In the third article of the “Best of Body Reset Workshops” series, we present one of the key building blocks that gives participants a powerful insight into the potential of breathing from the very first session.
Breathing is life, and we can’t go more than a few minutes without bringing oxygen into our bodies and exhaling carbon dioxide. But breath offers us so much more.
Outstanding inhalation and exhalation potential
By doing specific exercises on a regular basis, we can achieve remarkable changes that, as well as keeping you healthy, youthful and vital, can also have a very quick and direct impact on your well-being.
Many participants of the Body Reset workshop describe that through this exercise they have learned to get into a “state of bliss”, greatly increased their energy reserves, managed to calm down completely, reduced or even eliminated stress and so on.
The following is a more detailed description of the effects of a specific breathing exercise that we do in the workshop, followed by an exercise that you can do at home.
A simple breathing technique that has big effects
The main reason why participants experience such results is based on correctness of execution. Mental preparation, focus, decision to perform (read: commitment to the exercise, not jumping from one task to the next), and following instructions consistently are important.
The exercise is based on deep breathing with occasional breath holding and oxygen saturation of the body. Up to 3 times more oxygen is delivered to the body than under normal circumstances. As a result, nutrients are broken down more quickly, which speeds up the production of ATP molecules (a coenzyme or molecule found in every cell that supplies the cell with energy).
The body becomes alkalinised – the pH of the blood rises – and eventually adrenaline starts to be produced, acting as a kind of initiator or stimulant of the processes. (Later, stress hormones are lowered and we learn to control them.) The cells are flooded with oxygen, the primitive nervous system is activated, and the brain or rational thinking is disconnected. We usually experience very strong and deep feelings of connection to our essence, and a kind of “energy surge” washes over our body.
As a result, stress is reduced, fear disappears and we feel more at peace. Energy production is accelerated, toxins are eliminated and the nervous, immune and endocrine systems, blood circulation and heart are stimulated.
Special, new “doors” and pathways open up. Through them, we access the body’s command centres, which then start giving new orders to organs and systems. These commands directly correct processes or bring tissues, organs and systems back into harmony. Since some commands literally bypass the conscious control of the mind, the changes are rapid, concrete and long-lasting.
By influencing the endocrine system, which controls hormones, we can have a direct impact on well-being. Through breathing, we can also control stress hormones, regulate the nervous system and change our internal biochemical environment. In addition, breathing is also an easy, quick and above all very effective way to detoxify.
The benefits of breathing exercises, when done correctly, have many short-term and long-term effects, such as:
- Increased resilience to stress: in stressful situations, we can use conscious breathing to take control of our bodies and not be influenced by adrenaline (the primitive nervous system);
- Improved psychophysical or sporting performance: up to 10-20% better performance;
- extra production of hormones for happiness, well-being, love (serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin);
- calm your mind;
- breathe more consciously and deeply (more oxygen in the cells), generally and automatically;
- control over various physiological processes;
- more calm, more creative, more relaxed, more content, more ideas;
- the body is relieved and the heart rate is reduced;
- better blood circulation in the body;
- strengthening the cardiovascular system;
- creating oxygen “in reserve”;
- reducing or eliminating stress or anxiety;
- improving memory;
- alkalising the body;
- faster recovery and regeneration;
- reducing inflammation;
- Weight loss;
- the cognitive part of the brain (via the neocortex) is linked to the primitive nervous system (control of hormones, stress, fear);
- control of the endocrine system (hormones): better well-being, optimism, “antidepressant”;
- boosting the immune system;
- better sleep;
- increased lung capacity;
- increased vitality and life force;
- More balanced thermoregulation: we don’t get cold in winter, but can easily tolerate the heat in summer.
This is confirmed by our experience. Now, after more than 100 participants, we can already see a clear pattern of the effect of this exercise on improving physical function.
One of the first “students” to learn this technique was our Olympian Brigita Langerholc. Her feedback carries particular weight because, as a top athlete, she knew almost all the best techniques for optimising the body’s performance, faster recovery and improved athletic function. She is also constantly following new trends and approaches in this field, educating herself and putting the techniques into practice.
After performing the breathing exercise, she wrote: “When Boris first showed me this special breathing, I was in a state of bliss, indescribable happiness, and zoned out for the rest of the day. Energy to export!
The concrete effect was also evident in my sporting activities: I ran crazy distances with ease and the next day I was completely free of fatigue or muscle pain! I also experienced a similar improvement in cycling.
Boris also showed me how to improve my body’s regeneration in the fastest and most efficient way (without pills, stimulants, superfoods… and any shopping) and how to maintain my physical mobility in old age. These were two of my eternal questions to which I could not find answers anywhere.
I also got the tools to put myself in the zone, in the moment, whenever I feel like it, in a controlled way, which all top athletes are familiar with. I can also maintain a sense of gratitude throughout the day, laugh a lot, increase my creativity and sleep well.
These are techniques that all people desperately need… and a billion euros doesn’t make up for it! ´Priceless´, I would say!”
Breathing as a tool to oxygenate, detoxify and calm the body
This same exercise, as presented to Brigita, is fully mastered by the participants of the “Body Reset” workshop in the very first meeting and then performed independently at home. It requires the presence of an instructor to be performed correctly, so it is not appropriate for the individual to learn it on his/her own.
However, you can do an introductory exercise at home, which will give you the same good effects and, if you attend the Body Reset workshop, will prepare you very well for the exercise.
The introductory exercise is based on awareness, focus and connecting with the breath. Or in short, it is about conscious breathing; simply focusing your attention on the in-breath and the out-breath.
If implemented consistently, you can reap a wide range of benefits:
- Breathing more deeply and consciously will bring more oxygen into your body,
- detoxify your body,
- you will calm down,
- you will reduce stress,
- you will feel better,
- you may even be able to establish a deeper meditative state
- and more.
You can do the exercise standing up or even moving. However, for the first time, it is recommended to do it sitting or lying down. Do not strive for a particular ‘yoga pose’, as you should be comfortable first and foremost. (If you are not comfortable, part of your attention is taken away by discomfort, or your attention wanders to finding a comfortable position – rather than focusing fully on the exercise.)
You can keep your eyes open or closed, but it’s easier to keep your attention if you keep them closed. On the other hand, closed eyes can encourage daydreaming and an uncontrolled flow of thoughts. In the search for some kind of middle way, the half-open eyes technique has been developed. You can also try this: close your eyes and then raise your eyelids about halfway.
It may feel uncomfortable at first, but once you get used to it, you’ll find that this eye position is actually quite good at protecting you from both distractions, i.e. from taking attention away from your surroundings and also from wandering thoughts.
You will benefit most from the exercise if you take the time to do it. This means finding a place where you won’t be disturbed by others, and minimising potential distractions in the room. So, you’ll turn off your phone and computer, close the windows and doors, maybe take a few sips of water, make sure your bladder is empty, and so on.
In short, good preparation leads to good execution.
Once you’ve repeated the exercise a few times and it’s somehow got into your blood, you’ll be able to do it literally anywhere and in any situation. What’s more, you might deliberately and consciously do it in stressful situations, because it will allow you to calm down quickly, relax quickly and relieve stress.
Try it yourself: a breathing exercise for quick relaxation
The exercise consists of an inhalation, a space, an exhalation and a space. You can start as follows: inhale deeply through the nose (3 seconds), hold the breath (2 seconds), exhale slowly through the mouth (4 seconds), then hold this state without breathing (2 seconds). So the rhythm is as follows: the whole inhalation takes a total of 5 seconds (3 seconds inhale and 2 seconds pause) and the exhalation takes 6 seconds (4 seconds exhale and 2 seconds pause).
First, repeat this breathing pattern a few times to get into the rhythm. Because you are bringing more oxygen into your body by breathing deeply, the exercise will not be strenuous; on the contrary, your body will take to it very quickly, because you are not working against your body’s processes, but for their good.
After you have been breathing at this rhythm for a while – for example, for at least a minute – try the next stage: breathing without counting. Breathe by feeling, even if the inhalations, exhalations and pauses are not exactly the same as before when you were counting.
If you combine the two, success will be even greater:
- In the first phase, when you were counting inhalations, exhalations and the time in between, you shifted your attention to one thing – breathing. This automatically took your attention away from thinking about stressful events or from thinking about many things. (Often our minds wander back and forth uncontrollably, and it is very helpful to give them an anchor – like we have given them a count here – so that they can focus on just one thing.)
- In the second phase, when you let go of thinking, you may have felt a greater calm, or a sense of “slowing down” and relaxation.
If you wish, you can introduce another element in the second part of the exercise: shifting your attention to the awareness of the breath. The first advantage will be that no thoughts will creep in, which is often the case when we don’t think about something specific for a while.
The task is very simple: just follow the path of the air entering and leaving your body. Feel the cold sensation in your nostrils as you pull the air in … follow the sensation as the air rushes through your mouth and down your windpipe … and feel your lungs expand as the fresh air enters.
Try not to think about your breathing or anything else, but just follow the rhythmic path of your breath in a detached way. Let your awareness travel with it. Surrender to the rhythm and to the physical sensation of the effect of the breath on the body.
If you can’t switch off your mind because it wants to be active all the time, use a trick: give it a task. But in a way that serves you or supports the exercise: it should answer the questions you are currently seeking to answer.
For example, ask yourself, “Where do I feel the air in my body now? Does it feel colder in my nostrils when I breathe in than when I breathe out? What does it feel like when the air goes from my nose to my mouth and beyond? Can I feel my lungs filling up? Can I tell very precisely which part of my lungs is filling up when I breathe in and then how it contracts when I breathe out?”
This has the effect of keeping us from thinking about things other than the breath, while at the same time the mind has a task to do. Therefore, other thoughts do not force their way to the forefront.
And here’s a tip for the very restless mind. Sometimes, when we close our eyes, we get the feeling that we have somehow lost control (which is true, because we have switched off one of the most important organs for controlling our surroundings – vision). The mind will use every trick in the book to force us to open our eyes: we may become uncomfortable … suddenly thirsty … thirsty for water … our mind will be flooded with questions that demand an urgent answer, like, “Did I turn off the stove?”, “Did the phone just ring?”, “Is it just me, or did someone open the front door?”. and so on.
In such cases, it is only necessary to persevere with the exercise for a few seconds and not give in to these impulses. They will go away very quickly. They will go even faster if you anticipate them. So, before the exercise, you will not expect the maximum co-operation of the mind, but you will be prepared to force it to the fore through various means. And then, when an impulse arises, you will be able to perceive it somehow from the side and it will not suck you in. Therefore you will not connect with it or succumb to it.
One of the particular impulses that it wants to force us to open our eyes and give it control – and which is harder to influence or can follow us more and more strongly – is a strong desire for a sense of time.
In fact, soon after starting an exercise, we may feel a strong urge to check how long we have been doing it, or what time it is. If we get a bit carried away during the exercise, we may panic a little; especially if we have other things to do.
There is a very simple way to release this pressure: choose some meditative or calm music – even classical works very well – where the song lasts as long as you want to spend on the exercise. For example, if you are going to do the exercise for five minutes, turn on your music device and play a song that lasts for five minutes. That way, you’ll know what you’re doing at all times: as long as the music is playing, everything is fine. If you get carried away and the music is gone, when you regain consciousness, you will open your eyes.
Of course, it is advisable to do the exercise several times. It can also be done in different forms. For example, at work you just take a few deep breaths in and out here and there, while at home you do a longer and deeper version.
Another great advantage of the exercise is that you can’t get it wrong and you don’t need an instructor.
Well, participants in the Body Reset workshop learn the next step, where they enrich the body with oxygen so much that they don’t even have to breathe for a few minutes. (Which is not the main purpose; it’s just part of the process.) It is this state that then “opens the door” to the many amazing effects that can follow.
Boris Vene and the “Body Reset” team
PS: One of the great benefits that participants get from the workshop is the example of healthy living that they then spread to their family members. Many people boast about how the family is now “juiced”. Or how cooking and juicing has become a favourite time of the day when the family is gathered and united in a common purpose, strengthening family bonds and deepening mutual pleasant feelings.
Well, sometimes the examples also pull at more individual experiences. Dr. Mihael Deželak, a participant in one of the workshops – and a great master of breath-holding (you can read his testimony on the website), recently shared some heartwarming news. He caught his seven-year-old son, Matevž, pinching his nose with his fingers and measuring how long he could go without breathing with a stopwatch in his hand. He completed the exercise completely on his own, without any explanation about breathing or encouragement from his parents. He boasted that he held his breath for 40 seconds!
“Leading by example inspires others”, concluded Dr Deželak.