Cold Exposure Breathing Techniques
The Power of Breathwork
Breathwork combined with cold exposure ensures profound changes to your mental and physiological health. Breathing deeply ensures more oxygen in your blood, reduced inflammation, increased energy, lower stress and blood pressure.
Focused breathing practices have remarkable scientific benefits on the body. When you get into cold water it literally takes your breath away in what’s called the ‘cold shock response’. You may gasp involuntarily and begin hyperventilating. Your body’s natural response will be to get out immediately, But by learning to control your breathing, therefore your physiological response and emotions means you can ‘breathe’ through the initial panic and adrenaline caused by cold exposure.
Essentially, using the power of your mind to influence your body, this begins a training for your body to become more resilient, giving you authority over your body, rather than your body’s natural flight or fight response.
By overcoming your natural instinct to avoid the cold and embracing being uncomfortable, you increase your mental and physical resilience.
The Wim Hof Method®
Force yourself to briefly hyperventilate by taking 30 to 40 quick, deep breaths. Inhale through your nose or mouth and exhale through your mouth. Make sure that each breath fills both your belly and chest and that they follow one another in short, powerful bursts.
Repeat in short, powerful bursts. After the last exhalation, inhale one final time, as deeply as you can. Then let the air out and stop breathing. Hold until you feel the urge to breathe again.
When you feel the urge to breathe again, draw one big breath to fill your lungs. When you are at full capacity, hold your breath for around 15 seconds, then let go. That completes round number one. This cycle can be repeated 3-4 times without intervals. After having completed the breathing exercise, take your time to bask in the bliss.
Box Breathing
Box breathing is also known as resetting the breath or four-square breathing. It’s simple and can be highly effective in calming the nervous system. This type of breathing technique is even used by Navy Seals to help them prepare and deal with high-stress environments.
Sit comfortably so your lungs can expand
Inhale for a count of four seconds
Hold for a count of four seconds
Slowly exhale for a count of four seconds
Hold for a count of four seconds
Repeat
You can do this for 3, 4 or 5 rounds or 4 minutes. Simple, yet highly effective!
5 Deep Breaths
This is the simplest breathing technique! It’s great for and easy to remember.
Sit comfortably for your ribs and belly to expand
Take a deep breath and pull it down in between your hips
Exhale
Repeat
It’s a similar process as box breathing, but you’re practicing pulling the breath down from your chest. The cold is going to try and push your breath into your throat and give you a gasping, breathless response however you can control that by pulling it back down with 5 slow deep breaths.