# The Hindu Breath of Fire **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 8, 2001, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hindu-breath-of-fire/61251 "2001-04-08T14:41:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hindu-breath-of-fire/61251/1 "2001-04-08T14:41:53Z")
I’m just curious if anyone else has ever tried this stress reduction technique and what the results are for them. WARNING : This technique should probably not be done by people with respiratory problems. 1 : Find a place where you can lie down comfortably on your back, your legs uncrossed and your arms by your side. Try to relax as much as possible. 2 : Take 20 deep breaths, as deep and as fast as you can. 3 : Take 20 slow breaths. As slow as you can. Hold the breath at the top of the inhale at the exhale. It’s best if you can do it in a ratio of 2/1. For instance, inhale for a 8 count, hold for 4, exhale for 8, hold for 4. if you have good lungs you can do 10/5 or of not, even 6/3. 4 : This is the important part, where the magic starts. Repeat steps 2 and 3. Then when you come down, let me know what happened. ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hindu-breath-of-fire/61251/2 "2001-04-08T16:12:45Z")
I always thought that was called hyperventilation. Free divers do something similar before the plunge. Nothing like good ol’ natural oxygen to get ya high… ---
**Author:** ![Evnglion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@Evnglion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evnglion)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hindu-breath-of-fire/61251/3 "2001-04-08T16:20:15Z")
I know a lot of people that iuse breathing techniques, and they seem to work whenever I try them. They keep a lot of stress from getting in the way of your life… ---
**Author:** ![Scotticher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Scotticher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scotticher)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2001, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hindu-breath-of-fire/61251/4 "2001-04-09T00:01:12Z")
I tried this a few times, but for some reason I always fall asleep before I can complete the sequence. I am going to perservere, though, since a good stress relief technique is always good to know! Scotti