Ice Swimming

It’s been a challenging year in some ways, and I was cheered up by hearing about people’s Spotify end-of-year overviews. They tell you something about people. I listened to a bunch of 90s rock and other aging person stuff. I pretty much knew this was the case, but it was fun to see how much time, like 900+ minutes.

So, I also held my breath for 22 hours and 38 minutes this year. This was an intentional activity, and it was done in small increments throughout the year. I have written about this in an earlier post, as it has been a big part of of working to cultivate energy and focus for me.

How to do it: The method is super simple:

1. Place: Find a quiet, comfortable safe space where you will not get hurt if you pass out; This has not ever happened to me, but I have felt light headed at times, so definitely avoid this kind of breath work when you need to be alert. I sit outside with my yoga mat and a cushion usually as the sun rises.
2. Deep Breaths: Breath as deeply as you can for 40 breaths. Do this slowly, but not too slow, about 3 seconds per breath. This is not easy. It can be hard to focus and hard to completely take all the breaths. Sometimes you may lose count or fail to really take deep breaths. I know it sounds like it should be a breeze, but it takes practice.
3. Don’t Worry: If you don’t get the breaths perfectly, it’s not a major problem. Some people take fewer or more breaths.
4. Exhale: After your last breath, exhale fully and enjoy the feeling of relaxation. In these moments, I feel like I am experiencing a different way of being in the world. I deliberately relax and experience the clearest thinking of my day. Ideas and solutions to problems surface for me. Before I started using Wim Hof’s Ap, I would use a stopwatch to time the duration of the breath hold, mainly to see if I was improving.
5. Repeat: I usually do three rounds of the breathing and breath hold activity. The second and third rounds are almost always improvements on the first. Lately, I often try to do the third round from a reclined position, lying on my back. This is where I experience the longest breath retentions.
6. Watch for Progress: My progress has been gradual and not steady in terms of improvements in retention times. Sometimes I would make it a competition to see if I could beat earlier records. The longest breath hold for me, 6 minutes, was when I had a full breath of air, not starting from empty lungs as is my usual method. I was totally amazed when I was able to hold my breath for this long, as I used to think a minute was a long time for this. If you wear a pulse-sensing watch, I recommend turning on the heart rate monitor and watching what happens as you hold your breath. My heart rate drops significantly, often from around 70 beats per minute to the mid-50s.
7. Share your Ideas: Tell your friends how long you can hold your breath and the inspired thoughts you have when doing this. They might be amazed and want to try it themselves.

Book Recommendation: A few months ago, I listened to the audiobook version of Breathing for Warriors by Dr. Belisa Vranich and Brian Sabin. I was amazed at all the factors that come into play with breathing. There is a lot to understand about harnessing the practice of breathing. The authors explain, among other things, how your posture and age affect your ability to breathe, and they provide tips and exercises to help you improve your breath.

Why to keep up the practice:

Breathing is unusual in that we can consciously exert intense control over it, or just completely forget about it. It is with us every moment of our lives and paying a little attention to it can tell you so can tell us something about our lives. You don’t have to hold your breath at all, but like listening to your favorite tunes on Spotify, it can tell you something about who you are and help you experience a positive difference in your life.

-Alex