How to Breathe Light - The Complete Guide to Reduced Breathing
Breathe Light
At the very heart of Buteyko Breathing is the Breathe Light exercise, also known as Reduced Breathing. There are several variations on this technique, but they all have one thing in common: the concept of air hunger. When we breathe light, we reduce the volume of air that we are breathing, by softening and/or slowing the breath, thus creating a feeling of not getting quite enough air. This reduced breathing increases levels of Carbon Dioxide and Nitric Oxide in the body which result in a number of benefits including, but not limited to:
Enhanced blood circulation and oxygen delivery to the body and brain.
Bronchodilator effects - which open up the airways and reduce symptoms of coughing and wheezing.
Over time, improved tolerance to Carbon Dioxide reducing breathlessness and improving performance during physical exercise.
Stimulation of the vagus nerve and a shift towards the parasympathetic nervous (rest and digest) system, which reduces symptoms of stress, anxiety and panic.
Improved focus and concentration from improved oxygen delivery to the brain and attentional training of the pre-frontal cortex.
The Breathe Light Variations
Breathe Light - The Relaxation Method
This is the gentlest of the Breathe Light variations. It is a good starting point for everyone, especially those with a low Control Pause or for people experiencing anxiety and panic disorder.
Instructions:
Sit comfortably with a straight back, legs uncrossed, and knees shoulder-width apart. Let your gaze be soft or close your eyes.
Place one hand on your chest, and the other on your upper belly (just below the bottom of your rib cage).
With your mouth closed, slowly begin to tune in to the feeling of your body breathing beneath your hands.
There is no need to change your breathing in any way, just let the body breathe for you.
There is no need to take big breaths. Let your breathing be soft, gentle and quiet.
Start to pay particular attention to your lower hand and follow the feeling of your body breathing. Notice how the upper belly slightly inflates on the in-breath, and how it deflates on the out-breath.
Relax your muscles: After a couple of minutes, let your top hand rest down in your lap and slowly scan through your body, gently inviting your muscles to relax as you go. Relaxing your face, jaw, neck, shoulders, arms and hands, belly, hips, and legs. You may experience a slight feeling of a lack of air, which is a good sign that the exercise is working.
If it feels too intense, take a break for 60 seconds and then come back to the exercise or choose another variation.
Keep breathing gently, relaxing into the body for around 3–5 minutes, and then let your breathing return to normal. Remember to breathe through your nose and notice a sense of lightness as you breathe.
Guided Audio Instructions:
Breathe Light - Feather Breathing
In this variation, we focus on the sensations of breathing at the tip of the nose. The nostrils are the most sensitive place in the body to monitor the flow of air. When trying this approach, clients are often surprised at how little air they actually need to breathe!
Instructions:
Come into a comfortable upright posture with your feed flat on the floor (seating or standing is fine).
Bring a gentle smile to your face and allow your tongue to come to rest in the roof of your mouth. Your mouth should be closed.
Slowly begin to tune into the flow of air at the tip of your nose. Feel the slightly cooler air flowing in on the in-breathe, and the slightly warmer air flowing out of the nose on the out breath.
If you find it difficult to feel the flow of air at the nostrils, you can bring the top of one of your fingers to rest just under the nose and feel the flow of air on the top of your finger.
Let your breathing be soft, gentle and quiet.
If you are already feeling air hunger (that feeling where you feel like you are not getting quite enough air) then continue as you are.
If there is no air hunger, then start to soften and/or slow your breath so that you feel it becomes more subtle at your nostrils or on your finger. Breathe so softly so that you can hardly feel the flow of air. Breath so lightly that if there was a feather placed just under your nose, it would be undisturbed by your breathing.
Try to find a balance where there is a light air hunger, but you feel relaxed in your body. If you start to feel tense or stressed, then allow more of a flow of air, or take a break for a minute or so and then come back to the exercise.
Continue for 3–5 minutes in total and then take a break. Notice any changes in your body or breathing after the exercise.
Guided Audio Instructions:
Breathe Light, Slow and Low - Cadence Breathing - Coherent Breathing
In this variation, we focus on breathing slow at a rate of 5-6 breaths per minute. At the same time, we breathe lightly and quietly to maintain air hunger. This exercise is very calming for the nervous system and so is a good practice if you are experiencing chronic stress, anxiety or panic attacks. This technique stimulates the Vagus Nerve which can help to regulate and repair the nervous system after trauma, long Covid and burnout.
Instructions:
This exercise can be done in a seated or lying down posture. The following instructions are for the lying down variation which is very calming:
Come to lie on your back on a comfortable but firm surface with your feet flat on the floor and your knees rising up towards the ceiling. This leg position will support activation of the diaphragm. If possible, place a thin cushion underneath your head.
Bring the palms of your hands to rest on the sides of your lower two ribs, and then let the arms and shoulders relax back towards the ground.
Slowly begin to tune into the feeling of your breathing beneath your hands. We are looking for a subtle sense of expansion out to the sides in the area of the bottom of the ribcage.
Let your breathing be soft, quiet and gentle.
Allow your breathing to gradually begin to slow down.
If you feel a comfortable sense of air hunger, stay like this.
You may also start to control your the rhythm of your breathing. Breathing in for 5 seconds, breathing out for 5 seconds and so on.
Keep your breathing light, quiet and gentle. Continue for 3–5 minutes in total.
Over time, you can start to go for longer practices, up to 10 minutes at a time, and also increase the length of the breaths to 6 seconds in, 6 seconds out.
Further information:
The most common mistake with the Breath Light, Slow and Low exercise, is to overcompensate with the size of the breaths and to over breathe. Your breathing should be soft, quiet and light and there should be a mild air hunger throughout the practice. Avoid taking bigger breaths.
If your control pause is slower than 15 seconds, then use a breathing rate of 10 breaths per minute (Breathe in for 3 seconds, breathe out for 3 seconds).
Guided Audio Instructions:
Breathe Light with Cupped Hands
This variation of the Breathe Light exercise creates a stronger air hunger than the previous 2 options. Here we cup our hands over the lower half of the face, which causes some of the Carbon Dioxide that we have just breathed out to be re-breathed. The feel of our warm breath on the inside of the hands also has the benefit of giving us more feedback about our breathing.
Instructions:
Come into an upright seated posture. Imagine there is a piece of string attached to the top of your head that is gently lifting your upper body upwards. This will create space around the area of the solar plexus and support diaphragmatic breathing.
Cup your hands over your lower face ensuring that your mouth and nose are covered, leaving hardly any gaps in between your fingers.
Let your breathing be soft, gentle and quiet.
Begin to tune in to the feeling of your breathing at your nostrils and on the insides of your hands and fingers.
As you start to feel air hunger, let your breathing be soft and slow using the feel of warm air on the insides of your hands for feedback.
If the air hunger feels too intense, you can allow a gap to open up between your little fingers to allow more air to flow. If it still feels too intense take a break for 60 seconds and then come back to the exercise or choose another variation.
To create or add more air hunger, begin to soften and slow the breath a little more, but don’t let it get too intense. If you can hear yourself breathing or start to pant or take big breaths then the air hunger is too strong for you.
Experiment with shortening the length of your in-breaths, so that you are only breathing in just enough air to fill your nostrils (e.g. 1cm) on the in breath. The out breath should also be small.
Continue for 3–5 minutes and then take a break. Afterwards check in with your body and breath. Do you feel warm, and relaxed, does your breathing feel soft, quiet and easeful? These are all good signs. If you feel stressed, or if your breathing is heaver than before the exercise, this may be a sign that you need to reduce the intensity or choose a variation with less air hunger.
General Guidance for the Breathe Light/Reduced Breathing Exercises
During the Breathe Light exercise, we are looking to create a mild air hunger. This should feel like you are not getting quite enough air, like you would experience walking up a hill. You should be breathing about 10-20% less air than you would normally do.
However, it is essential that you feel calm and relaxed in the body. If the air hunger is so high that you feel tense or stressed, then you will not get any benefit from the exercise.
During the exercise, your breathing should be quiet, soft and gentle. Do not take big or loud breaths.
How do I know if I’m doing the Breathe Light/Reduced Breathing exercise correctly?
The best way to know if you are doing the Breathe Light exercise correctly is to listen to your body.
Positive signs are:
Salvia pooling in your mouth - This indicates activation of the “Rest and Digest” branch of the nervous system (Parasympathetic Nervous System).
Feelings of calm and relaxation - This is a sign that the reduced breathing rate and increased C02 levels are stimulating the vagus nerve and calming the nervous system.
Feelings of warmth in the body - This is a sign that your blood vessels are opening up (vasodilation) which improves blood flow to the body and brain.
Experiences of mental and visual clarity - This is a signal that blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain and eyes are increasing.
Negative feedback signs are:
If you experience any of the following, it may be that you are either over-breathing, or that the air hunger is too high. If these symptoms persist, it is recommended that you speak with a qualified Buteyko instructor.
Feeling tense or stressed.
Feeling dizzy, foggy or light-headed.
If any of your existing symptoms worsen while practising.
If your hands or feet become cold.
It can take a little time to get used to the Breathe Light exercise. But keep going with it, be gentle with your body and be playful until you have got the hang of it - Because the benefits from this breathing exercise can be transformative for your physical and mental wellbeing and performance.
Breathe Light Sets
To improve your Control Pause, you can practice multiple Breathe Light exercise with short breaks in between. Practising these Breath Light sets 3 times a day will help to reduce your sensitivity to CO2, reduce your symptoms and improve your overall wellbeing.
Breathe Light Set (without Breath Holds):
Control Pause
Breathe Light - Any Variation (4 mins)
Rest for 1 min
Breathe Light - Any Variation (4 mins)
Rest for 1 min
Breathe Light - Any Variation (4 mins)
Rest for 1 min
Breathe Light - Any Variation (4 mins)
Rest for 2 mins
Final Control Pause
Breathe Light Set (with Breath Holds):
In this stronger variation, we begin each Breathe Light exercise with a breath hold to create extra hunger. Using the control pause as a breath hold ensures that we don’t create too much air hunger. But still, you should only move onto this variation if you are comfortable with the Breathe Light set without breath holds.
Control Pause
Breathe Light - Any Variation (4 mins)
Rest for 30s
Control Pause
Breathe Light - Any Variation (4 mins)
Rest for 30s
Control Pause
Breathe Light - Any Variation (4 mins)
Rest for 30s
Control Pause
Breathe Light - Any Variation (4 mins)
Rest for 2 mins
Final Control Pause
Ideally your final control pause will be around 10-20% higher than your first.
