What’s Breath Got to Do With It

By Offer Dan

Those who "laugh last" are the ones who postpone the last breath and breathe well until the day comes.

My mom practiced Yoga and was a breathwork instructor. I started juggling my breath at the age of nine. Five decades later, I decided to write about my methods, personal experiences, conclusions, and intimate memoirs.

The book is a culmination of persistent knowledge-seeking guided by science and cross-examined by personal observations; the approach sidesteps from the trodden path in presentation and interpretation.

Even though Air is light, the subject of breathing can be heavy, burdened with myths and mystic words. I aim to simplify tangled topics yet deeply penetrate the matters discussed. The added humor should assist in digesting the fiber of understanding respiration.

 

Here's a summary of what's covered

Basic explanations of the biology and chemistry of breathing.

Indications to assess personal effects of different breathing practices.

Practical ways to evaluate an individual's breathing profile.

Breathing exercises for physical and mental wellness.

Breathing tools for responding to immediate situations.

 

Chances are my breathing practices will affect you differently than they affect me. Therefore, I intend to provide you with the know-hows and ways to tweak my practices so they may better suit you as an individual.

 

Along the way, I will answer many questions like the ones below

Why do traumatic events register differently when screaming out as opposed to holding the breath?

How can synchronizing smiles with inhaling augment the effect of breathing exercises?

How can video recordings of night sleeping make mouth-taping redundant?

How does a 'breathing clock' improve body language synchronization when speaking to an audience?

How does 'Dying man's breathing' assist in overcoming cravings?

How can the respiratory 'dead space' bring a person back to life when performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?

How to breathe when experiencing motion sickness? Why the breathing equation is changed when feeling seasick (motion + tilting)?

How to breathe when getting a mouth burn from overeating chili? Why is it better to breathe the exact opposite way when overdosing on wasabi or mustard?

 

For many, something that costs nothing is worthless; others believe the best things in life are free. Air is free yet extremely valuable, especially when it's in short supply. One thing's certain; you will get more out of this eBook than what you paid for—guaranteed!

• Language: English
• Publisher: NoZy Publishing
• Release date: Mar 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9788797468005

Book preview

Why so serious?

Let’s get this straight

Consider twice before engaging in intellectual property piracy! Many pirates end up having an eye patch or a peg leg, sometimes even both.

§ Copy writes to this book are the soul property of the author. All rights reserved and all lefts reversed.

Dedications and defamations

This book is dedicated to all the people who had a birthday during the last twelve months and are still breathing this year.

I would like to extend sincere appreciation to my non-existent publishing house for leaving the book as it is. With their dedication, wise comments, and professional advice, this book wouldn’t have been the way it is.

I got to the low point where I felt pain when blowing on birthday candles, not to mention inflating birthday balloons. However, now I can easily do all that again after Dr. John Smith operated on my enlarged hemorrhoids. Thank you, John.

Many times while writing this book, I was about to give up. It was my dear wife who repeatedly encouraged me to… go and do something more productive instead of writing all this nonsense about Breathing!

And, of course, I would like to express deep gratitude to my mother-in-law. Not mentioning her in my dedications would be poor risk management.

The rest of my family and friends got plenty of praise from me in recent months; enough is enough.

Alternative book reviews

Beth Lungheimer, Breathers Magazine

A unique masterpiece. The breathing techniques in the book are so powerful; my grandfather literally flushed his Viagra pills down the toilet.

Jalal Mayhem, The Kabul Tribune

The suggested breath suspension methods offered in the book are ineffective. We have better ways to deal with people who oppose the regime.

Dr. Boris Retainovsky, Moscow Gasette

European Union leaders would surely benefit from reading the chapter on gas exchange in this incredible book.

Gautam Grandi, Yogi’s Digest

This fascinating book sheds new light on ancient breathing wisdom. It’s a shame that the light is in the non-visual spectrum.

Barbera Baloney, The New York Dimes

The book is a breath of fresh air in a genre saturated with inflated claims and polluted notions.

My existential breath

Most of the people I used to know reside in cemeteries, and they don’t breathe. For the people I know who still do breathe, this condition is temporary. My greatest inspiration in life was my first inhale as I separated from my mother, and I will indeed expire after my last exhale, like so many before me.

Breathing is something I do every day, also on weekends and holidays; a personal perpetual action that I repeat over and over again. During the day, I’m busy with many minor things that are far less critical to my existence than taking Air into my body. Sometimes, on rare occasions when I feel it would be better if I wasn’t breathing at all, I make an effort and inhale; the exhale takes care of itself. Breathing affects every single organ in my body, even my lungs.

The fear of suffocation is the atom of all my fears. How I breathe reflects my past, affects my present, and indicates my future; it’s here and now, but it’s also all the time and everywhere. My breath is the foundation of my existence, and it follows me like a long shadow, no matter where I go. Breathing helps me with my doings, but more importantly, it supports my being. It’s my most basic act of life, and doing it in sync with who I am is key to my well-being.

Things I Wanted to Tell You

Breathland

I’m happy you are standing at the entrance gate of my book. My hand is reaching out to you. C’mon, step right in! I invite you to walk with me to a place called Breathland. There are many exciting things I want to show you there; I mean, really spectacular. Saying they are breathtaking is an understatement. But, to be honest, the way to Breathland is not all fluffy marshmallow roads filled with scents of blooming roses. We’ll need to pass through a few rough sites—an experience that can be challenging. I remember myself reaching these places and wanting to turn back. Maybe you will feel this way, too. So, it’s precisely at that point that I intend to grab your hand, lead you with measured steps, and tickle your funny bone. Often, that helps people cross the threshold to a new experience of breath and being.

Life has taught me that visiting the most uninteresting places in pleasant company can be a good experience. There is always a mysterious chemistry between two people, so I hope you enjoy my company. While strolling together, I’ll share my insights and experiences with you—things I stuck my nose in, learned from others, failed at, stumbled across, discovered, and laughed about. In short, what life has taught me about breathing and what breathing has taught me about life. Not from a perspective of, Listen up… I know! but rather from the angle of This is what I have learned; I do it this way… maybe you too can use it.

Some subjects in this book may seem unrelated to breathing. You may ask yourself, What’s breath got to do with it? Some may even ask, What the hell…? It may take some reading into the book for ideas to complete a full circle, but eventually, they do. Creating this book, I took upon myself many of the tasks needed for publishing: graphic design, photography, and filming. The result is inevitably a creation that is not fully polished. Rough stones have their beauty too, and as they say, substance counts more than style; they’d better be right.

Even after accumulating enough wealth to secure a comfortable and long-term existence, most humans still tend to be restless, always wanting more. I’ve been there and now realize that this ‘more’ often leads me to less. From the start, I intended to make this Breathland tour free of charge. Anyone can download the eBook at no cost from my website, www.syncbreath.com, or from Google Play, Apple Books, and other internet bookmines. For some people, something that costs nothing is worthless; others believe the best things in life are free. For example, Air is free yet extremely valuable, especially when it’s in short supply.

One thing is sure: you will get more out of the eBook than what you paid for—guaranteed! All profits from the sales of printed copies will be donated to charity.

The few truly rich people I met in my life were the ones who were happy with what they had, and it’s not a coincidence that many of these individuals also breathe well.

My credentials and knowledge

I’m educated as an electrical engineer, but my real passion lies elsewhere. Recently, I sold the business I had for too many years and took early retirement. This revolution liberated me from customers, suppliers, and markup profiting. I now have time to write down the ideas that have been swirling in my head for years. My credentials as a breathing instructor are not impressive. I have no testimonials on how I rescued desperate people by correcting their breathing, and so far, no top-class athlete has asked me for breath guidance. I never trained elite military units with special breathing techniques, nor did I coach celebrities, VIPs, or CEOs. Still, I’m world-famous, but only in my hometown.

On the flip side, I started with Yoga and breath-juggling at the age of nine, which is more than half a century ago. My parents were passionate about Yoga and practiced it routinely. In my childhood home, there were books and recorded materials on Yoga, which I consumed with great interest. My mom was captivated by Yogic breathing techniques, and after her retirement, she volunteered to give workshops on the subject. I’m the second generation and following in her footsteps. If I can compare my life to a tree, my mother is the root, and I’ll tell you more about her later.

In addition to learning from my mom, I attended Yoga classes with a talented teacher while I was a university student. This teacher emphasized breathing practices, and I learned new things while getting acquainted with her unique teaching style. As my interest in breath manipulation grew, I attended a few breathing workshops and was introduced to methods other than the Yogic one with which I was already familiar. Some of these new methods inspired me and opened new horizons in my life. Others felt overinflated and ridden with exaggerations. But I knew those appealed to and benefited some people, so I patiently absorbed them. My primary source of knowledge on breathing is the written word; I like to read books. Learning from others is great, but much more than that, I prefer to investigate with my own magnifying glass, dive into a subject until I reach the bottom, and only then dig into the ocean floor with a nerd’s spade until I feel satisfied with my findings.

The novelties I’m writing about in this book are mainly a result of combining the knowledge I collected and the experience I acquired—good old trial and error. Most of all, my ability to observe deep wells within me is what I bring to this book. Well, well, well.

Unique—like all others

Over the years, I have adapted different breathing exercises and tools, which I generally call breathing practices. My exercises prepare me for the future, and my tools help me respond (in real time) to immediate situations. Here’s how I would drily summarize the above paragraph:

Breathing practices = Exercisesfuture + Toolspresent

The way I breathe and manipulate my breath is unique to me; no one else in the world does it as I do (or as you do). If we were all the same, life would have no meaning. Every person is a huge project with a massive number of variables. We were not created equal, but humans are surprisingly similar. We share 99.9% of our genetic makeup. So, a logical conclusion would be that a breathing practice that works well for one person would work well for another. However, people differ in their life experiences, which affects their breathing. Things such as traumas, successes, celebrations, lifestyles, and mental structures make us breathe differently. The 0.1% that separates us genetically also contributes to our uniqueness.

It was obvious to me that some people have breathing exceptions; naturally, they react to breathing practices differently than the majority. Still, most exercise instructions were general and identical for all.

Doing synchronized exercises as a group doesn’t always work well. Synchronizing to the same breathing instructions may be practical for the trainer but inefficient for some individuals. So, instead of standard instructions like ‘inhale to the count of X, exhale to the count of Y, and hold to the count of Z,’ I felt X, Y, and Z should be functions of my breathing character and ability, not fixed counts. I concluded that determining the nature of my breathing and quantifying it could help me revise my practices. Furthermore, I was looking for indicators to evaluate better how different breathing practices affect me and how, according to the indications, I could apply corrections.

Eventually, I reformed and fine-tuned my exercises and tools to fit who I am. But there is a good chance that my methods will affect you differently from how they affect me. Still, they may serve you as a base for change. One of my intentions is to get you acquainted with ways to tweak my practices, so they may better suit you as an individual. Knowledge is pow(d)er—I’m here to serve you with a handful.

New ideas and concepts

Humans constructed the Wall of Knowledge layer upon layer. The construction becomes taller as new layers of bricks add up. Usually, new bricks end up on top of walls built strenuously by others. What matters more than who gets credit for a particular brick is the existence of the Wall itself.

In all modesty, I genuinely feel I have contributed some original ideas to ‘the breathing wall.’ I hope these will blow you away with excitement. Still, most of the concepts and methods you’re about to read aren’t mine. I have repackaged older stuff, like a second-hand vendor at a ‘breathing flea market.’ Even though I will deal with some ‘used’ material, I’m confident that a few of my interpretations will surprise you.

In the book, I would like to avoid what I see as myths and anecdotes related to breathing practices. Instead, I aim to focus on the scientific side of things to the best of my ability. The great Greek god of time, Chronus, has ‘repeatedly proven’ that scientific facts may turn into fiction. It has happened before; a scientific convention at one point in time, followed by the development of newer concepts or equipment, later became invalid. Sometimes, a byproduct of a scientific breakthrough is a new problem to be solved. Science is a system full of flaws, but there seems to be no better system for now.

Surveys and statistics

A common practice when writing books like this is to quote scientific studies conducted by reputable universities. Credibility is enhanced by citing surveys, statistics, and meta-analyses published by academics. I know statistics and surveys work, but my intuition keeps prompting questions.

So, I tried to find the root of my discomfort that arises when I read about surveys. Here’s a ‘true story that never happened’ meant to demonstrate that it’s possible to prove many things with surveys, but the truth is not necessarily one of them.

Once upon a time, a survey was conducted by a team of scientists at a famous university in northern India. The researchers posed the question: Is it OK to practice breathing exercises and drink beer at the same time? 96% of the participants replied NO, which was not surprising. The logic was probably that the effects of alcohol would get in the way and reduce the concentration needed when practicing.

Another survey was conducted by the same team, with the question: While drinking beer, is it OK to do some breathing exercises? In this case, 91% replied YES, which was not a surprising result. The logic was probably that breathing exercises can do good, so why not do it while drinking beer?

This story demonstrates that survey results depend on the questions posed.

Also, in the case of statistics, there may be inaccuracies in interpretation. There is a big difference between correlation and causation. Mixing up the two makes it possible to prove fake claims. For example, using correlation, it’s possible to imply that one of the leading causes of gaining weight is wedding rings. The confusion between correlation and causation can be used incorrectly and intentionally to support a particular agenda.

For decades, the tobacco industry employed devious tactics and spread disinformation to conceal the harmful effects of smoking cigarettes. This was backed by financed academic scientific research using statistics to portray that cigarettes are not a health hazard.

Therefore, before accepting surveys and statistical results as universal truth, it’s good to get into the details and understand the model used.

My ideal Guru

Being able to learn from another person’s experience is a great blessing. When learning from a teacher, particularly if spiritual aspects blend in, I try to evaluate the teacher’s motives for educating others.

My ideal Guru is like an ice block a student can stand on. From a higher vantage point, new insights may come. But, after some time, the ice naturally melts, and unless a genuine personal friendship forms, it’s better if the Guru fades from the student’s life.

The Guru I would like to learn from:

is a sincere and honest person;

is motivated by giving, not by profiting;

is a humble person who lives modestly;

practices what she or he is teaching;

prefers to teach in simple surroundings;

knows of A way, not THE way;

admits mistakes and doesn’t know it all;

encourages students to doubt and ask questions;

speaks clearly in a non-mystical language;

blends humor with education;

assists the students in catching the fire of enthusiasm;

and respects the student’s independence.

Filling one’s bucket of knowledge and giving guidance should be done with consideration. Unfortunately, many Gurus have asked their students to give up their sovereignty on the path to finding the truth.

Here’s another ‘true story that never happened,’ this time about a Guru.

Once upon a time, my girlfriend and I traveled to an ashram in south India where a famous Guru taught a group of young followers.

One evening, my girlfriend and I consulted with the Guru in private and asked for guidance. We told him shyly that we had difficulty finding a contraceptive that suited us both.

The Guru wobbled his head from side to side and said: There is a special breathing method with which you can prevent pregnancy.

My girlfriend and I looked at each other with excitement and smiled. Being practical, I asked the Guru: Is it the man or the woman who should perform this special breathing? The Guru replied: It can be man or woman; you choose. My girlfriend said: To feel safe, I prefer that it’s I who will do this special breathing. But when should I do it—before, during, or after having sex? The Guru replied: Not before, definitely not during, and also not after; you should do this breathing instead of sexual activity.

I have followed the teachings of some Gurus; one who left a profound impression on me was Guru-Dad.

The guidelines I was given

My father, may his soul ‘rest and digest’ in Heaven, concealed a few sayings under his bushy mustache. He used to remark that a good way for experienced people to assist the inexperienced is by directing toward essence; in other words, by sorting what is essential from what is not. He disliked fancy terms and avoided using foreign words when explaining something. He even said that using unnecessary ‘exotic terms’ while teaching is often done to gain false superiority or to mask the lack of deep understanding. In my father’s spirit, I will do my best to avoid using terms in languages such as Hindi, Sanskrit, or even Latin. I will try to use one single language: English. Let’s see if it works out.

Another valuable piece of advice I got from my papa was to put in the extra effort for verification, and I want to pass that recommendation to you. My medical knowledge is limited; I’m aware of that. Still, I have tried to validate the quality and depth of the claims I’m about to dangle in front of you.

Since the beginning of time, angels have never engaged themselves in writing books about breathing. Not that angels didn’t want to write about this fascinating subject, they just couldn’t find the time for it because they were busy with tasks of higher importance. This book was written by a human, ‘Air and Blood,’ and as such, it may contain apparent inaccuracies despite my efforts to avoid them. Therefore, I recommend you question, doubt, and verify, because I’m not an angel.

My father often encouraged me to speak of myself rather than about others, saying that chances of inaccuracies diminish when speaking about oneself. That is one of the main reasons why this book focuses on my personal experiences. When I generalize, my dad’s voice still authoritatively whispers in my left ear, saying, Try to speak for yourself.

I intended to avoid words that implied generalizations, such as us or we humans, but it didn’t work out. So, I would like to emphasize that when I generalize, like when writing We, it’s another way of saying most people, including myself, but not necessarily all.

Guru-Dad used to say, Blend some humor, and they will remember it. A boring subject spiced with humor can turn into an interesting one.

Laughing and smiling

If someone asks me where to start looking for the Holy Grail of breathing practices, I would confidently reply, Laughing and smiling. I have been looking in hidden corners and wide-open fields for a breathing exercise that can beat a spontaneous, heartfelt, rolling laugh; I haven’t found one yet. The faintest laugh or even a slight smile impacts breathing for the better. Big-bang laughter has a magical effect and comes with a lifetime guarantee; no contest.

Laughter and smiles are blessings; the more of them, the better (as long as others aren’t hurt). These two cheerers may be antidotes to the misery, suffering, pain, and sadness that we all encounter in different doses. They can offer momentary refuge.

Laughter is the best medicine. People who can genuinely laugh at themselves and life itself have a potent remedy in times of trouble. If I can laugh about something, there is a good chance I can get over it. Of course, it’s better to laugh and smile naturally, but faking laughter or smiles still has most of the real thing’s merits. Moreover, combining fake laughing or smiling with breathing practices is powerful. They’re synergetic and yield more than the sum for some.

In life, I strive for happiness, and it comes from two sources—pleasure and joy. I feel pleasure when fulfilling my basic needs, like eating food, having sex, and sheltering in my home. Other sensual stimuli may also cause pleasure, for example, watching a beautiful scene or smelling an appealing odor. On the other hand, my joy comes from within as a positive bias of inner peace. Pleasures often require external stimulation, can become addictive, and their effects fade shortly after fulfillment. Joy, on the other hand, is internal and calming. Even though laughing and smiling are often triggered by external stimulation and their effects dissolve quickly, for me, these two fall under the category of joy; they are exceptional.

Those who laugh last are the ones who postpone the last breath and breathe well until the day comes. So, instead of scattering quotes of wisdom here and there in the book, I decided to try and get YOU to smile with what I personally find to be amusing. By doing so, I hope to affect your breathing in a positive way for an instant. Also, a few breaks in the book, with an added moment of nonsense, should make reading through it a bit easier and help digest the challenging stuff.

Part 1

On Health and Breathing

What The Health

Listen to this…

A crack in the wall between Heaven and Hell widened over the years. The people from Heaven politely asked the people from Hell to seal the crack, saying: It’s difficult for us to breathe the Air leaking in from your side. It smells bad, and people here have started coughing. The people from Hell replied: If it bothers you, then you guys can seal the crack! We breathe this Air and have no problem whatsoever.

They argued back and forth until the people from Hell finally agreed to go to court to settle the matter. It was, of course, the people from Hell who won the case. Do you know why? Because the best lawyers reside in Hell.

Plenty of advice is available on nutrition, hydration, fitness, and sleep hygiene, but somewhat less on breathing. In recent years, the ‘construction’ of physical health has stood on three fundamental pillars: Food–Motion–Sleep. No doubt these three are vital for our well-being and good health. Nevertheless, changing the structure to four cornerstones, with the fourth being Breath, may improve the construction’s stability and ability to withstand shaky ground.

Fundamentals of physical health: Food–Motion–Sleep–Breath

The start of life

The words birth and breath have been constructed with much similarity in English; this isn’t a coincidence. At one time, I was alive in my mother’s womb, reacting to sounds, moving my hands, and making faces, but I wasn’t breathing. So when, exactly, did I get my spirit? In some cultures, people believe the spirit enters a baby’s body right after it emerges from the womb. If that is true, I was breathless and spiritless until I drew my first inhale. One thing is certain—I experienced massive changes in my body the moment I separated from my mother at birth.

Luckily, I came into the world without breathing problems. However, some babies are less fortunate and may start their lives with disorders in their respiratory system. In addition, babies born with other flaws, like a cleft palate or misaligned jaws, which may seem unrelated to breathing, can develop breathing problems with time. Furthermore, some babies are born with a split lip or a tongue tied to the floor of the mouth. These conditions can impair breastfeeding, requiring the baby to control both the tongue and lips. The tongue should press against