Navy SEAL Breathing Techniques
Navy SEALs are some of the world's most elite warriors.
What's their secret weapon?
Breath control.
Here's how they train it (and how you can master it too):
You take 22,000 breaths each day. Most people are unaware of their breathing.
But different breathing patterns can result in more energy, a calmer mind and a clearer head.
Here's what the Navy Seals taught us during a 52-hour non-stop training:
First, the instructors threw us a "Welcome Party". 100s of pushups, burpees and squats.
We were simply gasping for air and running out of energy fast.
Then at the bottom of a squat, we were told to just breathe. Deep inhales, filling the lungs, slow exhales.
Why?
Because, like most people do all day, we were only taking in “shallow” breaths. This leads to:
• increased blood pressure & heart rate
• increased stress response
• reduced oxygen intake
• impaired thinking
• slower recovery
Counter this by filling your lungs fully.
Next, we were taken to the ice bath by the side of the old tennis court.
The cold water feels like a giant fist around you squeezing out all the air.
The only way through was by focusing on each breath and slowing it down to control your fight-or-flight response.
After the ice came more heat. Hill sprints in the California desert.
But at the top of the hill, we were told to breathe in through our noses only.
Why?
Because breathing through your nose vs your mouth (especially for the inhale) has beenn proven to be better for us.
Nostril-only Breathing
Benefits include:
• reduces exposure to foreign substances
• increases oxygen uptake and circulation
• aids your immune system
• slows down breathing
• improves lung volume
• humidifies inhaled air
After a day in the heat, we drove to the beach at night.
8 hours of "surf torture":
• full water immersion
• covering ourselves in sand
• standing in the cold air with wet clothes
And the next lesson:
Box Breathing
Inhale to a count of 4 seconds, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4. Try with doing this for 2 minutes and build up from there.
So we walked into the surf, sat down and let the waves crash over us while practising this technique.
What makes Box Breathing so powerful?
• Helps you deal effectively with stress & anxiety
• Brings balance to your body and mind
• Regulates your natural rhythm
• Leads to emotional control
The next morning we went under the logs to train:
The Warrior Breath.
Sharp inhales through the nose and soft exhales through the mouth or nose. Do this for 20 cycles.
This is an effective drill to charge your energy stores and clear your mind.
And then we brought it all together for our 'Man down' drills. The instructors randomly chose some of us to be injured and needing to be carried by the group. Either on stretchers or 1:1.
• Breathe in through the nose
• Warrior Breath to get energy
• Filling the lungs fully with each breath
• Box Breathing during our short breaks to control our stress response
52 hours of training alongside some of the most elite soldiers on the planet, taught us two powerful lessons:
1) Break up your big goals into small chunks, one breath at a time
2) Breath control is stress control
And next time you wait in line, why not focus on your breath instead of pulling out your phone?
It will energise you and lower your stress level.
What are your favourite breath practices?
Summary
• Nasal breathing
• Shallow breaths kill performance
• Use daily queues to become aware of your breath
• Use the Warrior Breath to energise and clear your mind
• Use Box Breathing to lower stress and anxiety, and for better emotional control
