I’m kind of obsessed with military movies about snipers. You know , those insanely talented individuals who can shoot a target from a mile away! The control they must have. The focus. The ability to stop all thoughts in order to hone in on one thing. The breath control. I can’t imagine the type of breath control one must have to have in order to hit a target the size of a quarter!
And I say breath control because God knows I couldn’t hit anything when I’m in my anxious state. I breathe very shallow, my mind is racing, and my mind and sight are fuzzy. No – this is the opposite of that kind of breathing. Combat breathing has to be smooth. Rhythmic. It has to come from the belly so that there is calm and focus despite great stress.
The specific breathing exercise taught to snipers in the Navy Seals to bring this calm and focus is known as Box Breathing. However, this is not a new technique. Yogis were the 1st to develop Box Breathing 5,000 years ago – originally named Sama Vritti Pranayama.
Watch this snippet below of Box Breathing in action.
What is Sama Vritti Pranayama?
Pronunciation: (sa·ma·vri·tee) (praa·nuh·yaa·muh)
Sanskrit Translation
| Sama सम: equal or balanced |
| Vritti वृत्ति: fluctuations |
| Pranayama प्राणायाम: life force or breath |
| Sama Vritti Pranayama: Balance mental fluctuations through breath |
Other names:
Box Breath, Square Breath, Equal Breath, 4-part Breath
How To Do?
Inhale for a count of 4
Hold for a count of 4
Exhale for a count of 4
Hold for a count of 4
What’s special about Sama Vritti Pranayama?
It strikes the ideal balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide
When we breathe in a shallow way, we flood the body with excess oxygen. You might ask, “well isn’t a little extra oxygen good, especially if I’m anxious”? The answer is unfortunately no.
The body needs time to complete the transactional exchange of O2 for CO2. If excess oxygen floods the blood stream, it does not have enough time to complete that transactional process and you’re left with way too much O2 and far too less CO2. This leads to symptoms of hyperventilation: fatigue, anxiety, and shortness of breath.
Since the breath is timed with a count of 4 in Sama Vritti Pranayama, we breathe in a full and complete manner which allows for the exact balance of CO2 and CO2. Breathing in this way gives us energy, improves digestion, and significantly reduces anxiety.
It activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System
In order to perform Sama Vritti Pranayama properly, the breath needs to start in the belly and expand upwards towards the chest. Breathing via the belly automatically triggers the Parasympathetic Nervous System – or our rest and digest function. This is contrast to the Sympathetic Nervous System – fight/flight.
There are many different Pranayama’s or Breathing Techniques in Yoga prescribed for a variety of ailments. For example, extending the exhale longer than the inhale helps to induce sleep and deep feelings of relaxation. Or elongating the inhale longer than the exhale energizes the body and helps to build lung and cardiovascular capacity.
It brings equilibrium to the breathing pattern
Since Sama Vritti Pranayama is entirely equal in all parts, it allows the body to feel both relaxed and focused simultaneously. During my Yoga Teacher training in India, trainers stressed the importance of developing equal breathing. Most of us simply cannot inhale as long as our exhale. So, we need to practice to develop the lung capacity as well as strengthen the accessorial breathing muscles.
So what makes box breathing special….from a Navy Seal
Someone who knows the importance of remaining both calm and focused is Mark Divine. Divine is a retired Navy Seal Commander who first learned the benefits of Box Breathing while going through Navy Seal training. Divine graduated 1st in his class and credits his success “because of my skills in breath control, concentration, visualization and being able to intercept the reactionary mind and focus.”
Divine says this about how Sama Vritti Pranayama or Box Breathing affects the Parasympathetic Nervous System:
“When we box breathe, we do so through our nostrils. This helps us draw the air deep into our lungs, slowing down the breathing rhythm and stimulating the vagal nerve – which runs throughout the central nervous system. The vagal nerve affects heart rate, digestion and releases neurotransmitters that activate the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS). “The calming and focusing effects of this technique are noticeable within just a few minutes of practice.”
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Why is this Pranayama ideal for the Navy Seals?
“Box breathing with this four-four-four-four ratio has a neutral energetic effect: It’s not going to charge you up or put you into a sleepy relaxed state. But it will, as mentioned, make you very alert and grounded, ready for action.”
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Closing Thoughts
Box breathing is easy to do, easy to remember, and highly effective. Pranayama practices take a minimal amount of time, for a substantial payoff.
I like to start my day with a little breathing and end my day with a little breathing. It takes no more than 5 minutes, but it’s a nice way to bookend the day.
Consider if doing this might work for you to!
“We take better care of our phones than ourselves,” says Everatt. “When our phone battery goes from green to red, we immediately stop and recharge. But when our own bodies go into the red zone, we push through. Living in the red zone means living in a zone of depletion where we’re more susceptible to burnout, anxiety, or depression.”
~ Lynne Everatt, coauthor of The 5-Minute Recharge: 31 Proven Strategies to Refresh, Reset, and Become the Boss of Your Day
Photo Credit: apricotandbirch
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