Breath Training as a way to reverse years of chronic stress

This is my reality right now. 

In this video, I am performing recovery drills to reverse the damage of many years of chronic stress. 

Exercises from the video:

• Bag breathing
• Convergence + right side trigeminal nerve (bite) + right side olfaction (smell) for  cranial nerve activation
• Breath hold squats

One of the most important lessons I have learned along the way is that in order to be in your best health you need to have proper fueling. 

I spent 10+ years in a chronic stress state and when this happens your stress hormones are high, metabolism is slowed, and your body is chronically lacking the nourishment it needs for daily functioning - further feeding the stress cycle. 

Breathing drills have been a large part of my recovery because when it comes to fueling, having the right balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide is a must in order for basic physiological processes to occur. 

When you are in a chronic stress state, it is highly likely that you are over breathing, perhaps even hyperventilating. The result is a hyper-oxygenated state. One of my strategies to combat over breathing was to bag breath daily, restoring CO2 levels and the balance between CO2 and O2. 

Even during my highest stress as a grad student who was also working full-time to grow a business I co-own, I was able to come off of my thyroid medication from making one change in my life - breathing into a plastic bag. 

This took some time given that I was still in a high stress state but it is my most rewarding result and accomplishment since being in the health and fitness industry!

Now that grad school is over, I am expanding my recovery routine to what you see in this video. I will also be slowly adding in more medium intensity workouts that involve A LOT of breath work to make sure I am properly fueled for the workout. 

If you are battling a metabolic problem like hormone imbalance, autoimmune problems, or diabetes, understanding how to workout without depleting your fuel resources is a must!

Taylor and I will be putting out an introduction to breathing product within the next few weeks so if you are interested in how breath work can help you with health or recovery from training then get on our newsletter for updates! 

Taylor also teaches breathing drills sprinkled into his online membership. 

I will be sharing more of my story along with my journey toward recovery, weight loss, and a stress free life!

About the Author:

Alisha Hale pulls from over 10 years of experience in the health and fitness industry to provide you with the tools needed to reach your best health.

Alisha is in process of adding Acupuncture as a service for KRUSE ELITE and is particularly passionate about combining Acupuncture and movement coaching to help young women through metabolic issues, thyroid problems, adrenal fatigue, pain, asthma, allergies, and menstrual irregularities.

In 2013, she co-founded The Movement Project with boyfriend, Taylor Kruse. Both are dedicated to inspiring people, coaches, and trainers into their best health and performance.