Breathing Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety | Dr. Andrew Huberman on the Physiological Sigh

“Use the body to control the mind.”
— Dr. Andrew Huberman

Andrew Huberman, PhD is a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the Department of Neurobiology at Stanford University’s School of Medicine. He has made numerous important contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function, and neural plasticity. Andrew is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation fellow and recipient of the 2017 Cogan Award for his discoveries in the study of vision. Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford Medicine has been consistently published in top journals including Nature, Science, and Cell.

Andrew is host of the Huberman Lab podcast, which he launched in January of this year. The show aims to help viewers and listeners improve their health with science and science-based tools. New episodes air every Monday on YouTube and all podcast platforms.


About Tim Ferriss:
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 500 million downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running.

Connect with Tim Ferriss:

[vincentcuibus]

Long inhale = speed up the heart.
Long exhale = slow down the heart.
Double inhale + long exhale = reduce stress & anxiety

[self.made.superhero]

Pound for pound, this might be some of the most valuable 4 minutes of content on YouTube. It will take a few months but these tools are going to be staples in Health and Wellness. Thanks guys.

[AshlynnAspires]

This is literally a magic pill for me. No joke. I have generalized anxiety and have tried different breathing techniques but this one instantly decreases the tension. After a few cycles, my body is at ease again.

[bradyoung]

I was struggling with high blood pressure and since incorporating this breath work into my day, has come down to perfectly normal levels. My mom recently started and she has seen the same results.

[innercore]

0:00 Intro, Leisures Vs Pressures
0:30 Recreational activities may good but...
0:41 physiological sigh, rediscovered again...
1:30 reason why it works
2:07 how it works
3:00 hrv, why exhale is important

[OnlineMD]

If I may comment; I am an MD in Internal Medicine. The way I do the 2 part breath is this way: First I relax back in either a sofa or lie supine. Loosen up tension in my muscles. Then, without forcing at any time, I breathe into my belly, then without stopping, expand the breath into my chest. After reaching a good inhale, I let go my chest muscle and allow the breath to flow out without forcing. Lastly, I let my belly muscles sink down again without forcing the breath out. And that is it, works great. One other comment, and that is about Heart Rate Variability. About 10-15 years ago I purchased a device to place around a fingertip and connected it via USB I think it was, to my computer. I could see the heart rate display and also the variability showed as a score. I didn't do too well, until one day I learned that if I really relaxed, and use gentle belly breathing, my score shot up beautifully! If I didn't maintain my focus on the gentle belly breathing, my score went down again! Ever since then, I note that if my mind is tense, my belly breath is shallow and fast. So I just gently allow it to slow down and gently allow the depth of the breath to be deeper, without any undue effort or forcing. It works in just about 2-3 minutes. Namasthe! :)

[LIC.GAMGUT]

im from argentina . its amazing how dr huberman continues his improving at "learning" how to teach!i ve heard this concept so many times but this time ( in particular) the message was so clear! amazing. thank you tim and andrew

[reneefritzenmeier]

Most Valuable 4 min.'s of a very informative video... Technique is the Same 1 my Counselor taught me 1 yr. & 1/2 ago..Amazin'! Very good session!

[LauraTryUK]

Superb! What a fantastic video - simple, easy to use advice to help relax the body 🧘🏼‍♀

[DLX-Asc-Nav]

I picked this technique from Andrew's guidance a year or so ago and it works everytime ❤ This man articulates science into that which assists and accelerates your induction into higher quantum states of consciousness 💥✨️

[evabcasali]

This double inhale and exhale saved mi flight experience. It's incredible, it totally works, as I have plane phobia and managed to calm myself only doing this.

[samanthapskelly]

This is great information, Tim! Love this video

[BeYourUniquePotential]

How wonderful. Thank you for this beautiful session Tim. I found your knowledge and explanations so sensitive and soft and warm. When there is a willingness to connect with others, anxiety can be explored, with awareness in order to reduce it's impact. Patience, showing up and being kind to ourselves when we fall is like retraining the amygdala in the present moment. With awareness, this becomes our super power to being with the anxiety that comes and managing it better. Waving to you with love, Marie-Louise from Cornwall, UK ❤

[li]

Great points Dr. Huberman, I appreciate your ability to deliver key points, in a direct and concise manner. You are one of few that I find, knowledge, personal journey and determination very inspiring. Thst being said, I believe, Stress will always be part of modern life, I don't believe it to be entirely bad, as long as one learns how to dominate it at its peak, and learns its timing-variables management. sort of a conscious state of harmonious tolerance ... Perhaps, sometiens instead, we often tend to dismiss it all together.

[eonoe]

I have found that practicing this breathing technique leads to the double inhale more spontaneously and without any conscious effort. When I was younger (now 70), and did a lot of running for exercise, I remember this happening sometimes, during my runs, and it was extremely satisfying. I never thought of making it happen, it just did, and I loved it. I knew it was a sign of incredible fitness.

[suzie]

This technique just got me through the most stressful situation I've had to face in years. #TimFerriss
#HubermanLab #AndrewHuberman --- Thank you!

[DKFX]

Dr. Huberman really is one the edge of new development and research. Many of these other doctors and physicians speak and act like it's they're a few decades behind.

[renanosilva]

The Huberman Lab is the most valuable content on the whole internet.

[general_zizi]

Psilocybin containing mushrooms saved my life. The drastically reduced my benzodiazepine withdrawal allowing me to quite illicit pill addiction after three years of heavy daily use before it would had became medically dangerous to quit. It has also helped me survive depression.

[cup_o_TMarie]

I now use this regularly & it has helped me gain control over my anxiety 🙏💝👏