QC

1) Breathing Practices Thread: I’ve explored many of them and found them tremendously helpful. No single practice was breath taking, but the combination feels like I have a set of controls in my life that others don’t. Thanks @visakanv for the motivation to create this thread.

2) Feeling what different length and sizes of in-breaths vs out-breaths do. For me longer out-breaths feel calming, meditative, trance-inducing, and big picture focusing. Longer in-breaths feel arousing, energizing, and action-oriented.

3) Physically learning, embodying, and loosening up all of the muscles that partake in the breathing orchestra has been wonderful. Mini-thread with practices:https://twitter.com/alifeofmovement/status/1134934936970940416?s=20 …

4) Pursed lips and upward vision: After exhaling as much as you can, purse your lips and look towards upwards. I have no idea what’s going on here, but this definitely seems to increase the amount of air I can exhale. Probably many more hacks like that which I’ve yet to discover

6) Weight Lifting: Feeling around with the muscles involved in breathing from pelvis to skull can really show where we’re locked down versus having control in any sort of weight lifting, running, or otherwise vigorous situation.

7) Sex/Connection/Cuddles/Intimacy: Conscious attention of breath, synchronization, and body language are serious tools in the intimacy toolbox. From sex to trauma recovery, these tools allow you to calm, excite, and otherwise control how our ancient brains feel in connection.

8) Holotropic Breathwork: Tl;Dr Setting a 20 minute timer, and taking deep, intense, and fast breaths without stopping can induce euphoric psychedelic like effects. This may be dangerous, I expect contraindications include: sanity, heart conditions, and mental health issues.