Harvesting O2

I wasn’t expecting much this morning when I sat up in bed and had a go at 29 breaths in 29 minutes, but managed to surprise myself nonetheless. With a PR of about half of my challenge just days before, its pretty clear that I found some greater level of motivation. My game plan was simple: Keep going until I complete the damn thing or wake up on my back dizzy and disoriented.

Breath retention does involve a number of physical components, but I’m learning more and more that when really pushing one’s limits (or at least when it feels that way) the mind becomes the main limiter to performance. Holding your breath, especially over a long period of time, isn’t comfortable. Our body does many things to “encourage” us to take in regular and ample amounts of O2. From physical reflexes to powerful thought patterns, the old brain is quick to remind us that it likes to be fed. Unlike traditional apnea, where one retains a single breath for a very long time, my pranayama style challenge was more about finding away to maintain homeostasis under severe, but not complete oxygen restriction. That one lungful of air that I was allowed every minute needed to quench the thirst. These breathes, while very, very nice when they came around each minute often felt like a tease. I, like you, am addicted to air, so “once it touches your lips” it takes some will power to not gulp down quite a bit more. Don’t believe me? Give it a try. I found by the second half of the challenge that air started to taste almost sweet, much like that first hit of water (or... ahem.... beer) after a long run.

As things started to get grim around breath 12 or 13, my body broke out into a cold sweat, which I think was useful in chilling my external limbs a bit more thus producing a pho dive reflex symptom (a plus). As the air started to taste sweet I focused my attention onto not only taking in maximum breaths, but consciously absorbing the O2 from those breathes for the entirety of the retention. Its’s anyone’s guess whether one can actually ask their lungs to absorb O2 more efficiently, but I know for a fact that the visualization made it feel like that was happening. The end result was a greater sense of calm, a perfect internal focus point, and a sense of empowerment that greatly increased my ability to perform when things felt grim.

Like allot of endurance tests I’ve been through, the last 15-20% felt much easier than the previous chunk of exertion. I wonder if one breath/minute is sustainable indefinitely? I don’t plan on finding out any time soon. Hopefully next year’s challenge will take place somewhere other than my bedroom.