Breath holding and meditative states

[Robwynge]

Hello,

I first came across this site a few years ago because of my interest in Buteyko breathing. As part of that interest, I did some searches about breath holding, which quickly lead me here. I have read all the posts on this site about Buteyko, so I am not looking to discuss that specifically. However, my interest is in knowing what effect breath holding has had on your mental state. Specifically, has it lead to increased feelings of calmness and well-being? Does it create what might be called meditative states as you do it, or mindfullness states in your daily life?

I ask these questions because among the Buteyko crowd, the post below is pretty famous. If you don't want to read the it, it tells the story of a Buddhist monk in England who took a Buteyko class and discovered that as his breath hold times went up, his state of meditation deepened, well beyond what of his Buddhist meditative training did for him.

Buddhist meditation, Buddhist Monk's experience with Buteyko


Again, I am not interested in advertising or discussing Buteyko, but I am interested in whether this type of meditative effect a consistent experience among people who develop their breathing holding and raise their Co2 tolerance. Since you guys seem to be the preeminent breath holders in the world, it would be interesting to see if you have had similar experiences.

Thanks!

 

[Bill]

Just a few quick comments from this end. I think that cessation of breathing must be good for the body or the subconscious mind wouldn't do it. I often spend an hour in total physical relaxation, holding my breath for longer and longer periods. It makes me feel better up until I lose control ( either physically or mentally ), then I feel anxiety after. I'm having trouble finding anyone else that has these feelings and suspect that they may be age related.
There is a huge difference between mouth-breathing and nose-breathing and even more with single nostril.
One very good instructor recommends breathing once per minute in his training schedule. I want to explore this.

 

[Mullins]

I think that cessation of breathing must be good for the body or the subconscious mind wouldn't do it.

When does the subconscious mind do it?

 

[Bill]

The doctors call it sleep apnea and it's now treated as a disease in this country. I've read comments on Deeper Blue and one of the very best divers in the world talked to me about it. The 'story' is usually that their sleeping partner commented on it. It's now my opinion that holding your breath during sleep is not uncommon, especially among divers.
If you read this Dave, I have always been slow to warm up and planned my dives accordingly. Can you recommend a course of action to convert to the no warmup method or is it a matter of "just do it'?

 

[growingupninja]

I don't meditate am not a very yogic freediver but static tables do make me relaxed and sleepy. I rarely do static tables but used to do them sometimes in bed when I can't fall asleep.

I don't think I have sleep apnea in the medical sense but after a 3 day spearing trip my girlfriend said I was doing strange things in my sleep--when she showed me what I was doing it looked like my surface recovery... a couple hook breaths while twitching my feet to keep my lips above water. I was dreaming about kelp forrests.

 

[cdavis]

There are many more knowledgeable divers on this area than me, hope some will chime in.

In my case, getting into a meditative state substantially improves my dive times (breath hold time). Not something I achieve very often, need near perfect conditions, but when I get there, dives get significantly longer and more comfortable. I've learned to search for that state.

Connor

 

[Robwynge]

In my case, getting into a meditative state substantially improves my dive times (breath hold time). Not something I achieve very often, need near perfect conditions, but when I get there, dives get significantly longer and more comfortable. I've learned to search for that state.

Connor

Interesting, I can see how that would help. But do you find that breath holding helps you get there? Or did you find that as your breath holding times improved earlier in your diving training that it became easier to achieve these states? That's what the Buddhist monk discovered. Maybe there is something about Buteyko that makes that more likely, with it's combination of shallow breathing and breath holds after the exhale, but I would think that divers should feel this too given that their training works toward very similar breathing goals (in terms of C02 tolerance, working on the brains respiratory center, etc.). Then again, maybe this was unique to this monk, or perhaps unique to people who had spent years cultivating meditative states in a monastery.

 

[Mullins]

If you read this Dave, I have always been slow to warm up and planned my dives accordingly. Can you recommend a course of action to convert to the no warmup method or is it a matter of "just do it'?

I think it's just something you have to get used to. My response to no-warmup dives never really changed, I just had to treat the earlier contractions and increased muscle acidity as the new norm. Discomfort does seem to peak and subside more when you don't do warmups, as opposed to ramping up suddenly at the end of the dive. In that sense warmups are a bit like hyperventilating.

 

[cdavis]

Rob, can't answer your specific questions. I just stubbled into this trying out minimum ventilation breathups as an addition to FRC diving.

The shallow breathing idea idea is interesting. Its part of how I get there, very shallow breaths with short pauses at top and bottom, just skirting the urge to breathe. As I get closer to being ready to dive, breaths get shallower and pauses longer, getting farther and farther from the urge to breathe. Very relaxing and, if all is going perfect, relaxed turns into meditative and a long dive is coming.

 

[monkeyhatfork]

stig severensen deals with this subject in his breatheology book. look up vagus nerve etc. as to weather the benefit is from the breathhold itself or ur preperation for the breathhold or that uv achieved the discipline to achieve the long hold? either way i woUld say yes it leads to a higher meditative state. also reading the flow state stuff might help

 

[Ms Mer]

On a side note, I've recently started studying massage therapy and have on a few occasions, had a massage only a few hours before diving. I have noted the state of mind this puts me in, pre-dive. I begin my breath up in an already very relaxed and calm state, almost sleep like and feel better through the dive. It's something I'm interested in exploring more through my studies as massage can induce a meditative state. Unlike the usual sports massage pre-event massage (which aims to warm the muscles and mobilise limbs), relaxation massage is more suited for freediving.