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

Huberman Lab Clips

26 Dec 202308:21

Summary

TLDRIn 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.

Outlines

00:00

🐬 Practicing Coherence Breathing Exercise

The speaker introduces a coherence breathing exercise that is designed to increase heart rate variability. They guide the listener through the exercise, which involves synchronized breathing patterns accompanied by chimes over a duration of five minutes. The speaker shares their experience of practicing this exercise regularly, noting the benefits observed in their heart rate variability results.

05:04

🕰️ Integrating Coherence Breathing into Daily Routine

The speaker discusses incorporating the coherence breathing exercise into their daily routine, aiming for at least 10 minutes per day, and sometimes up to 20 minutes. They share their approach of combining the breathing exercise with other activities like squats or treading water, depending on their location and circumstances. The speaker also mentions counting breaths during the exercise to track the duration. The segment concludes with some background music playing.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Coherence breathing

Coherence breathing, also known as resonant breathing or heart-focused breathing, is a breathing technique that involves inhaling and exhaling at a specific rhythm (typically 5-6 breaths per minute). This aims to increase heart rate variability (HRV), which is a measure of the variation in time between heartbeats. Higher HRV is associated with better cardiovascular health and reduced stress levels. In the transcript, the speaker mentions using this technique specifically to raise his HRV, which was initially low.

💡Heart rate variability (HRV)

Heart rate variability (HRV) refers to the variation in the time interval between consecutive heartbeats. It is a measure of the balance between the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) branches of the autonomic nervous system. Higher HRV is generally considered a sign of good cardiovascular health and an ability to adapt to stress. The speaker in the transcript mentions having low HRV initially and using coherence breathing as a technique to increase his HRV.

💡Breathing cadence

Breathing cadence refers to the rhythm or pattern of one's breathing. In the context of the transcript, the speaker notes that he doesn't naturally breathe at the slow cadence required for coherence breathing, which is typically around 5-6 breaths per minute. This slower, more controlled breathing pattern is a key component of the coherence breathing exercise.

💡Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged with the current moment, without judgment or distraction. During the coherence breathing exercise described in the transcript, the speaker mentions counting the breaths as a way to keep his mind occupied and focused on the present task. This counting technique can be seen as a form of mindfulness practice, helping to anchor one's attention to the breath and the present moment.

💡Squats

Squats are a strength-training exercise that involve bending at the knees and hips, lowering the body towards the ground, and then straightening back up. In the transcript, the speaker mentions performing air squats (squats without added weight) as part of his routine alongside coherence breathing. Incorporating physical exercise with breathing techniques can have compounding benefits for overall health and well-being.

💡Treading water

Treading water is the act of keeping oneself afloat in water by performing a vertical, cyclic kicking motion with the legs while using the arms to provide additional support and stability. The speaker in the transcript describes incorporating treading water into his routine, followed by coherence breathing once out of the pool. This combination of physical activity and controlled breathing can be seen as a holistic approach to improving cardiovascular health and stress management.

💡Rhythm

Rhythm refers to the regular, patterned recurrence of sounds, movements, or phenomena. In the context of the coherence breathing exercise, maintaining a consistent rhythm of inhaling and exhaling at a specific cadence (e.g., 5-6 breaths per minute) is crucial. The speaker notes that he had to consciously get into the rhythm of the breathing pattern, as it differed from his natural breathing cadence.

💡Pseudo-random

Pseudo-random refers to something that appears to be random or unpredictable but is actually generated by a deterministic process or algorithm. In the transcript, the speaker uses this term to describe his natural breathing pattern, which he contrasts with the structured rhythm of the coherence breathing exercise. This suggests that his normal breathing lacks a discernible pattern or regularity, appearing pseudo-random or erratic in comparison to the controlled coherence breathing technique.

💡Routine

A routine is a sequence of actions or practices that are regularly followed or performed. Throughout the transcript, the speaker discusses incorporating coherence breathing into his daily routine, sometimes combining it with other activities like squats or treading water. Establishing a consistent routine can help reinforce the habit of practicing coherence breathing and reaping its potential benefits for cardiovascular health and stress management.

💡Cadence

Cadence refers to the rhythmic flow or sequence of sounds or movements. In the context of the coherence breathing exercise, maintaining a consistent cadence of inhaling and exhaling at a specific rhythm (e.g., 5-6 breaths per minute) is crucial. The speaker acknowledges that this slow cadence differs from his natural breathing pattern, which he describes as faster and more irregular.

Highlights

The speaker mentions that they have a breathing exercise called a coherence breathing exercise, which they suggest doing together.

The speaker explains that the reason they started doing this breathing exercise is to improve their heart rate variability, as higher heart rate variability is desirable.

The speaker mentions that they looked at various methods to raise their heart rate variability and found that this breathing technique helped increase it.

The breathing exercise involves following a guided audio that prompts when to inhale and exhale, with the goal of maintaining a slow and steady breathing pattern.

The speaker typically does this breathing exercise with their eyes closed.

The breathing exercise lasts for five minutes, with six breaths per minute.

The speaker notes that they don't spontaneously breathe at the same cadence as the exercise, and their breathing is typically faster.

During the exercise, the speaker's mind tends to wander, so they count the breaths to stay focused.

The speaker aims to do the coherence breathing exercise for at least 10 minutes per day, sometimes up to 20 minutes, as longer durations have a noticeable impact on their heart rate variability results.

The speaker doesn't have a fixed time for doing the breathing exercise; instead, they do it whenever they have the opportunity, depending on their location and other activities.

In one specific location, the speaker combined the coherence breathing exercise with doing air squats, as they didn't have any other equipment.

In another situation, the speaker would tread water in a pool, then get out and sit in the sun to do the coherence breathing exercise.

The speaker mentions that the breathing exercise leaves them feeling nice and relaxed.

The speaker highlights the importance of a longer exhalation during the breathing exercise.

The speaker acknowledges that their mind tends to wander during the exercise, describing it as going "pseudo-random".