McKeown Q&A #6: Improving Your Resilience to Stress with Breathwork and User Questions

Hanu HRV

Jay is once again joined by breath expert, and author of The Oxygen Advantage Patrick McKeown to discuss the new Hanu wearable, stress resilience interventions, neurotic thinking, and much more including answers to the most burning questions from our loyal listeners!

In this episode, Patrick and Jay discuss...

-The layperson's guide to using the Hanu wearable in daily life...4:45

-Data may indicate low stress resilience is a strong factor for sufferers of long COVID...12:30

-The real solution to stress is the intervention; the Hanu device provides real-time training in breathwork and techniques that increase stress resilience...14:40

-Anxious people who are stuck in the head space, over-thinking and ruminating, have lower HRV, higher heart rate, and a number of other physiological markers of stress...16:40

-The future of education is not just about teaching people how to think, but teaching them about physiology and how to deal with stress...26:10

-Solid advice about dealing with the hardships and pain of traumas: personal and collective...28:00

-Relinquish high levels of neuroticism to allow the breathwork to really work for you...32:45

Listener Q&A:

Kate asks: I've heard you say the ideal respiratory rate is 5-6 breaths per minute. My data from my Oura Ring is 17 breaths per minute. How do I practice breathwork or should I be working on HRV and heart rate?...40:45

In our answer, we discuss:

• Replace the word "perfect" respiratory rate. There is no such thing as a perfect rate. Resonant rate for practicing is 4-6 breaths per minute. This is not the all day, every day breath rate.
• Increase cardio respiratory fitness and commit to breathwork and your breath rate will go down.
• Respiratory rate is just one factor. Tidal volume is an important consideration as well.
• There is a relationship between the BOLT score and the respiratory rate.
• Try taking a walk with your mouth closed.
• Respiratory rate in women is affected by hormonal changes with their menstrual cycles. Lower respiratory rate in the early days of menstruation, increased respiratory rate during ovulation. Women also have higher respiratory rates than men as a general rule.

Jacob asks: In The Oxygen Advantage, you stated that you should take short breaths in and out before you hold your breath during the BOLT test. Is a short breath meaning your normal breath, or do you actually manipulate breathing prior to the hold?...53:50

In our answer, we discuss:

• It is actually a normal breath. Patrick used that language in the book because he noticed when he would ask people to take a breath, they would take a big, deep breath.
• A funny story about BOLT scores from company employees who may have gotten a little competitive with one another.