Hello all,
I've embarked on my freediving journey recently (Molchanovs Wave2, working on W3), and loving it. But working on equalisation muscle control exercises, I just realised I can't really separate the soft palate and glottis.
I can Frenzel however, I learned to do it on scuba a few years back (watching freediving tutorials), and since I was working with a mouthpiece in my mouth I think I do something like a K or more likely SP position. I can do it with near empty lungs, mouth open etc...
I haven't had any issues freediving to 30 meters, and currently working on VTO, which I can do heads up to 1)m+, but not consistently.
However while trying to build more muscle control and precision tonight I stumbled on my first major block. I can't seem to hold the soft palate in a neutral position with the glottis closed.
I found this out by using a ballon, I was trying the exercise where you inflate a balloon, close the glottis, and get the air to flow out the nose.
Just couldn't do it.
So I dug out Eric Fattah's Frenzel technique exercises.
No problem with "Step 2: Learn to control the epiglottis" exercises and also no problem with "Step 3: Learn to control the soft palate" exercises as well.
But I just can't seem to do "Step 6: Learn to control the epiglottis and soft palate independently" exercises....
I'm guessing it's probably linked to the tongue or something, but I've been trying and trying and just can't seem to get air from the mouth to flow through the nose with a closed glottis.
Would you have other ideas on what I could try to unlock this?
The exercises I'm stuck on are the ballon exercise as demonstrated here
And the following Frenzel building blocks:
1. Place your index finger and thumb below your nostrils, so that your nose is very gently plugged.
2. It should be possible to exhale through your nose—your nostrils should flare.
3. Fill your cheeks up completely, until they are bursting.
4. Close the epiglottis.
5. Try to squeeze your cheeks and force the air OUT OF YOUR NOSE.
6. You should feel the air pass over your index finger and thumb, and your nostrils should flare.
7. If the air disappears and your nostrils don’t flare, the air went back into your lungs—you must not have closed the epiglottis
8. If the air won’t go anywhere, and is just JAMMED, it means your soft palate is raised, which is blocking your nasal passage.
Redo the soft palate exercises to gain a feeling of that muscle.
9. Repeat the above steps again, concentrating on the soft palate—keep the soft palate in the NEUTRAL position! The only way you can squeeze your cheeks and force the air out of your nose is if the soft palate is in the NEUTRAL position.
10. If you still cannot master the above exercise, try the following:
11. Once again, pinch your nose gently.
12. Exhale 90% of your air out your mouth.
13. Close your mouth, and exhale the last 10% of your air into your cheeks, filling them until they are bursting.
14. Close the epiglottis.
15. Now your lungs should be completely empty, and your cheeks should be full. The air should be trapped in your mouth because your epiglottis is closed.
16. Now, inhale against your closed throat. Of course, no air will rush into your lungs, because the epiglottis is closed. Instead, you create an uncomfortable vacuum in your lungs.
17. Maintain the lung vacuum. Now try to squeeze your cheeks and force the air in your cheeks out of your nose. Concentrate on the soft palate. Relax it—keep it in the neutral position. If you succeed, the air will come rushing out of your nose. Do not let the air rush into your lungs.
18. Keep practising the above exercises until you can fill your cheeks, close your epiglottis, squeeze your cheeks and force the air out of your nose. When you do that, the epiglottis is closed, and the soft palate is in the neutral position. That is the muscle state that you must remember.
Thanks in advance for your help!
b
I've embarked on my freediving journey recently (Molchanovs Wave2, working on W3), and loving it. But working on equalisation muscle control exercises, I just realised I can't really separate the soft palate and glottis.
I can Frenzel however, I learned to do it on scuba a few years back (watching freediving tutorials), and since I was working with a mouthpiece in my mouth I think I do something like a K or more likely SP position. I can do it with near empty lungs, mouth open etc...
I haven't had any issues freediving to 30 meters, and currently working on VTO, which I can do heads up to 1)m+, but not consistently.
However while trying to build more muscle control and precision tonight I stumbled on my first major block. I can't seem to hold the soft palate in a neutral position with the glottis closed.
I found this out by using a ballon, I was trying the exercise where you inflate a balloon, close the glottis, and get the air to flow out the nose.
Just couldn't do it.
So I dug out Eric Fattah's Frenzel technique exercises.
No problem with "Step 2: Learn to control the epiglottis" exercises and also no problem with "Step 3: Learn to control the soft palate" exercises as well.
But I just can't seem to do "Step 6: Learn to control the epiglottis and soft palate independently" exercises....
I'm guessing it's probably linked to the tongue or something, but I've been trying and trying and just can't seem to get air from the mouth to flow through the nose with a closed glottis.
Would you have other ideas on what I could try to unlock this?
The exercises I'm stuck on are the ballon exercise as demonstrated here
And the following Frenzel building blocks:
1. Place your index finger and thumb below your nostrils, so that your nose is very gently plugged.
2. It should be possible to exhale through your nose—your nostrils should flare.
3. Fill your cheeks up completely, until they are bursting.
4. Close the epiglottis.
5. Try to squeeze your cheeks and force the air OUT OF YOUR NOSE.
6. You should feel the air pass over your index finger and thumb, and your nostrils should flare.
7. If the air disappears and your nostrils don’t flare, the air went back into your lungs—you must not have closed the epiglottis
8. If the air won’t go anywhere, and is just JAMMED, it means your soft palate is raised, which is blocking your nasal passage.
Redo the soft palate exercises to gain a feeling of that muscle.
9. Repeat the above steps again, concentrating on the soft palate—keep the soft palate in the NEUTRAL position! The only way you can squeeze your cheeks and force the air out of your nose is if the soft palate is in the NEUTRAL position.
10. If you still cannot master the above exercise, try the following:
11. Once again, pinch your nose gently.
12. Exhale 90% of your air out your mouth.
13. Close your mouth, and exhale the last 10% of your air into your cheeks, filling them until they are bursting.
14. Close the epiglottis.
15. Now your lungs should be completely empty, and your cheeks should be full. The air should be trapped in your mouth because your epiglottis is closed.
16. Now, inhale against your closed throat. Of course, no air will rush into your lungs, because the epiglottis is closed. Instead, you create an uncomfortable vacuum in your lungs.
17. Maintain the lung vacuum. Now try to squeeze your cheeks and force the air in your cheeks out of your nose. Concentrate on the soft palate. Relax it—keep it in the neutral position. If you succeed, the air will come rushing out of your nose. Do not let the air rush into your lungs.
18. Keep practising the above exercises until you can fill your cheeks, close your epiglottis, squeeze your cheeks and force the air out of your nose. When you do that, the epiglottis is closed, and the soft palate is in the neutral position. That is the muscle state that you must remember.
Thanks in advance for your help!
b