Breathing Know-How, and Why Trampolines Are Better than Science

1. The Ultimate Goal of Breathing Education is Breathing Know-How

“Knowledge is not know-how until you understand the underlying principles at work and can fit them together into a structure larger than the sum of its parts. Know-how is learning that enables you to go do.”

- Make It Stick

This is the ultimate goal of breathing education. Having the tools to “go do.” Fitting the principles of breathing into a coherent structure that’s larger than just “breathe through your nose” or “do the Wim Hof Method.”

Here are a few simple ways I try (emphasis on try) to do this in my life:

• Exhaling through the mouth at the start of each slow breathing session.

• Many short bouts of breathwalking, especially to reset between tasks.

• Slow breathing after lunch when my blood sugars are weirdest.

And here’s a real-world example of breathing know-how used to help a 67 year old with breathlessness. (Note the range of breathing methods used.)

Here’s to building more breathing know-how today.

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Related Quote: “The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.” —Carl Jung

Related Quote: “The people I distrust most are those who want to improve our lives but have only one course of action.” - Frank Herbert

(Both of those also apply to using breathing as a cure-all too.)

2. Why Trampolines are More Useful than Science to Explain Slow Breathing

Do you remember jumping on a trampoline with your friends? You all start out jumping at different rhythms—it’s really quite awkward at first.

But then, gradually, you begin jumping together. You start synchronizing the ups and downs, and each bounce gets a little bit higher. (Then, of course, someone eventually gets “launched,” but that’s beside the point : )

The analogy is that slow breathing does this for our bodies.

We have many mechanisms working at different rhythms to keep things in balance. Your heart might get one message to slow down, but then you began to inhale, sending it a new message to speed up. There’s just a lot going on.

But when you breathe slowly, several of these messages come together and begin to work in unison, like kids jumping together on a trampoline. This synchronization amplifies your natural rhythms, making things more efficient.

So next time you sit down to breathe at 4-6 breaths per minute, remember the trampoline. And take joy in how easily you can bring your body’s chaotic rhythms into complete harmony.

3. How Slow Breathing Might Help with Allergies

“Researchers unveil relationship between presence of corticotropin-releasing stress hormone and increase in and degranulation of allergy-causing mast cells.”

- Relieve your stress, relieve your allergies

Excess stress makes everything worse. It looks like allergies are no exception.

But the point of sharing this article is this: Maybe the stress-reducing benefits of a consistent slow breathing practice could help reduce allergy symptoms?

Seems like a reasonable thought…

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Related: Decrease Stress By Using Your Breath (Mayo Clinic)

Related: Why Breathing Is So Effective at Reducing Stress (Harvard Business Review)

P.S. Thanks to new 411 reader A.K. for inspiring this thought!

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