0:00:12.040,0:00:13.570
Take a deep breath.

0:00:14.217,0:00:16.417
Yes, right now.

0:00:16.417,0:00:18.177
Come up from the back of your seat.

0:00:18.177,0:00:23.027
Sit up straight and take[br]a big inhale, fill all the way up,

0:00:23.027,0:00:24.597
and then exhale.

0:00:24.972,0:00:28.882
Deep breath in and exhale all the way out.

0:00:28.882,0:00:32.332
Now, do you feel like you get[br]a little bit taller on the inhale?

0:00:32.332,0:00:33.072
Yeah?

0:00:33.072,0:00:34.972
How you get taller and stretch upwards

0:00:34.972,0:00:36.812
and on the exhale sort of settle down?

0:00:36.812,0:00:38.562
Because I'm seeing it.

0:00:38.562,0:00:42.563
Well, if you do, you're what I call[br]"a vertical breather."

0:00:42.563,0:00:48.623
And unfortunately, it's an anatomically[br]incongruous way to breathe,

0:00:48.623,0:00:52.423
meaning that you're breathing[br]out of sync with your body.

0:00:52.423,0:00:56.183
However, nine out of ten people[br]breathe this way.

0:00:56.183,0:00:59.053
So, here's what happens[br]when you breathe vertically.

0:00:59.053,0:01:03.523
First thing that happens is that you[br]overuse your neck and shoulder muscles.

0:01:03.523,0:01:07.743
You see, your neck and shoulder muscles[br]were never meant to be breathing muscles.

0:01:07.743,0:01:09.813
So, even though it's a small movement,

0:01:09.813,0:01:12.543
you're doing it thousands of times a day,

0:01:12.543,0:01:17.753
millions of times a year, year after year.

0:01:17.753,0:01:20.113
So, if you have neck and shoulder pain -

0:01:20.113,0:01:21.233
just a little, right -

0:01:21.233,0:01:24.133
you can blame the car,[br]you can blame the computer,

0:01:24.133,0:01:27.393
but first and foremost[br]blame your breathing.

0:01:27.393,0:01:31.292
Second thing is that you're only using[br]the top part of your lungs.

0:01:31.292,0:01:34.942
Where's the biggest,[br]most oxygen-rich part of your lungs?

0:01:36.258,0:01:37.248
Right down here.

0:01:37.248,0:01:39.248
Take your hands. Put them there.

0:01:39.248,0:01:42.538
There we go. Right down here.[br]The biggest, densest part of your lungs.

0:01:42.538,0:01:45.578
Do you use these[br]when you breathe vertically?

0:01:46.270,0:01:47.000
No.

0:01:47.000,0:01:50.860
So, you actually have to take[br]several smaller breaths,

0:01:50.860,0:01:54.410
that is breathe faster[br]to get the air that you need.

0:01:54.999,0:01:58.419
Now, here's what's most fascinating[br]for me as a psychologist:

0:01:58.851,0:02:02.141
the vagus nerve is a nerve[br]that goes to the back of your head

0:02:02.141,0:02:03.941
and goes throughout your whole body.

0:02:03.941,0:02:06.331
"Vagus" means "wanderer" in Latin.

0:02:06.331,0:02:09.061
And it does; it wanders[br]throughout your whole body,

0:02:09.061,0:02:12.501
picking up signals[br]to tell your brain how to feel.

0:02:12.501,0:02:14.721
Now, when you're breathing vertically,

0:02:14.721,0:02:17.901
the vagus nerve automatically

0:02:17.901,0:02:21.681
puts you into a stressed out[br]fight-or-flight mode.

0:02:21.681,0:02:24.491
And it doesn't matter what's going on[br]in your surroundings -

0:02:24.491,0:02:26.731
they could be perfectly mundane routine -

0:02:26.731,0:02:29.501
you're going to be in a fight-or-flight.

0:02:29.501,0:02:34.017
So, this connection to stress[br]is what got me interested in the breath.

0:02:34.017,0:02:40.017
I woke up one fall several years ago[br]with a dull, throbbing pain in my jaw.

0:02:40.017,0:02:42.307
And I found myself[br]at the dentist's office,

0:02:42.307,0:02:44.867
hearing those five words[br]you never want to hear,

0:02:45.662,0:02:47.562
"Do you have dental insurance?"

0:02:47.562,0:02:48.682
(Laughter)

0:02:48.682,0:02:49.812
I didn't.

0:02:49.812,0:02:53.482
And being a compulsive type A,[br]I wasn't just grinding my teeth;

0:02:53.482,0:02:55.312
I was pulverizing them.

0:02:55.830,0:02:57.320
So, thousands of dollars later,

0:02:57.320,0:03:00.660
I came to the conclusion[br]that I was not controlling my stress;

0:03:00.660,0:03:02.430
it was controlling me.

0:03:03.324,0:03:05.404
It was time for a change.

0:03:05.404,0:03:08.014
I started by signing up for a yoga class,

0:03:08.014,0:03:11.064
where we would do breathing exercises[br]at the beginning of class.

0:03:11.064,0:03:14.974
I heard words like kapalabhati, ujjayi.

0:03:14.974,0:03:17.474
We would breathe[br]through one nostril, then the other;

0:03:17.474,0:03:18.964
we would do breath holds.

0:03:18.964,0:03:22.554
I was intrigued. I dove in headfirst.

0:03:22.554,0:03:25.784
I took every class I could find,[br]read every book,

0:03:25.784,0:03:27.944
studied every academic article.

0:03:27.944,0:03:33.084
I found myself in classes[br]with gong baths and chakra balancing.

0:03:34.137,0:03:39.257
I read articles about cellular respiration[br]and rates of oxygen exchange.

0:03:39.257,0:03:42.538
I studied breathing in birthing,

0:03:42.538,0:03:46.788
freediving, singing, and martial arts.

0:03:46.788,0:03:50.588
What was most alarming to me[br]was when I looked around,

0:03:50.588,0:03:55.128
almost everyone I knew[br]wasn't breathing correctly.

0:03:55.128,0:03:57.848
And I knew - the medical research said -

0:03:57.848,0:04:02.088
that breath affects your sleep, your back,

0:04:02.088,0:04:06.518
your digestion, your memory, anxiety;

0:04:06.518,0:04:08.058
all these different things.

0:04:08.058,0:04:12.238
It affects parts of our body[br]that you'd never even consider,

0:04:12.238,0:04:15.638
like esophagus and your pelvic floor.

0:04:15.638,0:04:18.298
It wreaks havoc[br]throughout your whole body.

0:04:18.298,0:04:23.428
It affects your immune system,[br]your adrenal glands, acidity.

0:04:24.754,0:04:29.604
So, I formalized what I was learning[br]into a method and started teaching.

0:04:29.604,0:04:32.944
Now, who do you think[br]were the first people that called me?

0:04:33.780,0:04:36.250
Was it members of the wellness community?

0:04:36.250,0:04:37.880
Was it New-Age folks?

0:04:38.320,0:04:39.060
Uh-uh.

0:04:39.667,0:04:42.127
SWAT, Homeland Security,

0:04:42.127,0:04:44.737
DEA, Border Patrol,

0:04:44.737,0:04:47.067
Military and Law Enforcement.

0:04:48.560,0:04:50.990
We know the importance of the breath.

0:04:51.919,0:04:56.519
Ancient yogis say we come into this world[br]with a certain number of breaths,

0:04:56.519,0:04:59.909
and we can take them quickly[br]and live a short lifespan,

0:04:59.909,0:05:04.959
or we can take them deeply and slowly[br]and live a long lifespan.

0:05:04.959,0:05:07.439
4,000 years later, fast forward,

0:05:07.439,0:05:10.989
the Framingham study found that breathing

0:05:10.989,0:05:16.019
is predictive of longevity[br]in a quantitative way,

0:05:16.019,0:05:17.619
longevity and health.

0:05:19.947,0:05:21.657
So, I know what you're thinking.

0:05:22.483,0:05:25.043
"I'm breathing wrong? How could this be?"

0:05:26.049,0:05:28.039
Well, relax, it's not all your fault.

0:05:28.039,0:05:32.039
Sometime between the ages of five and ten,[br]your breathing changes

0:05:32.039,0:05:35.389
from a lower-body breath[br]to an upper-body breath.

0:05:35.389,0:05:37.759
And it happens because of several things.

0:05:37.759,0:05:42.755
Number one is that you go to school[br]and you start sitting a lot.

0:05:42.755,0:05:45.965
And sitting affects your posture,[br]which affects your breath.

0:05:46.966,0:05:50.206
You go to the doctor;[br]the stethoscope goes here.

0:05:50.761,0:05:52.541
They say, "Take a deep breath,"

0:05:52.541,0:05:56.001
and you think, "Hm, my lungs[br]must be up here."

0:05:57.867,0:06:01.247
Someone pokes you in the belly[br]and calls you fatty,

0:06:02.574,0:06:07.404
and hence starts years,[br]even decades of gut sucking.

0:06:07.404,0:06:10.784
So even now, as an adult,[br]you're sucking it in

0:06:10.784,0:06:13.504
because you're thinking[br]it makes you look thinner,

0:06:13.504,0:06:16.464
because it's an emotional[br]response to fear,

0:06:16.464,0:06:18.284
because it's a bracing stance

0:06:18.284,0:06:21.764
that helps you feel prepared[br]to run or to strike.

0:06:22.454,0:06:24.734
Because you believe the myth

0:06:24.734,0:06:27.594
that tensing your abs[br]makes your core stronger.

0:06:28.008,0:06:31.088
But the breath has no choice[br]but to rise to the top of your body,

0:06:31.088,0:06:34.048
become vertical, and stay there.

0:06:35.324,0:06:36.754
So, what should you do?

0:06:37.771,0:06:42.841
Look no further than your toddler,[br]your dog, your cat, even your fish.

0:06:43.256,0:06:48.856
They breathe expanding and contracting[br]in the middle, using the diaphragm.

0:06:49.268,0:06:52.008
Now, much of the confusion[br]around breathing occurs

0:06:52.008,0:06:54.298
because we don't really[br]understand the diaphragm.

0:06:54.298,0:06:56.038
It's a muscle deep inside;

0:06:56.038,0:06:59.268
it's depicted as this little red line[br]that crosses the body,

0:06:59.268,0:07:03.268
when actually it's much more[br]like the Starship Enterprise,

0:07:03.268,0:07:06.158
this enormous muscle[br]in the very middle of your body,

0:07:06.158,0:07:09.528
separating your thoracic cavity[br]from your digestive organs.

0:07:09.528,0:07:14.018
And the only reason it was put there[br]was to help you breathe,

0:07:14.018,0:07:15.298
if you let it.

0:07:15.650,0:07:17.690
So, let's get intimate with the diaphragm.

0:07:17.690,0:07:19.450
Right now, really. Take your fingers.

0:07:19.450,0:07:21.710
Put them right here,[br]at your sternum. Okay?

0:07:21.710,0:07:24.020
Walk them around the bottom of your ribs.

0:07:24.020,0:07:26.270
Go! Keep walking. There we go.

0:07:26.270,0:07:31.770
Now, your ribs are attached[br]to your sternum like handles on a pail.

0:07:32.461,0:07:37.301
On the inhale, they're meant[br]to move out horizontally,

0:07:37.749,0:07:41.119
and on the exhale,[br]they narrow with your body.

0:07:41.880,0:07:45.660
What a beautiful machine the body is.

0:07:47.324,0:07:52.184
But maybe it's time that we revisit[br]this cornerstone of our health,

0:07:52.742,0:07:58.112
especially now when the narrow screens[br]of the computer or handhelds

0:07:58.818,0:08:02.818
result in us sipping in[br]tiny amounts of air;

0:08:02.818,0:08:07.528
little inhales and little exhales[br]or sometimes none at all.

0:08:08.290,0:08:09.610
Alright, let's fix this.

0:08:09.841,0:08:11.561
Come up from the back of your seat.

0:08:11.561,0:08:12.271
Come on up.

0:08:12.271,0:08:14.451
Scooch up to the front[br]of your chair. Alright.

0:08:14.451,0:08:16.341
We're going to do a breathing exercise.

0:08:16.341,0:08:18.141
This is called Rock and Roll.

0:08:18.141,0:08:20.251
You're going to put[br]your hands on your belly.

0:08:20.251,0:08:22.501
We're going to do the exaggerated version

0:08:22.501,0:08:25.891
until your diaphragm starts to kick in,[br]starts to get engaged.

0:08:26.205,0:08:28.225
So, you might get[br]a little bit lightheaded.

0:08:28.225,0:08:29.125
Enjoy it. Alright?

0:08:29.125,0:08:29.885
(Laughter)

0:08:29.885,0:08:32.925
So, I want you to tip forward,[br]inhale, let your belly go. Ready?

0:08:32.925,0:08:38.255
Tip forward, inhale, let it go, expand,[br]exhale, squeeze, round your back.

0:08:38.255,0:08:40.675
Belly button gets closer to your spine.

0:08:40.675,0:08:41.845
Use your abs.

0:08:41.845,0:08:44.625
Inhale, tip forward, let your belly go.

0:08:44.625,0:08:45.655
Expand it.

0:08:45.655,0:08:48.035
Exhale, squeeze; get all that air out.

0:08:48.035,0:08:50.715
Round your shoulders;[br]they have nothing to do with this.

0:08:50.715,0:08:55.265
Big inhale, expand. Exhale, squeeze.

0:08:55.265,0:08:58.005
Forwards and back.

0:08:58.005,0:09:00.445
You're now breathing horizontally.

0:09:00.445,0:09:02.375
We're going to do a breathing exercise.

0:09:02.375,0:09:05.235
It's a Counting Breath.[br]It comes from the military.

0:09:05.235,0:09:08.255
It's my favorite one.[br]It's called Tactical Breath.

0:09:08.255,0:09:11.745
So, you're going[br]to inhale for four, hold for four,

0:09:11.745,0:09:13.335
exhale for six, hold for two.

0:09:13.335,0:09:15.985
We're going to do it together.[br]Ready? Okay.

0:09:15.985,0:09:19.245
Inhale - two, three, four -

0:09:19.245,0:09:21.845
hold - two, three, four -

0:09:21.845,0:09:26.205
exhale - two, three, four, five, six -

0:09:26.205,0:09:27.485
hold - two.

0:09:27.485,0:09:30.285
Inhale - two, three, four -

0:09:30.285,0:09:32.975
hold - two, three, four -

0:09:32.975,0:09:37.105
exhale - two, three, four, five, six -

0:09:37.105,0:09:38.475
hold - two.

0:09:38.475,0:09:41.775
Inhale - two, three, four -

0:09:41.775,0:09:44.965
hold - two, three, four -

0:09:44.965,0:09:49.825
exhale - two, three, four, five, six -

0:09:49.825,0:09:51.095
hold - two.

0:09:51.095,0:09:54.735
Close your eyes - two, three, four -

0:09:54.735,0:09:58.045
hold - two, three, four -

0:09:58.045,0:10:03.265
exhale - two, three, four, five, six -

0:10:03.265,0:10:04.605
hold - two.

0:10:04.605,0:10:05.535
Tip forward.

0:10:05.535,0:10:09.535
Inhale and continue on your own

0:10:09.535,0:10:16.425
with a beautiful, anatomically congruous[br]lower-body horizontal breath.

0:10:16.823,0:10:17.753
Thank you.

0:10:17.753,0:10:19.643
(Applause)