Do you often wake up feeling like you didn’t sleep at all? Perhaps you struggle even falling asleep, or just feel fatigued all of the time. Maybe you struggle with weight fluctuations or gain, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, asthma, breathlessness, lack of focus and concentration, poor performance during exercise, or long recovery times - did you know your breathing patterns could be the culprit?
Yes, that seemingly mundane act, performed instinctively every moment, may surprisingly be at the root of your challenges. Breathing, often overlooked, ignored, or simply misunderstood, holds profound significance for our health and vitality. Advice is out there, but is it truly the correct advice. Take moments of stress for example, common advice may be to "take a deep breath," but what does a "deep breath" truly entail?
Take a deep breath in…
Ask yourself, what did you do when prompted to take a "deep breath in"?
If you took in a large amount of air, elevated your lungs and took air in through your mouth, you might be surprised to learn that this could actually cause more harm than good.
Enter Patrick McKeown and the Oxygen Advantage. According to McKeown, a truly "deep breath" involves breathing deep inside, low, soft, through the nose, and abdominal, characterised by softness, calmness, and a gentle expansion of the diaphragm. Contrary to popular belief, breathing through the mouth and taking in large amounts of air can actually be counterproductive. Mouth breathing disrupts the body's natural balance of gases, leading to shallow, inefficient breathing patterns and an increased risk of health issues. Additionally, inhaling excessive amounts of air can lead to hyperventilation, which further disturbs the body's acid-base balance and reduces carbon dioxide levels.
Mouth breathing disrupts the natural balance of gases in the body by bypassing the nasal passages, which are designed to filter, humidify, and warm the air we breathe. One crucial component of nasal breathing is the production of nitric oxide, a gas with vasodilatory and antimicrobial properties. Nitric oxide helps to dilate blood vessels, increasing blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissues. Additionally, nitric oxide plays a vital role in regulating blood pressure and immune function. When we breathe through the mouth, we miss out on the benefits of nitric oxide production, which may contribute to respiratory issues and compromised immune function.
Inhaling excessive amounts of air, whether through mouth breathing or deep, exaggerated breaths, can lead to hyperventilation—a condition characterized by rapid, shallow breathing that disrupts the body's acid-base balance. Contrary to popular belief, hyperventilation does not increase oxygen levels in the blood; instead, it reduces carbon dioxide levels, leading to respiratory alkalosis. Carbon dioxide plays a crucial role in maintaining the body's acid-base balance, and a decrease in its concentration can have far-reaching effects on physiological processes. For instance, reduced carbon dioxide levels can cause blood vessels to constrict, leading to decreased blood flow to vital organs and tissues.
Patrick McKeown's findings underscore the misconception surrounding the belief that taking in a deep breath provides oxygen to the blood. In reality, the blood is already saturated with oxygen within the normal range of breathing, typically between 96-100%. This saturation refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that the blood can carry, and it occurs during normal breathing. Haemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells, plays a crucial role in this process by binding to oxygen molecules and transporting them throughout the body. Despite these high saturation levels, some individuals may still experience feelings of breathlessness or the sensation of needing more oxygen. According to McKeown, this can be attributed to factors such as inefficient breathing patterns, which may lead to imbalances in carbon dioxide levels rather than oxygen deficiency.
Breathing excessively or through the mouth can disrupt the body's acid-base balance, leading to shallow, rapid breaths that fail to fully engage the diaphragm and promote optimal oxygen delivery to tissues. By focusing on optimising carbon dioxide levels through proper breathing techniques, individuals can improve their breathing efficiency and alleviate feelings of breathlessness, ultimately promoting overall health and vitality.
One way to gauge your current breathing efficiency is by taking the BOLT (Body Oxygen Level Test). Most individuals will find their scores under 20, possibly even 10, indicating a need for improvement. The goal should be to achieve scores between 30-40, indicating optimal breathing efficiency.
BOLT
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
By ‘first distinct desire’ simply means the moment you notice involuntary contractions or the urge to take a breathe in, not as long as possible.
If you found your score to be lower than expected, it's a clear sign that it's time to explore Oxygen Advantage methods to improve your breathing.
To retrain breathing patterns, Patrick McKeown advocates for a gradual approach that focuses on light, quiet, and soft breathing techniques. One effective method is to practice nasal breathing throughout the day, aiming to breathe through the nose both during rest and physical activity. Nasal breathing encourages diaphragmatic breathing, where the diaphragm contracts downward, allowing for deeper and more efficient breaths. McKeown also recommends incorporating breath holds or breath pauses into daily routines. This involves taking a comfortable breath in through the nose, gently exhaling, and then holding the breath for a few seconds before resuming breathing. These breath holds help to increase carbon dioxide levels in the body, improving respiratory efficiency and promoting relaxation.
Additionally, McKeown suggests gradually reducing breathing volume by focusing on slowing down the breath rate. This can be achieved by practicing breathing exercises such as the "Control Pause" technique, where individuals take a normal breath in through the nose, then exhale gently and comfortably before holding their breath for a few seconds. By gradually extending the duration of the breath hold over time, individuals can train their bodies to tolerate higher levels of carbon dioxide, leading to improved breathing efficiency and overall well-being. Consistent practice and mindfulness of breathing patterns are key to successfully retraining the respiratory system and experiencing the benefits of optimal breathing.
Our breathwork classes, held in studio and live, offer tailored techniques designed to enhance respiratory efficiency and overall well-being, especially for women. By incorporating Patrick McKeown's insights and practicing proper breathing techniques, you can take proactive steps towards optimising your health and vitality.
Don't let breathing patterns hinder your quality of life any longer. Join us in our breathwork classes and embark on a journey towards better breathing, better living.
Take a deep (abdominal) breath in (through your nose)... And exhale (through your nose).
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