5-Minute Breathing Exercise / Meditation for Improving HRV | Rick Rubin & Dr. Andrew Huberman

Summary

In this engaging dialogue, two individuals discuss the benefits of a coherent breathing exercise aimed at improving heart rate variability. One of them guides the other through a five-minute session, with soothing chimes and instructions to synchronize their breaths. They share their experiences, noting the calming effects and the challenge of maintaining the slower breathing rhythm. The conversation delves into the integration of this practice into their daily routines, blending it with physical activities and adapting it to their circumstances. Overall, it offers an insightful glimpse into a mindful technique for enhancing well-being and presents it in an accessible, relatable manner.

Takeaways

• 😮 The transcript describes two people, likely Rick and another person, engaging in a coherence breathing exercise together.
• ☺️ The exercise involves taking slow, deep breaths in sync with chimes or audio cues, typically with eyes closed.
• 💪 The person guiding the exercise (likely Rick) does this breathing technique to increase heart rate variability, which is desirable.
• 🧘‍♂️ The exercise lasted for 5 minutes, consisting of 6 breaths per minute.
• ⏱️ The guide counts the breaths to keep track of the time and aims for 10-20 minutes of coherence breathing per day.
• 🧠 During the exercise, the guide occupies their mind by counting the breaths, while the other person's mind tends to wander.
• 🕰️ The guide incorporates coherence breathing into their routine at various times of the day, depending on their location and activities.
• 💪 In addition to coherence breathing, the guide sometimes combines it with other exercises like squats or treading water.
• 😌 The exercise is described as feeling nice and helping the participants achieve a sense of calm and relaxation.
• 🔄 The guide appears to have made coherence breathing a regular practice in their life to improve heart rate variability and overall well-being.

Q & A

What is the breathing exercise mentioned in the transcript?

The breathing exercise is a coherence breathing exercise, which involves breathing at a specific cadence (6 breaths per minute) to improve heart rate variability.

Why did the speaker start doing this breathing exercise?

The speaker mentioned having relatively low heart rate variability, so they looked into techniques that could raise it, and the coherence breathing exercise was found to be effective in increasing their heart rate variability.

How often does the speaker do the coherence breathing exercise?

The speaker aims to do the coherence breathing exercise for at least 10 minutes per day, sometimes up to 20 minutes per day, as they found it to be more noticeable in improving their heart rate variability results.

Does the speaker have a specific routine or time for doing the breathing exercise?

The speaker mentioned that the timing depends on their location and what else is going on in their life. They described doing the breathing exercise along with activities like air squats, treading water, and sitting in the sun after swimming.

How long was the breathing exercise session in the transcript?

The breathing exercise session in the transcript lasted for 5 minutes, as mentioned by the speaker towards the end of the exercise.

What technique did the speaker use to keep track of the duration of the breathing exercise?

The speaker mentioned counting the breaths (6 breaths per minute) to keep track of the duration, stating that they counted up to 5 minutes by counting the breaths.

How did the speaker describe the experience of doing the breathing exercise?

The speaker described the experience as feeling nice and noticed that they don't spontaneously breathe at the same cadence as the coherence breathing exercise, typically breathing faster.

What did the other person (Rick) mention about their mind during the breathing exercise?

Rick mentioned that during the breathing exercise, his mind tends to go "pseudo-random," implying that his thoughts tend to wander, whereas the speaker mentioned counting the breaths to occupy their mind.

What other activities did the speaker mention doing alongside the coherence breathing exercise?

The speaker mentioned doing air squats and treading water as additional activities they would incorporate with the coherence breathing exercise.

Was there any mention of the benefits of the breathing exercise beyond improving heart rate variability?

No, the transcript did not explicitly mention any other benefits of the coherence breathing exercise beyond improving heart rate variability.