Ideal Breathing Pattern: 3 Breaths/Min for Maximum Body Oxygen

"...Methods of performing Pranayama: 12. In the beginning there is perspiration, in the middle stage there is quivering, and in the last or third stage, one obtains steadiness; and then the breath should be made steady or motionless."
Hatha Yoga Pradipika (the manuscript written in 15th century; the foundation of Hatha Yoga)

There are many thousands of modern articles, books, and internet web pages written about breathing. Many of them say about benefits of ideal breathing for various systems of the human body and to cure numerous diseases. However, authors of most articles virtually never give exact parameters of the ideal breathing pattern. They can mention something about deep "cleansing" breathing and discuss poisonous and toxic nature of carbon dioxide (CO2 deep breathing myth). You can find the exact graph of the ideal breathing pattern below. It can be even easily measured using a simple body oxygen test.

Brain with symbolic waves What makes the human body most resistant to pathological organisms and diseases? How should we breathe days and nights for superior abilities in relation to sleep; digestion; physical fitness; survival without sleep, food and water for days; healing of wounds and broken bones; and some lost and unique skills which were generously granted to humans by Nature?

On previous web pages, we considered exact parameters for the normal breathing pattern (for healthy people), ineffective breathing pattern (for the moderately sick people with chronic diseases), and heavy breathing pattern (for the severely and critically sick). It is logical to suggest that the ideal breathing pattern will correspond to very slow breathing with very high body oxygen levels due to very slow breathing with reduced minute ventilation at rest and 24/7.

In 1960-1980s Dr. Buteyko trained about 200 Soviet doctors to use the Buteyko breathing technique in their clinical practice. His main requirement for these breathing practitioners was 60 s CP or body oxygen level. Some of them had up to 2-3 min for this hard test. In addition, Dr. Buteyko taught the Buteyko breathing method to many hundreds of Russian patients, who got up to 1-3 minutes for their body oxygen level or CP.

Dr. Buteyko's finding was that the typical breathing rate at rest for people with 2-3 min CP (stress free breath-holding time test done after usual exhalation) was about 3-5 breaths per minute with minute volume about 1.5-2.5 l/min. It corresponds to slow and relaxed inhalation and very long automatic pause (period of no breathing) of 9-16 seconds. These results can be found in the Buteyko Table of Health Zones from the Homepage section.

Medical people smiling Hence, the ideal breathing pattern, if we consider clinical experience of about 200 Russian MDs and the Buteyko Table of Health Zones, corresponds to 3 min CP and only 3 breaths/min at rest for ideal breathing rate (for unconscious or automatic breathing).

Note that maximum breath-holding time for the ideal breathing pattern will be over 7 minutes. Indeed, the Buteyko Table of Health Zones suggests the MP (maximum pause after usual exhalation) is 210 seconds or 3.5 min. Hence, after maximum inhalation, this result will be about 2-2.5 times greater. Practical testing found that such people usually have about 7-8 min for their maximum breath holding time.

Ideal breathing pattern

Fig. Ideal breathing pattern at rest: 3 breaths/min, 1.5-2 L/min for minute ventilation, and 180 s for the stress-free breath holding time test (optimum or ideal body oxygenation). The inhalation is about 1.5 s, exhalation 2.5 s, and the automatic pause (natural pause of total relaxation or no breathing) is up to 16 s.

Landscape with lake and mountains The same ideal breathing rate (3 breaths/min) has been observed in hatha yoga masters.

According to numerous testimonials, various physiological and psychological changes take place during this super slow or ideal breathing. As we discussed before, this extra healthy state restores certain biochemical processes, which were normal for humans in the past.

Benefits of ideal breathing

Young woman sleeping Sleep becomes much shorter naturally. Only 2 hours of sleep are enough for people who have 3 minutes CP. They simply do not get any desire to sleep more, but usually develop a healthy habit to have short (about 5-10 minutes) naps in the middle of the day.

Human organism starts to produce antibodies in saliva that can suppress pathogens causing cavities and the formation of plague. (Indeed, archaeological artifacts of human skulls shows that some centuries ago humans had much less problems with dental plaque and cavities or caries. While some people claim that our diet is to blame, Landscape with rainbow above city even with the ideal diet modern 20-25 s CP people in some months will still get plaque and can get cavities too.)

It becomes possible to digest wider varieties of fibers and other foods (roots, leafs, flowers, bones) and extract nutrients and energy from them.

Cuts, wounds and broken bones can get healed in a matter of days, instead of weeks or months.

Humans can survive for days without getting water, food, and sleep, while having their high CP and energy to search for water and food and fight, if necessary, for life.

CO2 model hovering above ocean Pregnant females have painless childbirth. Child delivery becomes an easy and relaxing experience. [Those who suffer from pain due to constipation can check this effect of higher CO2 and CP by creating strong air hunger with long breath holds and reduced breathing.]

The super state of the mind triggers extrasensory abilities (to feel emotions of other people, see aura around them, communicate thoughts without speech or telepathic abilities, etc.). Perception of reality becomes more accurate and more detached from personal (egoistic) involvement.

References: CO2 Effects Web Pages
Vasodilation: CO2 expands arteries and arterioles facilitating perfusion (or blood supply) to all vital organs
The Bohr effect How and why oxygen is released by red blood cells in tissues
Cell Oxygen Levels and oxygen transport are controlled by alveolar CO2 and breathing
Oxygen Transport depends on breathing and these two effects (Vasoconstriction-Vasodilation and the Bohr effect) are parts of two diagrams that summarize influences of hypocapnia (low CO2 content in the blood and cells) on circulation and O2 delivery
Free Radical Generation takes place due to anaerobic cell respiration caused by cell hypoxia. Hence, antioxidant defenses of the human body are also regulated by CO2 and breathing
Inflammatory Response is controlled by breathing since hypoxia leads to or intensifies chronic inflammation through over-expression of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1, while normal breathing reduces these processes
Nerve stabilization takes place due to calmative or sedative effects of carbon dioxide in neurons or nerve cells
Muscle relaxation or relaxation of muscle cells is normal at high CO2, while hypocapnia causes muscular tension, poor posture and, sometimes, aggression and violence
Brochodilation - dilation of airways (bronchi and bronchioles) by carbon dioxide, and their constriction due to hypocapnia
CO2: Best Natural Cough Suppressant and "home remedy" since it calms urge-to-cough nerve receptors located in the tracheobronchial tree and larynx
Blood pH regulation and regulation of other bodily fluids
CO2: Lung Damage Healer: Elevated carbon dioxide prevents injury and promotes healing of lung tissues
CO2: Skin and Tissue Healer
Synthesis of Glutamine in the Brain, CO2 fixation, and other chemical reactions
CO2 myth "CO2 is a toxic waste gas" myth
Breathing control How is our breathing regulated? Why hypocapnia makes breathing uneven and erratic?

Reference Web Pages: Breathing norms, Medical Graphs and Tables about Breathing Rates (Minute Ventilation) and Body Oxygen in Healthy, Normal and Sick People
Breathing norms Parameters, graph, and description of the normal breathing pattern
6 breathing myths 6 myths about breathing and body oxygenation (prevalence: over 90%)
Hyperventilation Definitions of hyperventilation: their advantages and weak points
Hyperventilation Syndrome in the Sick. Table 1. Western scientific evidence about prevalence of CHV (chronic hyperventilation) in patients with various chronic conditions (34 medical studies)
Normal Minute Ventilation in Healthy Subjects: Easy and Light Breathing (14 Studies)
Hyperventilation Prevalence Present in Over 90% of Normal People (24 medical publications)
HV and hypoxia How and why deep breathing reduces oxygenation of cells and tissues of all vital organs
Body oxygen test How to measure your own breathing and body oxygenation (a simple DIY test)
Body oxygen in healthy Table 4. CP (body oxygen level) in healthy people (27 medical studies)
Body oxygen in sick Table 5. CP (body oxygen level) in sick people (14 medical studies)
Buteyko Table of Health Zones with clinical description of most common zones
Morning HV Morning hyperventilation effect or how and why critically ill people are most likely to die during early morning hours

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