As a martial artist, you’ve probably been exposed to the concept of breath awareness. But how often do you truly spend time practicing better breathing mechanics? Chances are, very little.
Proper breathing is a key component of your martial arts to help you in your martial arts practice. Today I’d like to share 3 ways of breathing that can have an incredible impact both on and off the mats.
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- Bring better awareness to our breath
- Reduce stress and gain control of our mindset
- Improve our movement on the mat through better breathing mechanics
As I’ve written about in a previous article, Posture, Breath, and Mindset are the big three here in the Juyukai. Without proper posture, we won’t be able to control our breathing. And without proper breathing, your mind will start spiraling into a descent of negative emotions. In other words, everything breaks down and you end up getting submitted, or even worse.
Rather than hit you up with a lot of preamble let’s jump right in with where to start your breathing practice.
Bringing Better Awareness to Your Breath.
I suggest you start with Balanced 4×4 Breathing.
Here’s how to do it.
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- Find a comfortable place to sit that is quiet, or not. I know that sometimes it can be hard to do that if you’re a family man like me.
- Set a timer for 3 minutes.
- Inhale through the nose quietly for 4 seconds, and then exhale through the nose quietly for 4 seconds.
Pull the air up from your belly as you expand outward and then reverse the process as you exhale by pulling the belly inward. These breaths should be calm.
And that’s it.
If you can do this in the morning before the crazy of the day starts then do it! For example, if you meditate then I suggest focusing on performing the 4×4 breathing pattern during that.
I also encourage you to perform this breathing pattern throughout the day as much as possible. Remember that it’s a calm breath so when you do it no one should be able to tell that you’re even doing it. As in, you won’t look weird doing it.
I’ve used this on trains, planes, buses, and especially in crazy taxi experiences in Italy and Thailand. And because you aren’t holding your breath it will even be ok to do when you’re driving as well to keep you zen as f### during those morning commutes.
The Benefits of 4×4 Balanced Breathing
Balanced breathing is suitable for maintaining a steady rhythm during moderate physical activity or when trying to stay calm in stressful situations as I mentioned above.
During physical exertion in training sessions, the 4×4 nasal breathing pattern promotes a steady rhythm, improves lung capacity, and supports overall respiratory efficiency. This aligns with scientific insights into the respiratory benefits of mindful breathing.
This balanced technique optimizes oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange, engages the diaphragm, stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), enhances lung capacity, and fosters mindfulness. Scientific studies, notably in “Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology” (2017), underscore the vital role of balanced nasal breathing in maintaining respiratory and cardiovascular health.
With consistent practice, the 4:4 nasal breathing pattern fosters mindfulness, reducing mental distractions and enhancing focus. So use this to your advantage as much as you can!
Why Nasal Breathing?
Before we move on, all of the breathing patterns that I recommend in this article focus on nasal breathing only. Here are some key points as to why we should make nasal breathing our fundamental way of breathing.
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- The nose acts as a natural air filter, trapping particles and pollutants in the nasal hairs and mucous membranes. It also humidifies the air, preventing the respiratory system from drying out.
- Nasal breathing helps ensure that the air entering the lungs is clean, moist, and at an optimal temperature, reducing the risk of respiratory infections and irritation.
- Nasal breathing allows for the release of nitric oxide into the lungs, improving oxygen uptake, enhancing blood flow, and supporting the immune system.
- Nasal breathing, especially with a longer exhale (which I discuss soon), activates the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to a calming effect on the body and mind. This can help reduce stress and anxiety.
In summary, nasal breathing is optimal due to its role in air filtration, humidification, nitric oxide production, respiratory resistance, CO2 regulation, activation of the relaxation response, and optimal air distribution. Striving for nasal breathing, especially in mindful patterns like the ones we are focused on, can contribute to overall respiratory health, physical performance, and emotional well-being.
Next, let’s talk about the long exhale.
The Long Exhale – 2×4 Recovery Breathing
Another approach to breath work involves a longer exhale, as seen in the 2-second inhale/4-second exhale technique. The emphasis on a prolonged exhale aids in stress reduction, relaxation, and improved respiratory efficiency.
Scientific validation from studies, such as those discussed in the “American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine” (2000), supports the positive impact of controlled breathing on cortisol levels and respiratory muscle function.
The 2-second inhale/4-second exhale technique is a good method to aid in the recovery process since it reduces cortisol levels and promotes relaxation.
This a great breathing practice to use after a heavy training session or an intense round of sparring.
This style of breathing is something I use as my “recovery breath” and it has helped to bring my breathing and mind back to normal quite quickly after a hard round of sparring.
Beyond the training mat, this breathing technique is a great tool for coping with everyday stressors. The 2-second inhale/4-second exhale technique provides a means for stress management, offering a longer exhale for relaxation and mental clarity, contributing to daily resilience. It’s simple and effective and because you aren’t holding your breath is safe in any situation.
This is how to practice it.
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- Inhale through the nose for 2 seconds
- Perform a controlled exhale through the nose for 4 seconds.
Similar to balanced breathing, focus on making the breaths calm and quiet. Continue performing it until your breathing returns to normal.
All you’re doing is making the exhale twice as long as the inhale for maximum relaxation. So as you get better at this you could even increase the duration of time of the inhale and exhale. For example, 4×8 or even longer.
With that being said, I have found over my many years of practicing breath work that the standard 2×4 is the biggest bang for the buck when it comes to the long exhale.
Start with 3 minutes total and go from there and work on adding 2×4 breathing into your day when you need to destress and relax.
Box Breathing – 4:4:4:4
Our third and final breathing pattern is called Box Breathing. This style of breathing has become quite popular over the years and one prominent source often cited in discussions about box breathing and military applications is the book “Tools of Titans” by Tim Ferriss. In this book, Ferriss interviews various high-performing individuals, including Navy SEALs, and discusses their use of box breathing as a tool for stress reduction and maintaining composure in high-pressure situations.
Box breathing, with its balanced oxygenation, diaphragmatic engagement, PNS activation, and rapid recovery from heightened states of arousal, emerges as a powerful ally. Research on heart rate variability (HRV) aligns with its application in martial arts, supporting cardiovascular health benefits and stress reduction as suggested by research in “Psychophysiology” (2016).
Here’s how to perform Box Breathing.
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- Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds
- Hold your breath for 4 seconds
- Exhale through the nose for 4 seconds
- Hold your breath for another 4 seconds before starting the cycle again.
Repeat this process to synchronize breath and focus the mind.
Putting It All Together
If having a breathing practice is new to you then I suggest first starting with the Balanced 4×4 Breathing.
Make a dedicated effort to perform a minimum of 3 minutes a day on Balanced Breathing. If you can, also use Balanced Breathing throughout the day when you find yourself tensing up or even just sitting in your car waiting at a red light. The goal is to make this a natural habit that you can use at any moment.
Next up, you’ll add in 2×4 Recovery Breathing after a strenuous round of martial arts or to help you recover after an exercise session. Rather than prescribing a specific amount of time, simply start using 2×4 breathing to bring your breath down to normal. Once you feel that you’ve calmed down you can revert to normal breathing.
Finally, during an especially stressful event, or when you just need to calm the F down, I suggest using Box Breathing. This might need to wait until after the actual situation if you’re in the thick of it. However, when you can, sit down and perform a few rounds of Box Breathing until you’ve calmed down. This might be a minute or 5 minutes depending on what you need.
Bringing awareness to the breath can be life-changing, and even life-saving. It is something I practice every day and helps bring me back to a calm state when things get rough.
While there are many other styles and patterns of breathing, I encourage you to spend time using the above 3 patterns where appropriate. With practice, it is going to help you to stay On The Mat Forever.