Like most ADHDers, I’ve been partial to mood swings.
It was a damn rollercoaster in there.
And worst of all, I was never 100% sure what would trigger me next.
For years I suffered through this. And for some time around 2017 I descended into some dark states.
But for the past two years my rollercoaster of emotions resemble a runway more than a rollercoaster.
Meditation is the main reason for that flattening out.
But meditation doesn’t help when I’m in the middle of something really uncomfortable.
For that, breathwork is my go-to technique.
Today I want to discuss how (and why) breathwork is able to pull us out of panic, low moods and anger quickly, consistently and easily.
§
Want to learn the Breathwork (and ADHD-friendly meditation technique) I use to manage ADHD drug-free?
Join me, and a bunch of other ADHDers, on the 28th March for a virtual workshop to find calm, contentment, and better control of your symptoms.
Click below to get 20% off:
>>> Learn ADHD-friendly meditation with me 👉
A recording of the event will be sent to all ticket holders. iOS Apple users will need to open the page in their browser, click link above for instructions.
§
What is breathwork?
It’s a series of breathing techniques, derived from the yogic tradition of Pranayama. Lately popularised by Wim Hof.
I use breathwork in the morning and throughout my day, to control my mood, boost my focus and keep calm during stressful events.
The Wim Hof Method breathing technique works like this:
30 VERY deep breaths in and out
After the 30th breath let all air out of your lungs
Hold (with air out of lungs) for as long as you can
After 1-2 minutes, take a big deep breath in (fill the lungs)
Hold (with full lungs) for 15 seconds
Then release
Repeat 3-4 times
The technique literally makes you feel euphoric.
Although, don't try if you're pregnant.
How does it change our mental state?
For this, we need to understand the Autonomic Nervous System.
The ANS (for short) controls your heart, digestion, blood flow and many other aspects of keeping you alive that you don’t have to control yourself – like the breath.
But the breath, unlike everything else on that list, can be controlled by you. This is why we use the breath to influence the ANS.
The ANS is split between the sympathetic and parasympathetic system.
The sympathetic system:
Controls your fight or flight mode and alerts you when something is wrong.
When you’re in an alarmed state - like being chased by a bear - your body increases your heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol (the stress hormone). It preps the body to get you away from the bear as fast as possible.
The parasympathetic system:
Does the opposite of the sympathetic system – lowers heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol. Its job is to control digestion, reproduction, your immune system, etc.
Your breathing is tied to the balance of your sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.
Fast breath = increased heart rate (sympathetic)
Slow breath = descreased heart rate (parasympathetic)
So, in times of extreme stress and anxiety, we can calm our ANS by breathing very deeply and very slowly.
But that’s not how the Wim Hof breathing technique works – which is intense, forced, unbalanced, unnatural and creates a stress response.
Sounds like we should avoid it?
No, this technique has profound effects on the mind and body.
Let’s dig a little deeper.
During the Wim Hof technique, the 30 deep breaths increase oxygen levels and decrease Co2 levels (creating an unbalance)
This unbalance forces the body to produce growth hormones.
Anytime you shock or stress the body significantly, the body automatically produces growth hormones so that it can adapt. This adaptation means you can cope better during stressful encounters later on.
Short term physical stress, like working out at the gym, is incredibly good for you. And an essential part of being human – we’re designed for short term physical stress, but we’re subject to long-term morbid stress.
To reduce the long term "bad" stress, we can force ourselves into short term "good" stress.
The more we do this, the more we condition the ADHD mind to deal with stressful and anxious experiences.
So the next time we encounter one, we can go into a breathing pattern that will calm us down.
It also boosts adrenaline
According to a scientific experiment done on Wim Hof, the breathing method increases the level of adrenaline in the blood.
The study recorded such large amounts of adrenaline in its participants, it is speculated that the breathing method had an influence on the adrenal medulla, located in the adrenal gland.
This is one of the most abundant sources of adrenaline in the body and given the elevated levels the study recorded in the participants, it would make sense the breathing method had an influence over this important sympathetic response.
The ADHD-friendly Meditation Workshop (virtual)
It’s a virtual workshop, on Zoom.
On Thursday 28th March from 18:30 to 20:30 UK.
You’ll learn a breathwork technique designed to calm you down in the face of extreme anxiety.
And my ADHD-friendly meditation technique that I’ve now taught to over 1500 people.
I’ll take you step-by-step through each technique. In a fun and engaging way.
Here’s what Carly had to say about my meditation training:
“I never stuck with a meditation technique before so I wasn’t sure this would work for me. But the technique Joseph teaches, alongside other ADHDers like me who want to meditate, is so powerful.” - Carly W
And, I’ll make you a promise:
If you’re not feeling calmer than you’ve ever felt after any meditation session before, I’ll give you all your money back. No questions asked.
Oh, and there’s more.
If you buy a ticket within the next seven days you’ll get 20% off the ticket price (for Drug Free ADHD newsletter subscribers only).
Click below to get 20% off:
>>> Learn ADHD-friendly meditation with me 👉
A recording of the event will be sent to all ticket holders. iOS Apple users will need to open the page in their browser, click link above for instructions.