DISCLAIMER
I am not a medical doctor or a health specialist under any designation, and have no medical or clinical credentials or certification. All medical/clinical/health references in this app and discussion are from generally available sources.
This breathing exercise has not been subject to any clinical analysis or trials and makes no claims whatsoever to its medical viability or to any health benefits.
Consult your medical and/or other health care professional before engaging in any health-related routine.
Use this app at your own risk.
Intermittent Breathing Exercise
As someone who suffered chronic asthma as a child and still contends with occasional mild asthmatic spells, I have been very attentive to my lungs and breathing. Over time, as part of meditating, I put a lot of focus on my breathing and have adapted what I do to arrive at this sequence. I use it regularly and find it beneficial in keeping my lungs clear and training me to breathe more deeply as a norm.
However, there is such a thing as the placebo effect. Despite my belief in this breathing process, other factors like sleep, diet, and exercise, to which I also play close attention, may be more significant contributing factors to the health benefits I experience.
Three Cautions
From using this method, I have observed and recommend:
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- Avoid doing this exercise when you have any sinus congestion or infection. Forcing air though your nostrils is a bad idea.
- Avoid this breathing exercise after a workout or doing strenuous work. This exercise momentarily starves your body of oxygen (hypoxia). That can have some benefits but is not recommended when your body is recovering after exertion.
- End or step out of the exercise briefly, any time your brething feels strained or you need to inhale urgently.