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Comment by n1000 | Hacker News Reader

Edit: Learned it here on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13508038

I don't know why box breathing always gets credited as a Navy SEAL invention. This is a centuries-old technique and the SEALs got this from yoga/pranayama.

Is it? I always read about it as "used" by Navy SEAL, not "created" by them.

It's like the moon walk[0]. Michael Jackson made it popular but it had been around well before hand.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonwalk_(dance)

It sounds a lot cooler for some people to say they use a technique that Navy SEALs use instead of calling it a yoga technique.

technically, in pranayama you never hold your breath after exhaling. also a 16 second cycle is quite fast for a pranayama technique.

Yes, you do. It is called Bahya Kumbhaka.

It does not play any significant role. That you can hold breath after exhaling is obvious and yogis probably talked about it. Doesn't change the fact though that Pranayama is all about holding breath after inhaling. That is basically the core goal.

Different pranayamas have different goals. Check out Bhastrika pranayama for instance.

okay, I'll have another look at it. anyway - my intention was not to disregard breathing techniques where breath holding after exhalation plays a role. I do a few of them on a regular basis. I just don't like the Navy Seals practice Pranayama sentiment. can't even say why exactly.

> I just don't like the Navy Seals practice Pranayama sentiment.

Me either, its like two annoying memes are trying to breed a memeplex together.

No, that is not the only core goal. Pranayama has many breathing exercises with many different goals.

And cronopios is right:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumbhaka

They might have created boxed breathing in training / unboxed breathing on the mission paradigm.

There is a huge demographic that would buy yoga pants if you explain they are tactical seal team 6 pants.

LOL, you are not far off. I can't remember where, but a while ago I saw an interview with some guy who did pretty much that: he opened a studio but instead of calling it yoga he came up with some 'cool' name like 'RX+fitness' or whatever (you get the idea) and marketed to 'tough guys'. He even said in the interview it was mostly yoga with some cardio, but that the whole ambiance was designed to make males feel secure doing it. He was making a killing.

While I also believe what you’d at to be true, I fail to see how this is any different than Tim Ferriss or many other people like him.

If Tim says X works, how many Silicon Valley types suddenly start doing it?

In fact, given that former Navy SEAL Jocko Wilnick is all the rage in the business world and Tim Ferriss is also followed by the same crowd, the crossover between those two groups is probably larger than you think.

I'm on a local fire department, and we've had this taught as one option to try and manage air use with the SCBA packs. I find it useful, but since I'm already conscious of breathing (with some slight effort to inhale), I tend to feel the need more than without the pack.

It does seem to help to hum (for some) or at least purse your lips (for me) to drag out the exhalation step without having to inhale right away. I would certainly like to be better at this though, those packs don't last that long.

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