BOOST LONGEVITY WITH BOX BREATHING

IMPROVE FITNESS AND WELL-BEING WITH BREATH WORK THAT DELIVERS CALM AND FOCUS

By Timothy Burgin

ANCIENT YOGIS DISCOVERED HOW THE BREATH AFFECTS THE MIND, EMOTIONS, AND ENERGY OF THE BODY. MORE ATHLETES ARE DISCOVERING HOW ANCIENT BREATHING PRACTICES CAN BOOST WELLNESS, PERFORMANCE, MENTAL FOCUS, AND LONGEVITY.

A technique known as box breathing is a simple yet powerful tool to share with your clients to encourage slower breathing, mental calm, and increased concentration.

Box breathing involves inhaling slowly and deeply through the nose, holding the breath, exhaling slowly and completely, and then holding the breath again, all for an equal count of four. This pattern is repeated for several minutes.

Box breathing is becoming more widely used among athletes as a crucial part of their mental and physical training. LeBron James, Steph Curry, DK Metcalf, and other pro level athletes are known to practice conscious breathing techniques to counteract stress and maximize performance. Lauren Fendrick, an Olympian in beach volleyball, is a proponent of box breathing, using it to help manage her oxygen saturation and support her recovery process.

How to Practice Box Breathing:

1. Sit Comfortably: Sit in a comfortable chair with your back supported and both feet on the floor to feel grounded and supported. You can also practice standing or lying down.

2. Inhale: Slowly inhale through your nose for a count of four. Feel your low belly rising with the inhalation to activate the diaphragm.

3. Hold: Hold your breath for a count of four.

4. Exhale: Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of four.

5. Hold Again: Hold your breath again for a count of four.

6. Repeat: Continue this breathing cycle for several minutes.

Box Breathing Benefits

Box breathing has several benefits that can boost athletic performance, longevity, and overall health and wellness. Here are the main benefits of this breathing exercise:

• Increases Focus and Inner Peace: Box breathing helps boost focus and promote a calm mental state, even under high pressure situations. This equal patterned exercise helps athletes sharpen their concentration and enhance their alertness, which is crucial in high-performance environments.

• Improves Respiratory Function: Box breathing enhances lung capacity and the efficiency of gas exchange in the lungs. This allows oxygen to be delivered more efficiently to the muscles, enabling people to perform longer at higher intensities.

• Lowers Heart Rate: This technique naturally slows the breathing rate and encourages deep diaphragmatic breaths. By using the diaphragm more efficiently, you improve the oxygenation of the blood, lower the heart rate, and reduce stress on the heart.

• Improves Muscle Function: The relaxation response triggered by deep breathing techniques improves circulation, delivering more oxygen and essential nutrients to the muscles. This can enhance muscle function and overall physical performance.

• Reduces Stress and Blood Pressure: Box breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which counteracts the body’s stress response and promotes a state of calm and relaxation. This helps lower stress levels and blood pressure, promoting cardiovascular health, and contributing to overall longevity.

• Strengthens Emotional Regulation: Box breathing enhances emotional regulation and reduces anxiety and depression. This can help athletes manage the psychological demands of their sport, reduce the risk of burnout and mental health issues, and promote long-term well-being.

• Enhanced Recovery: Post-game or post-workout, box breathing can help athletes transition from a state of energy expenditure to energy production, aiding in the recovery of the nervous, muscular, and immune systems. Practicing box breathing during moments of low blood oxygenation promotes quicker muscle recovery.

• Reduced Cellular Hypoxia: Deep breathing techniques can help prevent chronic cellular hypoxia, a condition where cells do not receive enough oxygen. This has been linked to various agerelated health concerns and can accelerate the aging process. By ensuring proper oxygenation, box breathing can help mitigate these effects.

Box Breathing Tips

• Regular Practice: Practice box breathing regularly to make it a habit and improve its effectiveness. Find ways to incorporate it into your daily routine.

• Focus on Deep Breathing: Make sure you are taking deep diaphragmatic breaths by feeling your stomach rise and expand rather than just your chest.

• Adjust the Speed: Experiment with different counting speeds to find what feels comfortable for you. Avoid counting so slowly that you feel lightheaded or are straining and tensing.

• Use Visualization: Visualize tracing the shape of a box with each portion of the breath. Start at the top left corner and inhale as you draw a line to the right, hold your breath as you draw a line down, exhale as you draw a line to the left, and hold your breath as you draw a line back up to close the box.

• Start Small and Build Up: Begin with short sessions, 30-60 seconds, and gradually increase the duration as you become more comfortable with the technique.

Timothy Burgin is a Kripalu and Pranakriya trained yoga instructor, who founded YogaBasics.com in 2000. He has authored two yoga books and has written over 500 articles on the practice and philosophy of yoga.