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proper breath up

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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thin_air

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Sep 15, 2001
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i have just realized that i have no clue on how to do a proper breath up :head all i know is that i take a full lungfull of air before i hold my breath oh and i dont hyperventilate cause i know thats bad

this could probably help my bh times

thanks

vince:)
 
Breathe

Hey dude, check out "breathing techniques" in "Freediving Training" posted by Schnappr a while back. Also maybe look under my posts for the "Western Canada Regionals" under the same forum for my breathe-up techniques. Try some, but once you start getting some good long holds happening, adapt to what is working for you. Our bodies are similar, but also very different, and no one technique will always work for everybody.
Good luck,
Erik Y.
 
Breathe ups

I used to take just a deep breath as well and do as long as I could, but as soon as I got in on some breathingg and RELAXING my diveing spot got too shallow;) But my rec. freedives became really enjoyable.
I think as you find a breathing technique that suits you, you will notice that relaxing is just as important or even more important than proper breathing.
So is there a article on how to relax right before diveing? and while diveing as well, or are they just a thing to learn through experience and time?
 
Hi,

As far as I can figure virtually any relaxation technique can be used in freediving. The main ones that I teach include;

1. Breathing Techniques derived from Tai Chi, and Yoga,

2. Progressive Deep Muscle Relaxation, which is based on
systematically tensing and releasing the 16 main muscle
groups in the body,

3. Self-hypnosis, which uses ideas to guide relaxation,

4. Meditation, which may take either a concentrative or
mindfullness approach.

I don't know of any specific articles on relaxation for freediving, but there are lots of articles and books on the four techniques that I use. You might just want to try them all and discover which one (s) work best for you.

The breathing techniques are a real natural for freediving, as is the use of self-hypnosis and imagery, but as has been suggested
you need to find what works best for you.

Best wishes,

Freediver48
 
thanks i think i migh start trying all of these tips

out of curiosity who here uses meditation/yoga

i cant say i believe in that stuff

does it work

bye
vince
 
Yoga and meditation work for me, not just for diving, but to help me stay healthy and relaxed in all aspects of my life. I also do tons of cardio and weight training.
I don't think it's a matter of having to " believe" in it. There is nothing that strasnge or mystical about stretching and concentrating on your mind and body. Doing yoga does not necessarily mean that you are attempting to hover up into the air with your legs crossed. I would say that it has more to do with exercising your body AND your mind. We are all full of 1000s of thoughts per hour, tracing off in different directions. Meditation helps to learn to focus your mind onto one thing or no things (among other things!). There's really nothing that mystical about it. Martial artists will tell you about the power of focus and concentration. Before you can achieve something, the idea starts in your mind. Without thinking, you reach your arm out to grab a glass of water. That still started in your mind. Now, if you want to do something that is difficult, say hitting a baseball out of the park, then you will be thinking of that before you get to the plate. If you can train your mind to focus on that objective without any distractors, you will be ahead of the game. Once the pitch is thrown, you don't think of anything anymore; you just hit the damn ball! Nobody thinks, as the ball comes towards them at 160 kmh,"I need to change the angle of the bat by 3 degrees". They just do it. THAT is the state of mind that I try to achieve through meditation. When I'm freediving for fun, I am in a deep trance state that comes naturally to me now. I'm still working on maintaining that state of mind for competitive diving, and it will come.
If you look at meditation as a form of exercise for your brain, it will not seem as strange and intimidating. It's just another form of training, if you like.
Cheers,
Erik Y.
 
Breathe-up and relaxation

My breathe-up is relaxation. I don't have any set breathing pattern, I just know roughly how much time I need (2-4min depending on the depth) to breathe before a dive. I like to use my environment to bring me to the aware and poised state of mind that Erik describes. The feeling of the water supporting me. The lapping of waves over my body. The sound of my breathing in my snorkel and of the waves. I look down into the ocean and follow the plankton, fish and particles floating around.

It helps me get into "feeling like a fish." I talk less, move more fluidly, conserve my energy and listen to my body carefully.

Whatever works for you, I guess.

Pete
 
i think im starting to get this stuff now

so yoga and meditation are kind of like doing push ups for your mind?

i can see how they would help you be able to concentrate i had never thought that concentration had so much effect on the breath hold

thanx
 
Hi,

All of the relaxation skills that I mentioned in my previous post have solid research behind them not only supporting the efficacy,
but as well the physiology of the processes. The areas that we are just in the midst of researching more fully have to do with the use of imaging. Thus far the research seems to support the utility of using imagery in enhancing human performance. What we are exploring now is the manner in which the images are formed, either through visual, auditory or tactile inputs. What seems to be clear from a clinical perspective is that the two most important
aspects are practise and stability, not vividness. What this translates into is the importance of regular work in imaging and the ability to hold the image, in other words consistent use and concentration. Both of these elements are to be found in practices like yoga, and the martial arts. I find that Tai Chi has vastly improved my concentration, and yoga has really helped my supplness.

Best wishes,

Freeediver48
 
to: freediver48

Can you tell more about this:

2. Progressive Deep Muscle Relaxation, which is based on
systematically tensing and releasing the 16 main muscle
groups in the body,
 
Hi,

Progressive Deep Muscle Relaxation (PDMR) was developed by Edmund Jacobsen, a physiologist in 1932. The basic idea is that tensing a muscle and holding the tension briefly and then letting it go results in the muscle going to a more relaxed state. Typically
going through the main 16 muscle groups in the body results in a state of deep relaxation. This plus the use of deep breathing is likely the most commonmly taught means of relaxation in N.A. There are numerous scripts and tapes available to use in learning the technique. One starts out with all 16 muscle groups and then over a period of time uses fewer, combining the tensings, such that one starts with 16, then goes to 8, then 4, which is a good
number of groups once the techniques and ability to keep the rest of the body relaxed while tensing the other muscles is attained. If you look around on the net you will find instructions, if not let me know and I'll find some for you.

best wishes,

Doug Morgan,
Lantzville, B.C.
 
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