Breathwork
Structured breathing sessions to shift the nervous system up or down
Deliberate breathing patterns run for a few minutes at a time: faster breathing with short exhales to raise alertness, long slow exhales to calm down, box breathing with equal counts on inhale, hold, exhale and hold, and breath holds to build carbon dioxide tolerance. Wim Hof, holotropic and alternate-nostril methods sit under the same umbrella. The physiological effects on heart rate and blood pressure show up within a couple of minutes. Guided apps and classes have made it a daily practice for many people, and the more intense styles can cause lightheadedness, so they are done sitting or lying down.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Chris BumsteadDoes it
Bodybuilder · Six-time Classic Physique Mr. Olympia
During contest prep he wakes up and does three rounds of 30 breaths with a hold and exhale before cardio. He says he started it for the mental side and now does it mainly to oxygenate his body, adding that on those mornings he did not need caffeine to get through cardio.
Source: Generation Iron: Chris Bumstead Breaks Down Full Prep & Offseason Morning Routine“Three rounds of 30 breathes, hold and exhale and repeat. Three rounds in the morning then going to do cardio, I didn’t need caffeine. I could just blast through my cardio way easier. I always cold tub if I sauna because I like finishing with cold.”
Generation Iron: Chris Bumstead Breaks Down Full Prep & Offseason Morning Routine (opens in a new tab) · 19 Jul 2023 - Dave AspreyDoes it
Biohacker · Bulletproof Coffee
A daily non-negotiable for him for several years: faster breathing with his morning coffee to get going, slow exhale-heavy sessions after work to come down, and box breathing at five seconds a side when emotions run hot. He credits the slow work with lifting his HRV by close to a quarter.
Source: Dave Asprey blog: 7 Ways to Upgrade Your Life with Breathwork“I pair it with my coffee in the morning as a power-up for the day, and use slower sessions post a long work day to move into the rest and digest side of the nervous system.”
Dave Asprey blog: 7 Ways to Upgrade Your Life with Breathwork (opens in a new tab) · 24 May 2022 - Kelly StarrettDoes it
Doctor of physical therapy · The Ready State
Diaphragmatic breathing is where he now starts with back pain. On himself, he uses the breath to get motion into a stiff upper back. He credits Laird Hamilton, Brian Mackenzie and the Wim Hof material for pulling him back to it, and says the yogis had it long before any of them.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show: Dr. Kelly Starrett, The Magic of Movement and Mobility (#664) - Novak DjokovicDoes it
Tennis player · Record 24 Grand Slam singles titles
Calls conscious breathing the skill an athlete has to master to cope with break points, crowds and the fact that nobody substitutes for you. Asked whether he meditates on court, his answer was that the first rule of meditation is breathing.
Source: WWD: Novak Djokovic on Making Tennis History, Breathing as Meditation, Holistic Training“Sure, the first rule of meditation is breathing, right? But conscious breathing. As an athlete, you have to learn how to breathe, anybody really on this planet, but for an athlete especially.”
WWD: Novak Djokovic on Making Tennis History, Breathing as Meditation, Holistic Training (opens in a new tab) · 23 Aug 2018 - Jennifer AnistonRecommends
Actor · Friends and The Morning Show
Suggests that anyone struggling with stress take five minutes, or 20 if they have it, to do some breath work or dial into a mantra as a way to center themselves. She starts her own day with a morning meditation and encourages others to try the same.
Source: TODAY: Jennifer Aniston reveals the 4 simple basics of her healthy aging routine - Pavel TsatsoulineRecommends
Strength coach · StrongFirst
Two breathing practices turn up in his answers. The biomechanical breathing match pairs a sharp nasal inhale on the way down of a swing with a forceful exhale on the way up, and is how they strengthen the breathing muscles, he says. A breathing ladder, from a colleague, counts rest between sets in breaths, which he says disciplines you to slow down and stop panicking.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show: Pavel Tsatsouline transcript - Hugh JackmanDiscusses
Actor · Wolverine and The Greatest Showman
A trick from his singing teacher: as you breathe in, imagine you are breathing out. Tense singers pull the larynx up as they inhale, he explains; the ones who make you melt inhale as if relaxing, so they are prepared before the note arrives.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #444 transcript
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under stress, energy or sleep.
- App$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Othership
Guided breathwork app with sessions sorted by the state you want to reach
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Deliberate cold exposure
Cold showers or ice baths used deliberately, usually a few minutes at a time
On record from 25 of 62 tracked people: 19 do it, 6 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Consistent sleep and wake times
Same bedtime and wake time every day, weekends included
On record from 20 of 62 tracked people: 11 do it, 6 recommend it, 3 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Sauna
Regular heat exposure, often 4 sessions a week at 20 minutes
On record from 17 of 62 tracked people: 11 do it, 3 recommend it, 3 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Eight hours of sleep
Protecting a full night in bed as a training input, not a leftover
On record from 11 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it, 2 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Morning sunlight exposure
Bright outdoor light soon after waking, 5-30 minutes and no sunglasses
On record from 10 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it, 3 recommend it, 1 has discussed it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.