’t possibly be thinking about
your breathing. During your first few weeks with the breathing exercises, you should
notice an impro vement of three to four seconds in your BOL T score each
week. After that, progress will continue at a slightly slower pace. Physical
exercise can be gradually introduced to increase the BOL T score above 20
seconds. When the breathing exercises are practiced correctly , your breathing
pattern can be retrained. If your very first BOL T score is 10 seconds, it will
take at least three weeks to reach a BOL T score of 20 seconds and sixmonths to reach a BOL T score of 40 seconds. Improvement will depend on
the severity of your symptoms  and on how much attention you bring to
reducing your breathing. The more focus you give to your breathing each
day, the better . At the same time, there is no need to become obsessed with your
breathing. Allow the changes to gradually occur . The breath cannot be
forced into compliance. Many of the exercises involve breathing less air for
periods of time during the day. Allow the breath to gradually reduce by
paying attention to the airflow entering and leaving the nostrils, slowing it
down without tensing up the breathing muscles. Practice the breathing exercises formally for the first few weeks and
then incorporate them into your way of life. Your progress will be reflected
in a higher BOL T score. You will also have lighter breathing and begin to
feel better . The BOLT measures the number of seconds you can comfortably hold
your breath after an exhalation. You must not try to push beyo nd the first
distinct urges to breathe. This isn’t a competitive challenge. Nor is it a
measure of willpower . Continually practicing the BOL T will not change the
result either. Your BOL T score will only increase when you use the
exercises and begin to reduce your breathing volume toward normal. THREE DIMENSIONS OF FUNCTIONAL BREA THING TRAINING
Throughout this book you will read about addressing breathing pattern
disorders in three ways. Those three approaches encompass the
biochemistry , biomechanics, and cadence of the breath. In simple terms,
they refer to the relative level of CO2 in the blood, the function of the
diaphragm, and the speed at which you breathe. In the following exercises,
we’ll look at each of those aspects in turn. The focus is on breathing that is
light, slow , and deep . This is easy to remember if you use the acronym LSD.BREA THE LIGHT , SLOW , AND DEEP—THE EXERCISES
#1. Breathe Light (Biochemistry)
This exercise helps normalize breathing biochemistry , resulting in improved
oxygen uptake and delivery and reduced sensitivity to CO2, while working
toward normalizing breathing volume. It is suitable for everyone, except
those with serious health concerns or those in the first trimester of
pregnancy . The Breathe Light  exercise involves reducing the volume of air you are
taking into your body to create a tolerable hunger for air. Air hunger  is the
feeling that you would like to take a slightly bigger breath or that you are
not getting quite enough air . Achieving a slight or tolerable air hunger signifies that CO2 has
accumulated in the blood. One of the functions of CO2 is to act as a catalyst
for the release of oxygen from the red blood cells. With gentle , light, and
soft breathing, the blood vessels open, and more oxygen is released from
the red blood cells to feed the tissues and or gans. Breathing light and slow also enables nitric oxide to accumulate in the
nasal cavity and travel to the lungs where it helps sterilize the air and open
the airways and blood vessels in the lungs. This means that better oxygen
transfer to the blood can take place. During this exercise, concentrate on achieving and maintaining a feeling
of air hunger . The feeling of air hunger should be on both the inhalation and
the exhalation. Don’ t be overly concerned about breathing  using thediaphragm. It doesn’ t matter at this point. If you are already doing so, then
great. If not, that’s fine too. Your focus will be on slowing down the breath,
quietening the breath, and softe ning the breath. If the air hunger becomes
too much, take a rest for 20 seconds before returning to the exercise. As you reduce the volume of air you breathe, it is normal to feel a slight
tension in your diaphragm breathing muscle. If you find you are
experiencing involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, then the need for
air is too much. With practice, the goal is to maintain a tolerable air hunger
for four to five minutes. If your breathing feels shallow during this exercise,
that’s okay for the duration of the exercise. Focus on the air hunger not on
the biomechanics. The goal of this exercise is to feel a “hunger” for air, to feel that you
would like to take in a slightly bigger breath. After a short while practicing
the exercise, CO2 will accumulate in your blood , creating the feeling that
you would like to take in more  air. This is valuable feedback that you are
performing the exercise correctly and reducing your breathing volume
toward normal. The air hunger you feel during this exercise should be tolerable. If you
notice that your breathing rhythm is becoming fast or chaotic, the need for
air is too much. If this happens,  stop the exercise and breathe normally for
half a minute, then resume gentle, light breathing to create a tolerable need
for air once more. Don’ t deliberately interfere with your breathing muscles, hold your
breath, or freeze your breathin g. Instead, allow your breathing to soften
using relaxation—a slow breath in and a gentle slow breath out. Continue practicing the exercise for around four minutes. Breathe Light, V ariation OneDirections:
• Sit up straight in a chair or cross-legged on the floor or lie down on your back. • If sitting, imagine a piece of string gently pulling you upward toward the ceiling from
the crown of your head. • Place your hands on your chest and tummy , or in your lap. • Observe your breath as it enters and leaves your nose. Feel the slightly colder air
entering your nose and feel the slightly warmer air leaving your nose.• Begin to reduce the speed of each breath as it enters and leaves your nose. Breathing should be light, quiet, and calm. • Slow down your breathing so that you feel hardly any air entering and leaving your
nostrils. Y our breathing should be so quiet that the fine hairs in the nostrils do not
move. • The goal is to create a feeling that you would like to take in more air . To create air
hunger , your breathing now should be “less” than it was when you started. • If you feel stressed or lose control of your breathing, the air hunger is too strong. When this happens, take a rest for 20 or 30 seconds and start again. It is normal at
the beginning to take a rest a few times during the exercise. • Continue practicing the exercise for around four minutes. Breathe Light, V ariation T wo
Directions:
• Sit up straight in a chair or cross-legged on the floor or lie down on your back. • If sitting, imagine a piece of string gently pulling you upward toward the ceiling from
the crown of your head. • Place your finger underneath your nose so you can monitor the airflow from your
nose. • Bring your attention to the airflow on your finger . • As you feel the warm air on your finger , gently slow down your breathing. • Take a soft breath in through your nose and allow a gentle and prolonged breath out. • Breathe so softly that you feel hardly any air blowing onto your finger . Imagine that
your finger is a feather and that your breathing is so soft that the feather doesn’t
even flutter . • There is no need to hold your breath or try to restrict your breathing. The more warm
air you feel, the harder you are breathing. Can you quieten and soften your
breathing to the point where you feel hardly any air on your finger? • You are doing the exercise correctly if you feel a tolerable need for air . I need you to
feel like you want to breathe in more air . • Continue practicing the exercise for around four minutes.Breathe Light, V ariation ThreeDirections:
• Sit up straight in a chair or cross-legged on the floor or lie down on your back. • If sitting, imagine a piece of string gently pulling you upward toward the ceiling from
the crown of your head. • Cup your hands against your face. Have hardly any gaps between your fingers. This
serves two purposes. First, the hands provide good feedback of your breathing
volume. Second, exhaled air pools in the hands so that you rebreathe a higher
concentration of CO 2. Use the hands as a “barometer” of your breathing. • Take a short breath in through your nose. With your hands cupping your face, only
breathe half an inch (1 cm) of air into your nose. Then breathe out half an inch. • Breathe just enough air to fill your nostrils and no more. T ake a flicker of air into your
nostrils and no more. Exhale calmly through your nose. It is almost as if you are
hardly breathing at all. • The goal is to create a feeling that you would like to take in more air , to feel an air
hunger—the feeling that you would like to take in a deeper breath. • If you feel stressed or lose control of your breathing, the air hunger is too strong. When this happens, take a rest for 20 to 30 seconds and start again. It is normal at
the beginning to take a rest a few times during the exercise. • Continue practicing the exercise for around four minutes. #2. Breathe Deep (Biomechanics)
This exercise helps practice diaphragmatic breathing, which in turn enables
slow breathing, calms the mind, improves oxygenation within the body , and
has many positive effects on posture and breathing mechanics  in general. The diaphragm is the main breathing muscle and is important for postural
control as well as helping foster functional breathing habits. The emphasis here is on impr oving the biomechanics of breathing. Try not to overbr eathe. Directions:
• Sit up straight in a chair or cross-legged on the floor . • Imagine a piece of string gently pulling you upward toward the ceiling from the crown
of your head. • Place your hands at either side of your lower ribs. • Silently breathe in, bringing the air deep into your lungs. As you inhale, feel your ribs
expanding outward. As you exhale, feel your ribs moving inward. • Take fuller breaths but fewer of them. As you breathe in, feel your lower ribs moving
outward, and, as you breathe out, feel your lower ribs moving inward. • There is no need to hear your breathing during this exercise. • Continue practicing the exercise for approximately four minutes. • During the inhalation, as the diaphragm moves downward, expansion is generated
to the front, sides, and back of the trunk. Y our diaphragm is producing intra-
abdominal pressure, which causes the ribs to move outward. #3. Breathe Slow (Cadence)
This exercise involves changing  the cadence (speed) of your breathing to
six breaths per minute. As we will see later in the book, this kind of reduced breathing has
many benefits, including improved breathing efficiency and oxygenation,
reduced chemos ensitivity to CO2, better vagal tone, and a higher BOL T
score. As your BOL T score increases, your respiratory rate will decrease and
the natural pause following exhalation will increase. When breathing is
slower , a larger volume of air per breath is delivered to the alveoli (the
small air sacs in the lungs where  gas exchange takes place). This is because
less volume of air per minute is lost to “dead space.” (There’ s an equation
that illustrates this in Chapter One  if you want to understand it better .) Breathe Slow  may be a helpfu l exercise for you if you have a strong fear
of suffocation, because the increase in CO2 during this technique is bettertolerated by the body . This can actually help regulate your fear response. Breathe Slow  also helps maintain the balance between the parasympathetic
and sympathetic nervous systems, improving both mental and physical
resilience. The emphasis here is on achie ving a respiratory rate of six breaths
per minute. Biomechanics is incorporated through lateral expansion
and contractio n of the lower ribs. Ther e is no need to deliberately
breathe harder  to breathe deep. As respiratory rate reduces, the size of
each breath will increase. This is normal. However , try not to allow the
size of each breath to increase dispr oportionately . This is a common
mistake. By breathing light and slow with focused attention on breathing slow,
the goal is to feel the slightest hunger for air. This signifies that you are not
overbreathing during the exercise. If your BOL T score is less than 15 seconds, slowing the breathing rate
to 6 breaths per minute may be challenging. In this situation, begin by
slowing down the breathing to 10 breaths per minute by breathing in “light
and slow” for 3 seconds, and out “light and slow” for 3 secon ds. As your
BOL T score improves, reduce the breathing rate to 6 breaths per minute as
described in the following exercise. Directions:
To reach a cadence of approximately six breaths per minute, this
exercise encourages you to reduce your breathing so that each inhale
measures four seconds and each exhale measures six seconds:
• Sit up straight on a chair or cross-legged on the floor . Place your hands on either
side of your abdomen, on your lower two ribs.• As you breathe in, feel your ribs moving outward, and, as you breathe out, feel your
ribs moving inward. • To pace your breathing, inhale for a count of four seconds and exhale for a count of
six seconds. • Breathe in, 1, 2, 3, 4, breathe out, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. (If your BOL T score is less than 15
seconds, breathe in 1,2,3, breathe out, 1, 2, 3). • As you breathe in, feel your ribs moving outward, and, as you breathe out, feel your
ribs moving inward. • Breathe in for a count of four seconds and breathe out for a count of six seconds. • Continue the exercise for approximately four minutes. Alternatively , you can breathe in for a count of five seconds and breathe out
for a count of five. Breathe in, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, br eathe out, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Both options result in a breath ing rate of six breaths per minute and
work well in helping improve the automatic functioning of the body—those
processes that occur during every waking minute without you having to
think about it or consciously direct them. A Question of Air Hunger
I had the following question from a student:
When practicing to achieve air hunger and cadence breathing, is the
whole point to minimize the volume of air during this time? The
reason I ask is that you say to breathe LSD (light, slow, and deep),
but when I try to breathe light and slow during the 4 seconds in, 6
seconds out, it seems like I cannot take as deep a breath. I don’t feel
as much movement of the first two ribs. I was wondering if changing to a count of 6 or 7 seconds in and
8 or 9 seconds out would be a good idea where I can still breathe
really light/slow , achieve air hunger , and take a much deeper breath
(really feel the expansion of the first two ribs)? Any thoughts on
doing this? The answer is that these are three different exercises. You should focus on
each one separately at first. Then bring all three together . • Breathe Light  (biochemistry)—the focus is on air hunger . • Breathe Slow  (cadence)—the focus is on six breaths per minute.• Breathe Deep  (biomechanics)—the focus is on breathing with greater use of the
diaphragm. • Breathe Light, Slow , Deep  (LSD)—biochemistry , biomechanics, cadence—brings all
three together , breathing light, slow , and deep. The main thing to remember is that when practicing for biome chanics
and cadence, you should not overbreathe. This is a common problem. People breathe low, but in the process take full big breaths, disrupting the
biochemistry . While you don’t specifically need to feel air hunger to
practice biomechanics and cadence, a light air hunger ensures that you are
not overbreathing. The priority , when practicing cadence breathing, is on a
breathing rate of between 4.5 and 6.5 breaths per minute. The secondary
aim is to avoid overbreathing. #4. Breathe Light, Slow , and Deep (LSD)
This exercise brings all three dimensions of functional breathing  together to
encourage you to Breathe Light, Slow , and Deep :
Light:  Create a light air hunger by taking in slightly less air with each
breath. Slow:  Reduce your breathing cadence to take fewer breaths. Pace your
breathing to six breaths per minute. Deep:  Practice diaphragmatic breathing so that you can feel the lower
ribs expanding and contracting with each breath.Directions:
• Sit up straight in a chair or cross-legged on the floor . Place your hands on either side
of your abdomen, on your lower two ribs. • Slow down the speed of air as it enters and leaves your nose. Y our breathing should
be light, quiet, and still. • At the top of each inhale, bring a feeling of relaxation throughout your body , and
allow a slow , soft, relaxed breath out. The air should leave your body slowly and
effortlessly . • Gently soften the breath to generate the feeling that you would like to take in a
bigger breath. • With each inhalation, take the air deep into your lungs. As you breathe in, feel your
ribs expanding outward. As you breathe out, feel your ribs moving inward. • Gradually reduce your breathing rhythm so that you are breathing in for four seconds
and out for six seconds. • Breathe in, 1, 2, 3, 4, and breathe out, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. • Breathe light, slow , and deep. • Continue this exercise for approximately four minutes. • If you have dif ficulty reducing your breathing volume with lateral expansion of the
lower ribs, you could use a product called Buteyko Belt to assist with improving
awareness and practice of breathing light, slow , and deep both during rest and
physical exercise. More information about Buteyko Belt can be found in the section
on diaphragm activation in this chapter (#8). #5. Breathe Light, Slow , and Deep While W alkingThis exercise incorporates Breathe Light, Slow, and Deep (LSD)  techniques
with physical movement. It is a kind of walking meditation. The objective
is to Breathe Light  by creating a tolerable air hunger , to Breathe Slow  by
taking fewer breaths per minute, and to Breathe Deep  by feeling the
expansion and contraction of the lower two ribs. Breathing light allows CO2 to accumulate in the blood, and that allows
the release of more oxygen to the cells. However , CO2 is also generated
through increase d metabolic activity . Combining the Breathe Light, Slow,
and Deep  exercise with walking is an effective way to improve your BOL T
score and reduce breathing volume. If you want to, you can wear the SportsMask for this exercise. This will
assist in reducing your breathing volume and create added resistance to
generate the feeling of air hunge r. To help counter the feeling of air hunger
while wearing the mask, breathe slow and deep through your nose. You can
find out more about the SportsMask and purchase a mask at
SportsMask.com.Directions:
If you ar e using a SportsMask, continue straight on to exer cise 6. The objectives here are to breat he lightly during your walk, to breathe
less air than you normally would, and to feel a hunger for more air. Remember to bring your focuse d awareness to the breath, just as you did
for Breathe Light . This exercise is to be done while walking at a gentle
pace. • As you continue to walk, block one of your nostrils (it doesn’t matter which) with your
finger . This will concentrate the air entering and leaving your nostrils.• Soften your breathing as you breathe through one nostril. The objective is to create
a tolerable need for air , to feel slightly breathless, to want to take in more air . • Concentrating air flow through one nostril will reduce breathing volume to create a
hunger for air . Try to sustain the feeling of air hunger . • If the feeling of air hunger is too strong, then breathe slow and low . Breathing less
breaths but fuller breaths improves breathing ef ficiency and helps alleviate the
feeling of air hunger . • Practice the exercise for five minutes. #6. Breathe Slow and Deep While W alking
This variation is also to be practiced at a steady , comfortable walking pace. You should remove your hand from your nostril at this point. Also, ensure
that you are breathing light during walking. Directions:
• Place your hands on your sides to feel your lower two ribs. • As you breathe in, feel your ribs moving outward. • As you breathe out, feel your ribs moving inward. • Breathe light, slow , and deep. • Reduce the number of breaths per minute, and allow the size of each breath to be
deeper , taking fuller breaths but fewer of them. T ake fuller breaths but try to make
sure that you don’t breathe in too much air . • As you breathe in, feel your lower ribs moving outwards, and, as you breathe out,
feel your lower ribs moving inwards.• Continue this exercise for five minutes. The objectives here are to breathe light, slow, and deep (LSD) during your
walk, to breathe less than you normally would, and to feel air hunger . #7. Breathe Light, Slow , and Deep While Jogging
This exercise involves jogging or fast walking with the mouth closed for
one minute, followed by norm al walking for one minute. Combining
metabolic activity with reduced nasal breathing offers several benefits,
including lower sensitivity to CO2, improved breathing efficiency during
physical activity , less breathlessness, and stronger breathing muscles. While this exercise is a challenge, it should not be stressful. The
objective is to push yourself but not to lose control of your breathing. For
those unable to jog, fast walking will suffice. You can practice this exercise
by continuing straight on from  Breathe Light, Slow, and Deep  During
Walking . Simply increase your pace to a fast walk or jog.Directions:
• Increase your pace to a fast walk or jog. Continue to jog for one minute at a pace
where you can maintain nasal breathing. • Remember , this should be a slight challenge but not stressful. • Continue to breathe in and out through your nose. Don’t hold your breath or freeze
your breathing. Just breathe gently in and out through your nose. • Breathe Light : Soften your breathing, taking in just the amount of air that you need. • Breathe Slow : Slow down the speed of your breathing. • Breathe Deep : Bring the air into the lower regions of the lungs and allow a complete
and normal exhalation. • After one minute of fast walking or jogging, slow down your pace to a walk. W alk for
one minute, minimizing your breathing for 6 breaths. There is no need to minimize
breathing if you are wearing SportsMask. • Take very small breaths in and out through your nose. Just take a flicker of air in and
a flicker of air out. Bring enough air to fill your nostrils and no more. This will involve
breathing less than you normally would. Now restore your normal breathing for 12 to 18 breaths . . . • Next, as you breathe in, feel your lower two ribs move outward, and as you breathe
out, feel your lower two ribs move inward. • As you walk or jog, take your attention out of your mind and direct it to your breath. • Concentrate on your breathing. Focus on your breathing. Make your walk or jog a
breathing meditation. • Feel the air coming into your nose, and feel the air leaving your nose. • It is normal for the mind to wander . If your mind wanders, gently bring your attention
back to your breathing. • Follow your breath. Feel your breathing. T ake your attention out of your head and
onto your breathing. Feel the air coming into your nose, and feel the air leaving your
nose.The objectives are to breathe light, slow, and deep (LSD) during physical
movement, to breathe less than you normally would, and to feel a hunger
for air . • Light:  Breathe softly to produce a nonstressful air hunger (wearing a SportsMask
will naturally create a resistance to breathing and cause air hunger). • Slow:  Breathe fewer breaths, but fuller breaths. T ake the air deep into the lungs. • Deep:  As you breathe in, feel your lower two ribs move outwards, and, as you
breathe out, feel your lower two ribs move inwards. If the feeling of air hunger is too strong with the SportsMask, adjust the
setting on your mask to increase airflow . Quick Summary of the Exer cise:
This exercise incorporates the techniques from Breathe LSD and adds a
metabolic challenge in the form of a fast walk or jog. 1. Jog for one minute, breathe LSD. 2. Walk for one minute—practice minimal breathing for 6 breaths, then recover with
normal breathing for 12 to 18 breaths. 3. Repeat the exercise three times. DIAPHRAGM ACTIV ATION
#8. Buteyko Belt
The Buteyko Belt is specifically designed as an aid to enhance and support
your practice of functional breathing. It will assist you in activating the
diaphragm and breathing lightly with a minimum of effort as you go about
your daily activities. The light tension of the belt against your body helps
bring awareness to the movement of the lower ribs and abdomen. It applies
gentle resistanc e to help train and strengthen breathing muscles, and it
slows the breathing, helping you Breathe Light . The belt can be worn around the midrif f to direct attention to this area or
across the chest to help reduce the movements of the upper chest.Wearing the belt:
Wrap the belt around your diaphragm so that it sits midway between
your navel and your chest. Tighten or loosen the straps on each side of the
belt to achieve the optimum resistance to your breathing. If you feel no air
hunger , then tighten the straps until a tolerable air hunger is achieved. If theair hung er is uncomfortable, loosen the straps to achieve the optimum air
hunger . Directions:
• As you slowly inhale, feel your lower ribs and abdomen pushing against the belt. • As you slowly exhale, feel the belt pushing against your lower ribs and abdomen. • Breathe light, slow , and deep (LSD). In addition to wearing the Buteyko Belt to practice your breathing
exercises, it can be worn while you are on the computer , drivin g your car,
watching TV, or doing any other  activity where you are relatively sedentary . Wear the belt for up to 20 minutes at a time, two to three times per day . #9. Diaphragm Activation L ying on Back
It is easier to activate abdomin al breathing when lying on your back in a
semi-supine position or when lying on your front.Directions:
• Lie on a mat with a small pillow under your head and knees bent, as shown above. • Place a book just above your navel. • Concentrate on breathing into your abdomen. • Breathe in, gently guiding the book upward. • Breathe out, gently guiding the book downward.• While breathing in, imagine inflating your belly with a light amount of air , and watch
your book rise. While breathing out, imagine a balloon slowly deflating of its own
accord. • Continue the exercise for five minutes
#10. Diaphragm Activation L ying on Front
Directions:
• Lie face down on the floor , resting on your elbows. • Push of f the floor , resting on your elbows so that your tummy is not touching the
floor. • As you breathe in, gently push your abdomen toward the floor . • As you exhale, gently draw your abdomen inward. The floor and gravity can help activate movement of the diaphragm. Continue this exercise for three to five minutes. #11. Breath Hold ActivationDirections:
• Take a soft silent breath in through your nose. • Allow a soft silent breath out through your nose. • Pinch your nose with your fingers to hold your breath for about 10 seconds or so. • As you pinch your nose to hold your breath, gently try to breathe in and out. • Feel your abdomen move in and out as you try to breathe. • After 10 seconds or so, release your nose, and resume breathing through the nose. • Rest for one minute with normal breathing and repeat again. • Repeat three to five times. OceanofPDF .comSECTION TWO: EXERCISES T O ST OP SYMPT OMS OF
ASTHMA, ANXIETY , STRESS, RACING MIND, AND
PANIC DISORDER
#12. Breathing Recovery , Sitting
This exercise is suitable for everyone and can be practiced throughout the
day. The practice of many small breath holds helps calm down the breathing. Over the years, I have used this exercise with clients to very good effect to
stop asthma symptoms such as wheezing and coughing, to reduce stress
levels, and to help control breathing during a hyperventilation or anxiety
attack. For people who have experienced severe trauma in their lives,
frequent practice of this exercise throughout the day offers considerable
relief. I consider this exercise to be an “emer gency” exercise. It is very hard to
slow your breathing down when  it is out of control, because the air hungeror sense of suffocation during an asthma or panic attack can be quite strong. Instead of trying to slow your breathing, calm it using this exercise. As you repeat the small breath holds, it is important not to try holding
your breath for longer that 2 to 5 seconds. Longer breath holds in these
circumstances may destabilize your breathing. For the purpo ses of this
exercise, your maximum breath  hold should be no longer than half your
BOL T scor e at the time. Between the breath holds, try to avoid shallow , fast breathing  as this
will only intens ify the feeling of air hunger and breathlessness. It is much
more efficient to breathe low and slow to optimize the amount of air that
reaches the small air sacs in the lungs. This allows more oxyg en to reach
the blood. Start by getting yourself into a comfortable seated position. In this
emer gency exerc ise, we’ll begin by holding the breath for up to 5 seconds,
followed by normal breathing for around 10 seconds. The exercise helps gently calm  breathing, open up the blood vessels,
and increase the amount of oxyg en released to tissues and organs, including
the brain. Directions:
• Sit up straight and take a normal breath in and out through your nose. • Pinch your nose with your fingers to hold the breath for up to five seconds. Count: 5,
4, 3, 2, 1. • Let go of your nose and breathe normally through your nose for 10 seconds. • Repeat the sequence for as long as symptoms are present. If you have asthma and your symptoms continue for as long as five
minutes, take your medication. If you are having a severe attac k, take your
rescue medication immediately . If your symptoms do not respond to your
medication within a few minutes, seek medical attention. Additional exercises and instruction to help with asthma and panic
disorder can be found in exercise #16 in this chapter and in Chapter T en. #13. Breathing Recovery , WalkingDirections:
• Exhale through your nose. • Pinch your nose with your fingers to hold your breath, and walk for 5 to 10 paces,
holding your breath. • Stop walking. • Breathe in through your nose, and rest for about 30 seconds while standing still. • Repeat up to 10 times. If you are practicing at home, you can repeat this exercise six times, five
times per day. Holding the breath for up to 10 paces is very suitable for
anyone with severe asthma, COPD, or panic disorder . It is also ideal if you
have disproportionate breathlessness, anxiety , racing mind, or a low BOL T
score. #14. Decongest the Nose
If you find it difficult to breathe nasally because of congestion or
obstruction in your nose, this exercise is very effective. Please note that
holding the breath to generate a strong hunger for air is not suitable during
pregnancy or if you have serious medical conditions.Directions:
• Sit upright on a straight-backed chair . • Take a small, light breath in through your nose if you can and a small breath out
through your nose. If you are unable to inhale through your nose, take a tiny breath
in through the corner of your mouth. • After exhaling, pinch your nose and hold your breath. Keep your lips sealed. • Gently nod your head or rock your body until you feel that you cannot hold your
breath for any longer . You should feel a relatively strong need for air . • At this point, let go of your nose, and breathe in gently through it. Breathe gently in
and out with your mouth closed. When you first breathe in, try to avoid taking a deep
breath. Instead, keep your breathing calm and focus on relaxation. Use the mantra:
“Relax and breathe less,” if it helps. • Repeat the exercise until you can breathe easily through your nose. If your nose
does not become fully unblocked, wait around one minute and practice the same
steps again. Y ou may need to do the exercise up to five times. After practicing this exercise, your nose will be clear . Howeve r, your nose
will continue to become congested again until you have normalized your
breathing with a BOL T score of at least 20 seconds. With regular practice of
the exercises in this book, your nose will eventually remain clear . It is my experience with thousan ds of students that the more the nose is
used for breathin g, the better it works. When the nose is stuffy, the normal
response is to switch to breathing through an open mouth, but this only
increases nasal congestion, causing a vicious cycle of mouth breathing. If
you feel air hunger when you first switch to nasal breathing, it is important
to continue breathing through the nose. Practice the nose unblocking exercise as often as necessary , and wear a
nasal dilator during rest, exercise, and sleep to alleviate the feeling of
suffocation. In time, with sustain ed practice of the breathing exercises and a
better BOLT score, the feeling of nasal congestion will dramatically reduce.Until that happe ns, you can use this exercise whenever you need to, even
when you have a stuf fy nose because of a bad cold! As many as 90% of people have a deviated septum.5 This is where the
bone and cartilage dividing the nostrils is crooked. It is a common
complaint in people playing sports, in mouth breathing during childhood,
and in people who have had trauma to their nose, and it can occur in
newborn babies too.6 The vast majority of people with a deviated septum
can still make the change from mouth breathing to nose breathing. To determine whether you can physically breathe through your
nose:
• Practice five repetitions of the nose unblocking exercise (exercise #14). • Can you breathe through your nose yet? The rule of thumb is, if you can breathe through your nose for one minute,
you can do so for life. This exercise is the same for adults and children. If you need help
introducing breathing exercises to your child, I have plenty of free training
videos available. You can find these on YouTube by searching “Patrick
McKeown, exer cises for childr en.”
#15. Exhale to Improve Diaphragm Function
The main breathing muscle is called the diaphragm. It is located at the base
of the ribs and serves a number of important functions in the human body:
• It provides postural support and stability for the spine. • It regulates the mood and calms the emotions. • Healthy diaphragm function helps optimal gas exchange take place. • Diaphragm breathing slows the breath. It is important that the diaphragm muscle be able to move freely during
breathing. When  you inhale, your diaphragm moves downward. When you
exhale fully, your diaphragm returns to its resting position . This free
movement of the diaphragm is instrumental for healthy movement because
greater amplitud e of the diaphragm muscle creates pressure, inside the
abdomen, which  supports the spine and pelvis. It also helps keep thebreathing muscl es strong, just as using any muscle helps keep it toned and
functional. When the diaphragm is not able to move freely back to its domed
resting position, the result is a rigid, immobile rib cage that drives breathing
into the upper chest. Proper movement of the diaphragm and healthy
diaphragm breathing occur with minimal movement of the upper chest. Directions:
This exercise can help ease the diaphragm back to its resting position. • Slowly exhale through your nose. Do not force the breath in any way . • As you exhale, gently suck your stomach inward, almost as if you are “squeezing the
air out of your stomach.”
• Continue to exhale slowly until you have breathed out all the remaining air from the
lungs. • As you exhale, imagine that your diaphragm is moving back up to its resting position. • Allow the inhalation to happen naturally . • Repeat several times over the course of 10 minutes. This exercise can be used at any time—whether you are suffering from
breathing difficulties or not—and it will help improve functioning of the
diaphragm breathing muscle. #16. Three Exercises to Help Stop a Panic Attack1. Breathing into Cupped Hands
At the first sign of a panic attack, cup your hands across your mouth and
nose, and gently  slow down your breathing. If you can breath e slow and
low with lateral expansion and contraction of the lower ribs, then great.Otherwise, just concentrate on breathing slow. Cupping the hands will pool
CO2 from the exhale d breath, allowing you to rebreathe the CO2 back into
your lungs. This will increase CO2 in the blood, which will improve blood
flow and oxygen delivery to your brain. This is like the “brown paper bag”
technique, but it is safer because it allows a plentiful supply of oxygen
while increasing CO 2. OR
2. Breathe Slow and Deep
Fast and shallow breathing will feed into feelings of suffocation  and air
hunger . To help alleviate air hunger , slow down your breathing  with lateral
expansion and contraction of the lower ribs. If the feeling of air hunger is
quite strong, breathe in slowly for two to three seconds and out slowly for
three to four seconds. If this feels okay , you can slow down your breathing
a little more, inhaling for five seconds and exhaling for five seconds. Place
your hands on your sides to feel the ribs gently expanding and contracting
as you breathe. OR
3. Breathing Recovery , Sitting• Sit up straight and take a normal breath in and out through your nose. • Pinch your nose with your fingers to hold your breath for up to three seconds. Count:
3, 2, 1 . . . • Let go of your nose and breathe through your nose for 10 to 15 seconds. • Repeat the sequence for as long as symptoms are present. #17. Achieve Deeper Sleep
This exercise can be practiced before you go to sleep. (The procedure and
evidence for nose breathing during sleep is described in detail  in Chapter
Seven  on sleep and in the Children’ s Exercises section of this chapter .) The following Breathe Light practice is an excellent way to help with
sleep-disordered breathing. It also promotes relaxation and enables you to
fall asleep more easily . Directions:
• Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomen. • Gently soften and slow down your breathing to create a slight hunger for air . • Slow down the speed of air as it enters your nostrils. • Allow the breath out to be slow and relaxed. • The goal is to breathe softly so that about 30% less air enters your lungs. • You are doing it correctly when you feel a tolerable air hunger . • If the air hunger is too much, take a rest for 15 seconds and start again. • Continue the practice for approximately 15 minutes. #18. Alleviate the Feeling of Suffocation or Air Hunger
The normal response to the feeling of air hunger or suffocation is to begin
breathing fast through an open mouth. This kind of breathing is shallow and
will only feed into your discomfort and fear. This is because a considerable
volume of inhaled air remains in the airways and upper chest instead of
reaching the small air sacs deep  in the lungs where oxygen transfers to the
blood. If you have a low BOL T score of less than 15 seconds, it is likely that
you frequently feel air hunger during everyday breathing. One of the most
commonly repor ted symptoms is the feeling of not being able to take a deep
breath. In the long term, a BOL T score of over 20 seconds is necessary to
alleviate this feeling. Some people might only experience air hunger during asthma, anxiety ,
or panic related symptoms. Others may feel breathless as a matter of course. To reduce the everyday feeling of air hunger , practice the breathing
program specific  to your conditi on or BOL T score, as described  in the next
section. OceanofPDF .comSECTION THREE: TAILORED BREA THING PROGRAMS
FOR SPECIFIC CONDITIONS
BASED ON BOL T SCORE
Each of the conditions listed here is covered in significant detail in the
second part of this book. This section is intended as a practical guide to help
you develop a breathing program. The suggestions for each condition
include numbered exercises that you will find in the previous section. If you have any of the conditions listed here, I recommend that you
spend some time reading the relevant chapters to find out more about the
way dysfunctio nal breathing and breathing exercises impact your
symptoms. (Also, consult your qualified medical practitioners.) Topics cover ed her e are:
• Asthma and respiratory issues, including post-COVID-19 care
• Activities based on BOL T score
• Hormone fluctuations in women (PMS, pregnancy , and menopause)
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Heart rate variability
• Sleep disorders (sleep apnea, snoring, and insomnia)
• Panic disorder , anxiety , and a racing mind
• Detoxification
ASTHMA AND RESPIRA TORY ISSUES (INCLUDING POST -
COVID CARE)
Over the past 18 years, I have seen many people with asthma experience a
50% reduction in their asthma symptoms within two weeks of attending my
workshops and applying the exercises. More recently , people have reported
significant improvements to breathing control post-Covid. The benefits of
functional breathing for asthma and post-Covid include a significant
reduction in symptoms such as:
• Nasal congestion• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Breathlessness
• Colds
Symptoms will noticeably lesse n each time the BOL T score improves by
five seconds. Daily Practice
Nasal breathing during wakefulness slows and deepens the breath. This may
help maintain the strength and function of the breathing muscles  and reduce
breathlessness. Nasal breathing also harnesses a gas called nitric oxide,
which is produced in the nasal cavity . Nitric oxide has antiviral and
antibacterial qualities, so it protects against infection. Regardless of your current BOL T score, you should breathe only
through your nose during rest, physical exercise, and sleep. Alongside your
practice of full-time nasal breathing, follow the program suitable for your
BOL T. As your BOL T score improves, progress to the next level. BOLT Score of Less Than 10 Seconds
Nasal breathe during rest, exercise, and sleep. Practice Breathing Recovery , Sitting  (exercise #12) for 10 minutes every
hour. OR
Practice Breathing Recovery , Walking  (exercise #13) following the
instructions below . Directions:• In a standing position, make sure you have space to walk freely . • Exhale gently through your nose. • Pinch your nose with your fingers to hold your breath. • Walk for 5 to 10 paces while holding your breath. T ake small paces, not great big
strides. The aim is not to see how far you can walk. • Release your nose and breathe in through it. • Rest for 30 to 60 seconds. • When breathing is comfortable, repeat. • Practice 5 to 10 repetitions two times per hour during the day . BOLT Score Between 10 and 15 Seconds
• Nasal breathe during rest, exercise, and sleep. • Practice Breathing Recovery , Sitting  (exercise #12) for 10 minutes, two times per
day (and if you experience symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, or chest
tightness). • Or Breathing Recovery , Walking  (exercise #13) as described above. Complete five
repetitions of this exercise three times per day . • Breathe Light  (exercise #1) for 10 minutes, three times daily . • Breathe Slow and Deep While W alking  (exercise #6) for 10 minutes, daily . BOLT Score Greater Than 15 Seconds
• Nasal breathe during rest, exercise, and sleep. • Practise breath holds after an exhalation during your warm-up for 10 to 15 minutes
prior to physical exercise. (If you are pregnant or have a serious medical condition,
please don’t practice breath holding. Follow the guidelines below .) To help
decongest the nose, open the airways and improve oxygen delivery to the brain,
exhale and hold the breath to create a medium air hunger (a tolerable feeling that
you would like to breathe more air). Then resume breathing in and out through your
nose during continuous movement. Repeat a breath hold after an exhalation five
times during the warm-up. • Breathe Light  (exercise #1) for 10 minutes, three times per day . • Breathe Slow and Deep While W alking  (exercise #6) for 10 minutes, daily . If you have symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, or chest tightness,
return to the first two exercises and practice the small breath holds in
Breathing Recovery , Sitting (exer cise #12)  for 10 minutes every hour . OR
• Practice Breathing Recovery , Walking  (exercise #13) for 5 to 10 repetitions two times
per hour during the day . BREA THING FOR FEMALESThere is a strong connection between respiratory chemistry and cyclical
fluctuations in sex hormones. This means that, if you are female, the way
you breathe is strongly affected by the way your hormone levels change
during your monthly menstrual cycle. After menopau se, these changes are no longer present, but post-
menopausal women can be more vulnerable to respiratory illness and
infection, and to osteoporosis, which is connected to breathing
biochemistry . Breathing exerc ises are beneficial in moderating these changes and can
help:
• Reduce pain, especially cyclical pain exacerbations in chronic pain conditions like
fibromyalgia
• Alleviate symptoms of PMS
• Improve autonomic balance
• Reduce hot flashes
• Better regulate mood
• Improve sexual functio
• Reduce headaches and menstrual migraines
• Support bone mineral density
As your BOL T score increas es, you will experience less cyclical
hyperventilation—and a reduction in associated symptoms. You can also
use the exercises to ease your body’ s transition through menopause as the
relationship between sex hormones and the breath changes. Daily Practice
• Make sure you breathe only through your nose during rest, physical exercise, and
sleep. • Track your BOL T score during your monthly cycle. This will give you clues as to how
(and why) your breathing is changing. • Is your BOL T score lower during days 10 to 22 of your monthly cycle (between
ovulation and menstruation)? This may indicate breathing pattern changes due to
hormonal fluctuations, most notably , an increase in progesterone which is a
respiratory stimulant. • Work to improve your BOL T score to above 25 seconds. If your BOL T score is less than 15 seconds, or you experienc e a fear
reaction to the feeling of air hunger , then practice both of the following:
• Breathing Recovery , Sitting  (exercise #12 or #16) for 10 minutes, four times daily .• Breathe Light  (exercise #1) for 15 to 30 seconds, followed by a rest of 1 minute. Practice this for 10 minutes, three times per day . If your BOL T scor e is gr eater than 15 seconds, practice:
• Breathe Light  (exercise #1) to create air hunger for 10 minutes, four times daily . • Breathe Slow and Deep While W alking  (exercise #6) for 10 minutes, once per day . After Menopause
Postmenopausal women are at higher risk of sleep disorders, including
obstructive sleep apnea. To maintain lung health, support breathing
biochemistry (which is essential for healthy bone mineral density), and
reduce risk of respiratory infection and sleep disorders, make sure to
breathe only through your nose during rest, physical exercise, and sleep. Practice the following exercises  every day to improve your BOL T score
and support general health and resilience:
• Breathe Light  (exercise #1) for 10 minutes, two times daily . • Breathe Slow  (exercise #3) for 10 minutes, two times daily . • Breathe Deep  (exercise #2) for 10 minutes, two times daily . • Physical exercise with mouth closed. During Pregnancy
Functional breathing can help with abdominal muscle strength,
hyperventilation, and anxiety , and even support you during labor . As your
baby grows, you will discover breathing is not always so easy. Hormonally
mediated change s occur in breathing early on in pregnancy , and it’s normal
for pregnant women to hyperventilate. Breathing exercises are beneficial during pregnancy . As your pregnancy
progresses, your body needs more oxygen to function, and your baby needs
oxygen too. By preventing hype rventilation, you will lessen feelings of pain
in your muscles and joints. Pregnancy can cause anxiety , and slow
breathing is a great way to destress. Sleep apnea is a risk factor for
expectant mothers, so it is worth paying attention to how you breathe during
sleep. Most pregnant women are anxious about labor , but if you develop a
regular breathing practice, labor will be less traumatic for you and your
baby , both in terms of pain and oxygen desaturation. Breathin g exerciseshelp you learn to stay present, meaning you will feel more in control during
your pregnancy and your labor . You will also be better able to recover after
the birth. First T rimester
During your first trimester , do not practice any reduced breathing exercises. Instead, work to prevent hyperventilation with the following steps:
• Avoid overeating,
• Avoid overheated environments, and
• Use mindfulness meditations or similar practices to reduce stress. During this first three-month period, your BOL T score should not
increase by more than 2 seconds per week. Progress must be very gentle. Second T rimester
During your second trimester , you may practice a number of breathing
exercises. Breathe Deep  (exercise #2) will help strengthen your pelvic floor
muscles and Breathe Slow  (exercis e #3) will help relax your mind and body . You will benefit from practicing the exercises while lying down on your
back with your head on a pillow and your knees raised. As your pregnancy
progresses, you may find it easier to lie on your side. Go gently with the air shortage at this time, focusing on relaxation and
slow breathing instead. Contin ue with a gentle practice after your baby
arrives. Diaphragm breathing will help your pelvic floor to recover . DIABETES
Functional breathing is helpfu l for people with both types of diabetes
because it improves blood glucose control. There is a link between diabetes
and asthma, and there is an important correlation between sleep  quality and
diabetes control . Sleep is strong ly influenced by the breath, as is the health
of the heart—another important concern for people with diabetes. • If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it is vital that you breathe only through your
nose during rest, physical exercise, and sleep.• Speak with your medical doctor before undertaking any of the breathing exercises in
this book. • Breathing exercises can cause blood sugar to drop. It is therefore important that you
monitor your blood glucose levels during any breathing practice. Daily Practice
• Breathe Light  (exercise #1) for 10 minutes, two times daily . • Breathe Slow  (exercise #3) for 10 minutes, three times daily . • Breathe Deep  (exercise #2) for 10 minutes, once daily . • If you have a racing mind, practice the small breath holds exercise, Breathing
Recovery  (exercise #12 or #13). • Breathe nasally during rest, exercise, and sleep. • When you exercise, keep your mouth closed. Remember , you must monitor your blood sugar levels more frequently . Breathe Light  (exercis e #1) to create air hunger may reduce blood sugar
levels. If you feel hypoglycemic, stop the exercises immediately and take a
snack. When your BOL T score increas es beyond 20 seconds, or if it increases
by more than 5 seconds from your starting point, please consult with your
medical doctor as you may require adjustments to your medication. Never
stop taking your medication suddenly or without medical advice. EPILEPSY
Hyperventilation is a known seizure trigger . There is a strong link between
blood CO 2 levels and vulnerability to some types of seizures. In terms  of general health, epilepsy frequently exists alongside other
conditions, especially depression, which may also be characterized by
breathing patter n disorders. People with epilepsy are more likely to suffer
with respiratory and cardiovascular problems, obesity , and other disorders,
including diabetes. If you suffer from epilepsy , it is important to restore full-time nasal
breathing. Make  sure that you breathe only through your nose during rest,
physical exercise, and sleep, to reverse and prevent chronic
hyperventilation. Daily Practice• Breathe Light  (exercise #1) for 10 minutes, three times daily . • Breathe Slow  (exercise #3) for 10 minutes, twice daily . • Breathe Deep  (exercise #2) for 10 minutes, once daily . • If you have a racing mind, practice Breathing Recovery , Sitting or W alking  (exercise
#12 or #13). • Breathe nasally during rest, exercise, and sleep. • When you exercise, keep your mouth closed. • Breathe nasally during sleep. If you use a lip tape to help ensure nasal breathing
during sleep, do not place the tape directly across your lips. Instead, use a support
like MyoT ape which surrounds the lips, gently keeping the lips together and
reminding your mouth to close. This provides a safe way to ensure nasal breathing
during the night, when you cannot consciously control your breathing. IMPROVE HEAR T RA TE V ARIABILITY
Heart rate variability (HRV) is a useful index of well-being and resilience. Good HRV indicates a healthy balance in the autonomic nervous system
and is indicative of good health. It is possible to access the benefits of optimal HRV using the breath. Numerous studies have shown that breathing at a rate of six breaths per
minute optimizes HR V and produces lasting positive ef fects. The first adjustm ent you must make to improve your HRV is to switch
to full-time nasal breathing. Breathing only through the nose during rest,
physical exercis e, and sleep slows the breath, activates the diaphragm and
stimulates the vagus nerve. You can read about this in detail later in the
book in Chapter Four . Daily Practice
• Slow breathing to an average of six breaths per minute. • Breathe Light  (exercise #1) to create air hunger , for 10 minutes, twice daily . • Breathe Light, Breathe Slow , Breathe Deep  (exercises #1–3) for 10 minutes four
times daily , or 20 minutes twice daily . IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY , INSOMNIA, SNORING, AND SLEEP
APNEA
If your breathing during the day is less than optimal, your breat hing during
sleep will be dysfunctional too. If you suffer with snoring, insomnia, or
sleep apnea, breathing exercises can help significantly reduce your
symptoms. Above all, it is vital to restore nasal breathing during sleep,because breathing through an open mouth activates the stress response, and
it leaves the airway more vulnerable to collapse, which can trigger snoring
and even cause the breathing to periodically stop altogether . Tips for Better Sleep Hygiene
To enjoy a restful night’ s sleep, it is important to practice good sleep
hygiene. Most of us know that this involves less screen time and alcohol
just before bed, but many of us resist the idea, because watch ing the TV
with a glass of wine is a nice way to wind down. Unfortunately , this habit
doesn’ t really help you relax. In reality , it stimulates the nervous system,
preventing you from sleeping well. • Avoid blue light. If you must use your smart phone, TV , or laptop before bed, it is a
good idea to wear blue light filtering glasses for at least two hours before sleep. For
a good brand, seek out OwlEye glasses. • If you spend all day in front of a computer screen, you may find that wearing blue
light filtering glasses throughout your working day helps you sleep and relieves
eyestrain and headaches. • If you use your mobile phone as your alarm clock, switch it to flight mode in the
settings before you sleep. • Your bedroom should be cool, airy , silent, and dark. • Don’t eat or drink alcohol late in the evening. Enjoy a glass with dinner , but then set
it aside to give your body time to digest. If you regularly drink late into the evening,
you will feel noticeably less groggy in the morning if you give it a miss. Insomnia
A racing mind and breathing irregularities both contribute to insomnia. When you find yourself lying awake in the middle of the night, this can be
partly due to dysfunctional breathing during sleep. However , the
hyperarousal caused by poor daytime breathing patterns is also to blame. To
tackle insomnia, it is necessary to activate the body’ s relaxation response. It
is also essentia l to improve breathing patterns during sleep so that the
airway can function without causing the breath to stop or adding resistance
to breathing. If you have difficulty falling asleep:
• Make sure you breathe only through your nose during rest, physical exercise, and
sleep. • Breathe Light  (exercise #1) to achieve air hunger for 15 minutes before sleep.• Breathe Light  (exercise #1) for 10 minutes, three times daily . • Breathe Slow  (exercise #3) for 10 minutes, twice daily . • Breathe Deep  (exercise #2) for 10 minutes, once daily . If you fr equently wake up after four or five hours of sleep:
Waking up after a few hours of sleep is challenging—not quite fully alert to
get up and start the day, yet not tired enough to fall back asleep easily . Disturbances to breathing during sleep, including partial or total collapse of
the throat, can cause awakening. • Bring attention to your breathing to help calm racing thoughts. • Breathe Light and Slow  to help activate your body’ s relaxation response (exercise
#1). • Once your BOL T score is greater than 20 seconds, air turbulence in your nose and
throat will reduce. Y ou will sleep more deeply and be less likely to wake during the
night. Snoring
Mouth snoring is the result of a large volume of air passing through a
collapsible airway , causing the soft palate to vibrate. It stops when the
mouth is closed during sleep. Nose snoring is caused by turbulent airflow in the nasal airway , where
the nose meets the throat (the nasopharynx). Obstruction of the nose caused
by nasal stuffiness, deviated septum, or an anatomically smaller nose can
increase resistance to breathing. However , hard fast breathing also
contributes to nose snoring. To illustrate the impact of faster and harder breathing during nasal
snoring, I often ask my students  to make the sound of a snore through the
nose. To do this, it is normal to tighten the throat at the back of the nose and
speed up breath ing. Now , begin to slow down the speed of your breathing,
in and out through the nose. Slow down your breathing until it is almost
imperceptible. Breathe hardly any air in and out of the nose. Now, try and
snore when your breathing is light and slow . You will find it more dif ficult. Snoring is not solely due to a compromised nasal airway . Breathing
patterns can also play a role. Having a low BOL T score with a faster
respiratory rate and increased volume of air per minute contributes to
turbulence in the upper airway . While most interventions target the airway ,
the missing piece of the puzzle is flow. Any engineer investigatingresistance to flow in a pipe will not only consider the diameter of the pipe
but will also take into account the speed and volume of the flow . To stop mouth snoring, use MyoT ape to keep the mouth closed  during
sleep. You simply cannot snore through the mouth when breathing is
through the nose. To significantly r educe nasal snoring:
• Decongest your nose using the nose unblocking exercise (exercise #14). • Restore nasal breathing during wakefulness and sleep. • Reduce the flow of breathing by using Breathe Light  (exercise #1) for 10 minutes,
four times a day . • Increase your BOL T score to above 20 seconds. For many people, nasal snoring can be eliminated altogether . For others,
particularly those with a narrow  airway , nasal snoring will conti nue but at a
lower intensity , meaning it won’ t be so loud and problematic. OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA
If you suffer with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), I recomme nd that you
read Chapter Seven  on sleep-disordered breathing and see bonus Chapter 18
online at www .HumanixBooks.com/ The Breathing Cure, which describes
the phenotypes or physiological  causes of obstructive sleep apnea and the
ways in which breathing exercises can help. OSA has serious implications for long-term health and well-being. It is
associated with cardiovascular disease, mortality in pregnant women,
sexual dysfunction, depression, and sudden cardiac death. If you have this
condition, it is worth learning more about how you can reduce its symptoms
and severity . The first step in addressing OSA is to make the switch to nasal
breathing during  sleep. This is just as important even if you use CPAP to
treat your sleep apnea. Mouth breathing is a common factor for CPAP
noncompliance, because air that is meant to keep the airways open leaks out
through your open mouth instead. The good news is that breathing exercises improve sleep apnea
symptoms as well as supportin g general health. Follow the next exercise
protocol to reduce your symptoms and enjoy better sleep.Daily Practice
• Breathe only through your nose during rest, physical exercise, and sleep. • Adopt the correct tongue resting posture. Three quarters of your tongue should rest
in the roof of your mouth, with the tip of your tongue placed behind, but not touching,
your top front teeth. For supports on correct tongue resting posture, check out
MyoSpots.com. • Achieve a minimum BOL T score of 25 seconds. • Practice Breathe Light  (exercise #1) for 15 minutes, twice daily . Schedule one
session just after waking and another session before sleep. • Breathe Slow and Deep While W alking  (exercise #6) for 20 minutes, once per day . • Tape your mouth closed to sleep using MyoT ape. If you feel anxious about wearing
tape around your mouth, wear the tape for 20 minutes before sleep to become
comfortable with it. • If your mouth is naturally moist in the morning, there is no need for the tape. A dry
mouth signifies open mouth breathing during sleep. PANIC DISORDER, ANXIETY , AND RACING MIND
Panic disorder is often characterized by feelings of breathlessness and fear
of suffocation. For this reason, one of the things most likely to trigger a
panic attack can be fear of having a panic attack. However , while anxiety ,
racing thoughts, and panic are categorized as psychological problems,
scientists have found a strong biochemical link. People with panic disorder
often have a strong sensitivity to the accumulation of CO2, and the feeling
of suf focation can be alleviated by normalizing breathing patterns. When you regularly expose your body to controlled mild air hunger for
a short duration, which is the objective of the Breathe Light  exercises, your
body begins to become less sensitive to the feelings of suffocation and to
the chemical changes that trigger those feelings. As a result of the
connections betw een the biochemistry of breathing and the functioning of
the nervous system, slow breathing can be used to calm the mind. Functional breathing improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain,
allowing you to think more clearly and calmly . The diaphragm is connected to the vagus nerve, which releases a
calming neurotransmitter that slows the heart rate. This is why breathing
deeply calms the mind. Breathing at a rate of 4.5 to 6.5 breaths per minute
activates your body’ s relaxation response and balances your nervous
system, as well as optimizing heart rate variability and blood pressure.Emergency Practice
If you feel a panic attack coming on, there are three exercises you can use
to help stop it in its tracks. These exercises are also helpful in calming a
racing mind:
1. Breathing Recovery  (exercise #12 or #16). 2. Cup your hands over your face to rebreathe CO 2. This is safer than breathing into a
paper bag as it maintains inhaled oxygen at a suf ficiently high level. 3. Switch your breathing from fast and shallow to slow and deep. Y ou can do this by
placing your hands on your trunk either side of your lower ribs so that you can feel
the expansion and contraction of your ribs as you breathe in and out through the
nose:
• Breathe in for three seconds.
_OceanofPDF.com_The_Breathing_Cure_-_Patrick_McKeown.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Slowing the respiratory
rate of breathing provides numerous benefits, including better breathing
efficiency. CHECKING YOUR BOL T SCORE
To meas ure your BOL T score, you will need some sort of timing device that
counts in seconds. The stopwatch on your smartphone or tablet is ideal. THE BOL T:
• Take a normal, silent breath in through your nose. • Allow a normal, silent breath out through your nose. • Hold your nose with your fingers to prevent air from entering your lungs. • Count the number of seconds until you feel the first distinct desire to breathe in. A low breath-hold time in seconds indicates a greater tendency toward
faster, upper chest breathing with no natural pause between breaths. Be awar e that people with asthma and COPD demonstrate significantly
lower breath-hold times than those with normal breathing. This is because
breathhold time is related to measures of lung function. The best way to get an accurate representation of your breathing is to
measure your BOL T score in the morning just after waking. When you are
fast asleep, breathing continues subconsciously and without interference. For this reason, the morning BOL T score gives a truer measure because it
indicates how well you breathe when you can’t possibly be thinking about
your breathing. During your first few weeks with the breathing exercises, you should
notice an impro vement of three to four seconds in your BOL T score each
week. After that, progress will continue at a slightly slower pace. Physical
exercise can be gradually introduced to increase the BOL T score above 20
seconds. When the breathing exercises are practiced correctly, your breathing
pattern can be retrained. If your very first BOL T score is 10 seconds, it will
take at least three weeks to reach a BOL T score of 20 seconds and sixmonths to reach a BOL T score of 40 seconds. Improvement will depend on
the severity of your symptoms  and on how much attention you bring to
reducing your breathing. The more focus you give to your breathing each
day, the better. At the same time, there is no need to become obsessed with your
breathing. Allow the changes to gradually occur. The breath cannot be
forced into compliance. Many of the exercises involve breathing less air for
periods of time during the day. Allow the breath to gradually reduce by
paying attention to the airflow entering and leaving the nostrils, slowing it
down without tensing up the breathing muscles. Practice the breathing exercises formally for the first few weeks and
then incorporate them into your way of life. Your progress will be reflected
in a higher BOL T score. You will also have lighter breathing and begin to
feel better. The BOLT measures the number of seconds you can comfortably hold
your breath after an exhalation. You must not try to push beyo nd the first
distinct urges to breathe. This isn’t a competitive challenge. Nor is it a
measure of willpower. Continually practicing the BOL T will not change the
result either. Your BOL T score will only increase when you use the
exercises and begin to reduce your breathing volume toward normal. THREE DIMENSIONS OF FUNCTIONAL BREA THING TRAINING
Throughout this book you will read about addressing breathing pattern
disorders in three ways. Those three approaches encompass the
biochemistry, biomechanics, and cadence of the breath. In simple terms,
they refer to the relative level of CO2 in the blood, the function of the
diaphragm, and the speed at which you breathe. In the following exercises,
we’ll look at each of those aspects in turn. The focus is on breathing that is
light, slow, and deep. This is easy to remember if you use the acronym LSD. BREA THE LIGHT, SLOW, AND DEEP—THE EXERCISES
#1. Breathe Light (Biochemistry)
This exercise helps normalize breathing biochemistry, resulting in improved
oxygen uptake and delivery and reduced sensitivity to CO2, while working
toward normalizing breathing volume. It is suitable for everyone, except
those with serious health concerns or those in the first trimester of
pregnancy. The Breathe Light  exercise involves reducing the volume of air you are
taking into your body to create a tolerable hunger for air. Air hunger  is the
feeling that you would like to take a slightly bigger breath or that you are
not getting quite enough air. Achieving a slight or tolerable air hunger signifies that CO2 has
accumulated in the blood. One of the functions of CO2 is to act as a catalyst
for the release of oxygen from the red blood cells. With gentle, light, and
soft breathing, the blood vessels open, and more oxygen is released from
the red blood cells to feed the tissues and or gans. Breathing light and slow also enables nitric oxide to accumulate in the
nasal cavity and travel to the lungs where it helps sterilize the air and open
the airways and blood vessels in the lungs. This means that better oxygen
transfer to the blood can take place. During this exercise, concentrate on achieving and maintaining a feeling
of air hunger. The feeling of air hunger should be on both the inhalation and
the exhalation. Don’ t be overly concerned about breathing  using thediaphragm. It doesn’ t matter at this point. If you are already doing so, then
great. If not, that’s fine too. Your focus will be on slowing down the breath,
quietening the breath, and softe ning the breath. If the air hunger becomes
too much, take a rest for 20 seconds before returning to the exercise. As you reduce the volume of air you breathe, it is normal to feel a slight
tension in your diaphragm breathing muscle. If you find you are
experiencing involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, then the need for
air is too much. With practice, the goal is to maintain a tolerable air hunger
for four to five minutes. If your breathing feels shallow during this exercise,
that’s okay for the duration of the exercise. Focus on the air hunger not on
the biomechanics. The goal of this exercise is to feel a “hunger” for air, to feel that you
would like to take in a slightly bigger breath. After a short while practicing
the exercise, CO2 will accumulate in your blood, creating the feeling that
you would like to take in more  air. This is valuable feedback that you are
performing the exercise correctly and reducing your breathing volume
toward normal. The air hunger you feel during this exercise should be tolerable. If you
notice that your breathing rhythm is becoming fast or chaotic, the need for
air is too much. If this happens,  stop the exercise and breathe normally for
half a minute, then resume gentle, light breathing to create a tolerable need
for air once more. Don’ t deliberately interfere with your breathing muscles, hold your
breath, or freeze your breathin g. Instead, allow your breathing to soften
using relaxation—a slow breath in and a gentle slow breath out. Continue practicing the exercise for around four minutes. Breathe Light, V ariation OneDirections:
• Sit up straight in a chair or cross-legged on the floor or lie down on your back. • If sitting, imagine a piece of string gently pulling you upward toward the ceiling from
the crown of your head. • Place your hands on your chest and tummy, or in your lap. • Observe your breath as it enters and leaves your nose. Feel the slightly colder air
entering your nose and feel the slightly warmer air leaving your nose. • Begin to reduce the speed of each breath as it enters and leaves your nose. Breathing should be light, quiet, and calm. • Slow down your breathing so that you feel hardly any air entering and leaving your
nostrils. Y our breathing should be so quiet that the fine hairs in the nostrils do not
move. • The goal is to create a feeling that you would like to take in more air. To create air
hunger, your breathing now should be “less” than it was when you started. • If you feel stressed or lose control of your breathing, the air hunger is too strong. When this happens, take a rest for 20 or 30 seconds and start again. It is normal at
the beginning to take a rest a few times during the exercise. • Continue practicing the exercise for around four minutes. Breathe Light, V ariation T wo
Directions:
• Sit up straight in a chair or cross-legged on the floor or lie down on your back.
Just after waking
What is the recommended time frame for measuring BOL T score in the morning?
Three to four seconds per week
What is the expected rate of progress for improving BOL T score during the first few weeks of breathing exercises?
Reducing breathing rate to six breaths per minute
What is the primary focus of the Breathe Slow exercise?
Use Breathing Recovery (exercise #12 or #16), cup your hands over your face to rebreathe CO2, or switch your breathing from fast and shallow to slow and deep
What is the recommended approach to addressing panic attacks during an episode?
Practice slow and deep breathing, and use the breathing exercises to calm the mind and reduce symptoms
What is the recommended approach to addressing insomnia and anxiety?