Pillar two ยท Activating
Buteyko breathing
The one you can run while you are moving. Empty the lungs, hold, and walk. Use it on the way somewhere when you are wound up.
Watch
The pattern
- 01Breathe in through the nose.
- 02Exhale all the way out through the nose.
- 03Pinch your nose closed and hold.
- 04Walk. Fifteen to twenty-five steps.
- 05Let go, take one good breath in, and let it go.
- 06Repeat as you walk.
Pick a stretch of pavement where you are not crossing roads. Walking with your breath held is not the time to be watching traffic.
Altitude is the other use. Build the held walk up to 25, 30, 40 steps over weeks. If you live at sea level, doing this before a trip into the mountains is worth the effort.
If you are gasping when you let go, the walk was too long. Cut it back until you finish each round calm.
How it lands
It pulls you out of your head and into your legs. By the second or third hold the chatter has stopped and you are just counting steps.
What it does
- Runs while you are moving, so it fits a walk to work
- Gets you out of your head and into your body
- Builds tolerance for altitude and effort over time
- A small deliberate stress, the useful kind
- Boosts immunity and brings inflammation down
The rest of this pillar
- 30 reps a set Priming breath Wakes the body up. Morning, or before training.
- 1-5 minutes Breath of fire Forceful both ways. Builds heat.
- 50 reps or 2-7 minutes Kapalabhati Forceful exhale only. Works the stomach.
- 30 seconds to 5 minutes Igniter breath Warms you up fast. After cold water, or before training.
- About 10 minutes Twisting breath Twist and exhale hard. Warm-up that works the core.
- 10-20 minutes Heart opening breath Loud on the exhale. Clears the deck before the day.
- 30 seconds to 5 minutes Kundalini Bhastrika Breath of fire, arms overhead. Harder.
- 10-15 minutes Digestion igniter Lion's breath and a stomach vacuum. Standing.
- About 20 minutes Dynamic breathwork Forty breaths and holds. The big one in this pillar.