Breathplay technique

[jgspin]

Is anybody using this method of breathing? I would like to know how to do it specially on climbs, cause when I'm with strong climbers, I suck oxygen like there was no tomorrow. I'm breathing so hard and loud that they climb even faster just to get away from my panting and wheezing.

[palincss]

What does erotic asphyxiation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erotic_asphyxiation) have to do with climbing?

[jgspin]

Ummm...I give up. I don"t know. If anybody is using breathplay, I would appreciate any feedback. http://www.breathplay.com/PAGES/zooming.php

[Steve in SLO]

I turned blue about half way through reading the description. Guess I'll just keep breathing like a...um...human.

[Bob Ross]

Somewhat OT: On a recent group ride me & another guy wound up first atop a stupidly steep climb, so we're hanging out waiting for the rest of the group and he makes some joke about how since I'm a musician I must use Circular Breathing techniques to climb so effortlessly. I laughed and reminded him that I'm a bass player, not a wind/brass player, and so while I know what Circular Breathing is I've never had to employ it.

Another rider or two had joined us just as I was saying that, and one of them asks me what Circular Breathing is. So I start explaining the technique, and as I do the rest of the group joins us...so now they're all privy to my lecture on Circular Breathing, but they have no idea why I'm talking about it.

When I finish one of the riders who missed the setup says "I call BS, nobody can ride a bike while breathing that way!"


(And I'm pretty sure he's right!)

[toaster]

I've found Breathplay rather difficult to master although by practicing it to whatever degree at easier levels of exertion it does help.

[forrestw]

I've done a few forms of breath work, mostly stemming from T'ai Chi.

The useful takeaway for me has been to breath into the diaphragm which gives you most effective oxygen transfer for least work.

[MadRocketSci]

website is blocked from work computer..

but on the subject, i focus on the exhale...clearing out as much air as i can before the next inhale...

[Dekonick]

Unrelated - well - kind of...

http://gizmodo.com/5845276/city-cyclists-should-be-wearing-respirator-gas-masks

[jgspin]

For sure if I wear one of those they'd drop me tout de suite. They wouldn't want to be seen riding with a weirdo. :)

[jgspin]

I've found Breathplay rather difficult to master although by practicing it to whatever degree at easier levels of exertion it does help.

I too can do it while I'm riding easy but when the intensity is high and I'm gasping for oxygen, I can't do it.

[toaster]

In Tai Chi Chih practice there is a movement called "Joyous Breath" which I find similar to some of the instruction for Breathplay. In it, one basically has two firm in-breaths and four strong out-breaths although all are performed through the nose whereas in Breathplay in-breaths are coming through the nose and out-breaths are out through the mouth.

Mindful walking meditation, in the Zen Buddhist tradition, is again similar to Breathplay in that one focuses attention on both in-breathing and out-breathing with the movement of one's feet. Usually it is helpful to breathe in deeply and out slowly which results in maybe two steps breathing in and three or four steps breathing out.