The Navy SEALS are the US Navy’s primary special operations force and one of the most elite special forces in the world. SEALs function at a high level of exercise and stress, which can throw your breathing off. When your breathing is off, you cannot stay focus and composed, and if you aren’t focused and composed as a SEAL you are not only putting yourself at risk but also the mission.
In order to keep their SEALs focused and calm, the Navy has introduced a breathing technique called Box Breathing. This technique helps you control your automatic breathing patterns and trains you to breath for optimal performance. In order to do the technique you just need to picture a box with equal sides, and you are going through each side of the box to complete the technique. The technique goes like this, with each step being one side of the box:
- Inhale for 4 seconds
- Hold your lungs full for 4 seconds
- Exhale for 4 seconds
- Hold your lungs empty for 4 seconds
The box visual is important because it provides a helpful anchor for your attention and quickly allows you to get into the flow of rhythmic breathing. You should be breathing through the nostrils during this technique, as doing so will allow you to draw the air deep into your lungs. This also simulates the vagal nerve, which affects your heart rate, and also releases neurotransmitters which active the parasympathetic nervous system.
Give it a try next time, it’s amazing how well this technique works especially if you practice it daily. For an operator, first responder, military personnel or someone just wanting to even improve their shooting abilities, it’s an incredibly useful skill.
Ben