Adrenaline worked well for early humans, who lived in a world where threats could be handled by fighting or fleeing. In modern life, your adrenal response can actually make it more difficult to deal with threats or perceived problems. Although your endocrine system is a complex part of your physiology, tactical breathing exercises can help you stimulate or reduce your body's adrenal response -- allowing you to better control how you respond to a stressful or dangerous situation.
Ice Breathing
Step 1
Breathe in slowly through your nose, filling your lungs as completely as you can while remaining comfortable. At first, this may not be a very deep breath as faster breathing is a natural response to adrenal overload.
Step 2
Exhale slowly through your mouth, keeping your throat as open as possible. Focus on breathing out while making no sound at all. This will help keep the throat relaxed.
Step 3
Cycle through your breathing, taking deeper breaths each time. It can also help to count the seconds each breath takes, giving your mind a chance to focus on something other than what is stressing you out -- assuming that losing focus is appropriate to that particular situation.
Step 4
Continue breathing until you feel your body and mind begin to calm down.
Fire Breathing
Step 1
Breathe in deeply through your open mouth, filling your body from diaphragm to collar with air.
Step 2
Exhale sharply and forcefully through your nose. Some practitioners recommend making a grunting or hissing noise as you do so in order to better focus your energy.
Step 3
Continue breathing in this cycle, feeling your energy build with each exhalation. Take care to keep breathing deeply, as hyperventilation can be an unintentional consequence of this breathing method.
Tips and Warnings
- During your first few practice sessions of these techniques, sit in a comfortable chair. Breathing exercises can cause dizziness or lightheadedness as you get used to them.
References
- "Zen in the Martial Arts"; Joe Hyams; 1987
- "Tai Chi For Busy People"; Dr. Keith Jeffrey; 2003
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