Ayurveda and the Athlete: Recovery begins with the first breath.
Skateboarding the Great Wall or base jumping from Mt Everest. While these may be examples on the far end of the sport spectrum, in general, people now are chasing extreme pendulum shifts to extract as much pleasure-seeking juice out of their dopamine receptors as they possibly can by exhausting themselves, then forcing themselves to ratchet up whatever their stimulus in order to experience more pleasure.
Along the way, we’re collectively experiencing deep levels of fatigue and exhaustion, sometimes irreparable, especially in the world of athletics.
The high that athletes experience in extreme situations is represented by the same pattern of brain wave coordination that people can experience in meditation—and even through the breath. For example, when we engaged in a series of studies investigating nasal breathing versus mouth breathing during exercise, we also observed the same brain wave pattern. In pilot and published studies (including one published in 1996 in the International Journal of Neuroscience) *, we saw the kind of alpha wave production during vigorous exercise that you really only see in meditation.
Ancient wisdom found in Ayurveda is all about creating the calm within the eye of the storm and performing actions from this state. This is the transformational practice of the Vedas. And, the place we begin is with the breath.
Where to begin? Whenever you are engaged in a physical activity, start to breathe through your nose—deeply—and then breathe out through the nose. Use the subtle sound of ujjayi on the exhalation to create an abdominal, diaphragmatic, cardiac massage. This breath activates the calming vagal response, which then slips the brain into a coherent alpha brain wave state. We have good science to back up this effect. This is cool because the brain becomes calm—even in the eye of the storm.
Use this technique during yoga, a walk, a hike, a bike ride, or even a run. For the first five or 10 minutes, go really slow and simply exercise your lungs first. Breathe deeply in and out through your nose while doing very little exertion—walk slowly and breathe deeply or do very easy yoga—for the first five minutes of the session or workout. Once you establish a rhythm, notice the natural pause at the top and bottom of each breath, the natural linking of one breath to another. Experience that pause between one breath and the next during your activity. Once you establish that rhythm, engage in more exertion—run a little faster, ride a little harder, go up a hill, or engage in a little bit more of a vigorous posture.
Listen. Pay attention to your breath and the space between the breath. If you lose the space between your breath, your breath will start to move in the direction of a gasp for air, and you’ll be chest breathing, or what the body sees as a mouth breathing emergency state. Slow down the pace or back off and reestablish your comfortable rhythm of your breath. Once you reestablish the comfortable rhythm of the breath, you can reengage until you start to lose the spaces between the breath again. Your stamina and ability to maintain your breath will increase over time.
Use your practice of nose breathing to monitor how much exercise is appropriate for you and how much more is potentially harmful. If you have to open up your mouth, you are going too hard or your posture is too extreme; you need to back off and do whatever you are doing within a comfortable rhythm of deep breathing through your nose. By exercising with your mouth closed while breathing through your nose, you become a more efficient prana (energy) moving machine.
When you move prana, that prana activates the nadi system, or network of channels within the body. This activation enhances our ability to maintain a state of heightened awareness. With that awareness we have the ability to make better choices and we have the ability to see more clearly the illusions around us, even seeing what the mind and body have created in the name of illusion. With greater clarity, we can then take action to cultivate greater states of freedom. According to the Vedic teachings, you have to utilize these levels of awareness to change your brain, not just to walk around with big muscles or impressive flexibility. You have to change your patterns of behavior: That is what exercise, yoga, breathing, meditation are all about: This is why the Vedas proposed these techniques and principles. And, this how ancient wisdom can be applied in the modern world.
* Reference cited: Travis, F., Blasdell, K., Liptak, R., Zisman, S., Daley, K., Douillard, J. 1996. Invincible Athletics program: aerobic exercise and performance without strain. International Journal of Neuroscience. Apr.; 85(3-4), 301-8.
Dr. John Douillard has been featured on the Dr. Oz Show, and in Woman’s World Magazine, Yoga Journal, Elephant Journal, and dozens of other publications and venues. He has published over 500 free health articles and videos on his website and is the author of notable books including Body, Mind, and Sport, The 3-Season Diet, Perfect Health for Kids, The Yoga Body Diet, The Colorado Cleanse, and The Encyclopedia of Ayurvedic Massage. His Ayurvedic practice offers in person, phone, and Skype consultations as well as programs online and worldwide: lifespa.com.
Dr. Douillard is one of the featured speakers at the upcoming National Ayurvedic Medical Association Conference in Newport Beach, April 9-12. He has been featured on the Dr. Oz Show, in Woman’s World Magazine, Elephant Journal, Yoga Journal and dozens of other publications and venues.
Dr. John Douillard, DC has written and produced numerous health and fitness books, CDs, and DVDs, including Body, Mind, and Sport; The Three Season Diet, and Perfect Health for Kids. He has been teaching and lecturing internationally for 25 years and publishes a free wellness video-newsletter filled with the latest studies and research. He is a triathlete who was the Director of Player Development for the New Jersey Nets in the NBA and currently directs the LifeSpa- Ayurvedic Retreat Center in Boulder, CO, where he lives with his wife and six children: lifespa.com.