FYM - Breathing techniques 2
Channel: Filmy dla Firm
Date: 2023-08-02

Breathing accompanies us both during wakefulness and sleep. We all know that without food we can survive for some time, without water - a few days, but without breathing - only a few minutes. Still, many people don't realize how crucial proper breathing is to our mental and physical health and to our performance.

Breathing is unique among the functions of our body and brain because it lies at the boundary between our conscious and subconscious behavior. At any moment, we can consciously take control of how we breathe, which is a remarkable feature of our brain. By changing our breathing pattern, we can quickly influence what our brain is capable of doing. For example, while inhaling, we are better at learning and remembering information than while exhaling.

Breathing is also crucial to our mental and physical work. Breathing is not only a process necessary for life, but also a tool that we can use to improve our health, performance and quality of life. Thanks to today's training, you will learn how to make the most of this potential.

When you are close to sea level, the air is quite dense, which means there is a lot of oxygen in it. But as we climb to higher altitudes, the air becomes thinner, which means there is less oxygen to breathe in. This is the reason why we may experience difficulty breathing at high altitudes. This phenomenon is known as altitude hypoxia and can lead to a number of unpleasant symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite, headaches and breathing difficulties. In extreme cases, it can lead to serious conditions such as pulmonary edema or cerebral edema.

The body, however, has the ability to adapt to these conditions through a process called acclimatization. Acclimatization is how the body adapts to the reduced amount of oxygen at high altitude. As part of this process, the body begins to produce more red blood cells, which are responsible for transporting oxygen to various parts of the body.

Additionally, the body also begins to produce more hemoglobin, a protein that helps red blood cells carry oxygen. These changes help the body cope better with the less oxygen available.
However, acclimatization is not an instantaneous process. This can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on your individual physical condition and the altitude you are at. That's why it's important to give yourself time to adjust to new conditions before engaging in any strenuous physical activity at high altitude.
It is worth noting that at high altitudes, despite the reduced amount of available oxygen, we still need to maintain adequate levels of carbon dioxide in our bodies. As we discussed earlier, carbon dioxide is crucial to the respiration process as it helps to release oxygen from hemoglobin.

However, at high altitudes, the natural reaction of the body is to increase the rate of breathing, which leads to the release of more carbon dioxide. This phenomenon, known as hyperventilation, can lead to a condition called hypocapnia, which is too low a level of carbon dioxide in the blood.
To prevent this, the body introduces a mechanism called "periodic breathing." This is a cycle in which breathing starts to speed up and then slows down to maintain the proper level of carbon dioxide in the body.


We know that our breathing affects brain excitability and how excessive hyperventilation can affect our cognitive abilities. Let's now focus on optimal breathing pattern and how this can affect our health and brain function.

The first thing we must remember is that proper breathing should be through the nose. The nose provides a natural resistance that forces us to breathe more deeply, enabling us to deliver more oxygen to our body. First of all, longer exhalations help maintain the right balance of carbon dioxide in our system. This knowledge is essential for maintaining optimal brain excitability.
The second key issue is the pauses between breaths. Although we have a brain center, the so-called the Prebotzinger complex that controls our inhalation and exhalation, it has no direct control over the intervals between breaths. We, as conscious beings, must apply self-control and the ability to pay attention to our breathing to optimize this aspect of our breathing.
Understanding and practicing the correct breathing pattern has a powerful impact on our ability to focus, learn, and process information, as well as our overall well-being and health. It can also help reduce stress and anxiety that are often associated with overbreathing or hyperventilating.