Breathing Interventions - Shallow Breathing and Breath Holding  

These are powerful (and cheap) interventions to promote relaxation, reduce blood pressure, and improve circulation in the body.  Our blood vessels are carrying oxygen(O2) and carbon dioxide(CO2) throughout the body.  Both of these gasses are needed to get oxygen into the cells for energy.  Stress is a major contributor to impaired circulation which often manifests as a dry mouth and cold hands, feet & skin as well as increased blood pressure.  To improve circulation, a slow shallow breathing technique is employed, not deep breathing.  

First, to assess your current level of dysfunctional breathing, the BOLT score is helpful.

How to find your BOLT score

To test the O2 reserve/access of your body, a measurement called the Body Oxygen Level Test (BOLT) is used. The test goes as follows: sit down with normal breathing for a few minutes, and after a normal exhale from the lungs, hold your breath and time how many seconds it takes until you feel the first definite desire to breathe, or the first involuntary movement of your breathing muscles. This is called 'air hunger'.  When you inhale, your breathing should be normal, not exaggerated.  A BOLT score of above 25 seconds indicates that there is a 91% chance that dysfunctional breathing is not present. The minimum goal for the BOLT is 25 seconds and the optimal goal is 40 seconds (for athletes).  The lower the BOLT score, the more dysfunctional your breathing.  Also, you'll likely have shortness of breath and poor sleep quality when your BOLT score is below 15.  

Doing the following exercises regularly should increase your BOLT score.

Shallow & Slow Breathing Technique 

In a comfortable position, relax and inhale lightly and slowly through the nose for a count of 4 seconds and then exhale through the nose for a count of 4.  (There is no breath holding in this breathing sequence).  This is called 4-4 breathing.   As you do this, put your attention on the air coming in and out of your nose.  Notice the cool air coming in and warm air going out of your nose. Notice your lower ribs slightly expanding on inhalation and intentionally relax your body on exhalation.  Adjust your breathing (inhale) so that you feel a slight 'air hunger' which indicates that CO2 is increasing in the blood and the blood vessels are opening up.  Do this exercise for about 10 (or more) minutes, or, until your mouth starts to collect saliva and you feel your hands warm. This means you have taken your body from the 'fight or flight' mode into the 'rest and digest' mode.  The more stressed you are, the longer it will take to feel the salivation occur.  This calms the body down and, the increased CO2 in the blood causes your blood vessels to expand which is why your hands warm.  This has also been shown to lower blood pressure, and is an important intervention to do when you feel stressed or have a tendency for stress to raise your blood pressure.  It is also very beneficial to do this before eating because salivation indicates a ready digestion. 

Mini Breath Holds

In a relaxed state, after a normal breath exhale, hold the breath until you feel a slight air hunger.  Then breathe normally for about 10-15 seconds.   Repeat this about 5 times, several times throughout the day.  If the air hunger is too uncomfortable, try holding it for a few seconds less than your BOLT score.  This takes less than 3 minutes and can be done in the car or while watching programs.  

It was shown back in 1925 that breath-holding like this clears the sinuses.  Try it.  

Newer studies show that breath holding helps improve focus, which is attributed to the increased circulation that results in the brain.