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• In today’s post, we cover:

  • The optimal breathing pattern

  • A test to analyze your breathing

  • Four breathing practices to boost your health and control your brain-body state

Huberman Breathing Protocols

The things we do most often are often the most overlooked.

But overlooked, high frequency activities can offer the most significant gains if we approach them more intentionally. 

Breathing falls into that category.

We breathe every second of every day but we do so mindlessly.

Deliberate breathing is a powerful tool that can be used to enhance your overall health and control and improve your brain-body state.

Step 1: Understand Optimal Breathing

Breathing Properly At Rest

Most people overbreathe, averaging 15-18 breaths per minute. 

Overbreathing causes excessive exhalation which reduces carbon dioxide (hypocapnia) and decreases oxygen delivery to the brain and other tissues.

Insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain leaves you more susceptible to anxiety and disrupted focus. 

A healthy at-rest breathing pattern should consist of ~12 shallow-to-moderate breaths per minute. 

When you’re not engaging in exercise, do this to reduce overbreathing: