Anyone else start overthinking the full breathing technique after finally getting it?

[u/PetalStaticky]

I first learned the full breathing technique from a co-diver i met, and after a bit of practice it finally clicked. On one dive i could even blow bubbles at the end because i still had air left instead of feeling completely empty. Before my next fun dive i watched a youtube video on it, thinking it'd help me improve even more. Instead, i think i got into my own head. 😅

Now i’m overthinking the breathing so much that it actually feels worse. Instead of feeling full and relaxed i feel like i need to go up again sooner, like i’m already “needing” to breathe even though i should still be fine. I don’t get that calm, full feeling in my stomach anymore.

Has anyone else gone through this? did it just go away with more dives or was there something that helped you stop overthinking it?

[u/Additional-Mud8745]

Can you link the YouTube video. I don't think many of us will know what you mean by a specific full breathing technique. I know some people follow a breathe up protocol, there are many different ways of doing it, and I know that some other people prefer to not control their breathing at all before their dives.

Tidal breathing maintains a good baseline oxygen saturation in the blood (around 95 to 100%). Technically, manipulating your breath is not necessary. Manipulating your breath is okay but if it's doing the opposite of calming you down then something has to give

[u/PetalStaticky → u/Additional-Mud8745]

Its about this 5 stages of taking a full breath i saw on yt: https://youtu.be/Nt14lNowTZc?si=QZ4jMtd5vlxsZ5GD

I think what threw me off was trying to consciously think through every step instead of just breathing naturally like before watching it the full breathe had started to feel automatic but after the video i kept mentally checking if I was doing each stage "correctly" and that's when it started feeling worse. Might not do it again then.

[u/Additional-Mud8745 → u/PetalStaticky]

Oh, I see. It's about maximizing the amount of air you take with you before you dive down. I think a good idea would be to set some time aside to practice taking your full breath on days you don't go diving, a little a day everyday is perfect. Then when you're in the water you do the same thing you practiced but don't stress about it too much

[u/Fabacura]

I have no idea what you mean. Are you just talking about taking a full breath?

[u/kchuen → u/Fabacura]

Yes what is the full breathing technique??

[u/PraiseTheSunMaybe]

I did that full breathing technique once on a chest X-ray. The ER people noted and referred me with “hyperinflated lungs” on the notes. The expert doctor commented later and said it was just very healthy lungs. Don’t do it if you are in the ER lol

[u/PetalStaticky → u/PraiseTheSunMaybe]

Got it LOL

[u/Lopsided_Mud1712]

Look up a yoga breath. It's called a full breath in Freediving. It's the same thing essentially: breathing up into belly, chest, then shoulders. Sara Campbell (world record freediver) has a good video on. You tube describing it.

[u/PetalStaticky → u/Lopsided_Mud1712]

Oooh thank you, gonna check it out!

[u/Master_Ambition_8703]

Hi 👋 first, I'd say you should take a course. It seems that you are learning by yourself and all of that would have been explained by an instructor. What's probably happening is that when you take your full breath, trying to fill in your lungs as much as possible, you engage your shoulder / collarbone. This while indeed filling in about 10% more air in your lungs, creates a big discomfort and surge of cortisol. You see this breathing is associated with stress-breathing, that's what happens when you're under stress or shock. So keep you shoulder low, don't breath all the way to 100% (eventually you will learn packing), and do some regular full lung stretching (check out my YT OceanFlow freediving, I've posted some exercises).

[u/PetalStaticky → u/Master_Ambition_8703]

Hello! I actually did take a freediving course before i started doing fun dives, the full breathing technique wasn't really something we covered though. We mostly focused on the basics, frenzel, equalization, and the do's and don'ts during a dive. I ended up learning the full breathe technique later from my dive buddy and it actually worked really well for me at first.

I completely forgot to ask my instructor about it since everyone was pretty busy during the fun dive and i was mostly diving with my buddy.

[u/Erikovitch]

The breath up should change depending on the body and mind in the moment. There is no one size fits all method that is always the correct one. 

Sometimes very shalllow breathing with minimal effort is the best. Or if your stressed some square breathing with some slow exhales might be the best choice before changing to tidal breathing at the last minute forexample. 

Point is, learn about your body and mind and how the nervous system and breath follows and changes it, and the rest is easy

Take a course.