Myth 3: “Breathing is only for oxygenation”

If you do what most people do, you likely breathe in ways that are so short, involuntary, and unconscious that you may be surprised by how much proper breathing affects us emotionally and cognitively. Yet sitting down to follow the rhythms, frequencies, alternations, and retentions of inhalations and exhalations can also lead to paradoxical moments in which these benefits are hard to perceive—especially when considering the anxiety produced by following them strictly, particularly if you have no experience with meditation or do not feel comfortable with the idea of “doing nothing.” In fact, sitting alone, remaining silent, and “emptying the mind” causes anxiety for many people, and we must acknowledge that it is not easy.

According to a study conducted by the University of Virginia in 2014 and published in the journal Science, 65% of the participants preferred to receive a mild electric shock rather than remain alone with their thoughts for between 6 and 15 minutes without any external guidance. However, if we understood that pathological neuronal hyperactivity is one of the factors associated with Alzheimer’s disease (though not the only one), and that meditation acts as a regulator of neural overexcitation, we would begin to place greater importance on the act of sitting down to breathe.

When we breathe through the nose, we produce nitric oxide (NO), a small molecule with an enormous physiological impact. It is a key messenger that regulates the balance between the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, and is essential for vasodilation, immune function, and communication between neurons. Mouth breathing—typical of stress states—eliminates this benefit. Every breathing pattern sends direct information to the nervous system. Short, rapid breaths activate the alert response; slow, deep breaths induce calm. This is not psychological—it is physiological.

But there is more;

In his book on the potential of the human body, Wim Hof takes this theory to limits previously unknown to human physiology and shows how certain breathing patterns can alter deep physiological states, making seemingly superhuman feats possible—such as climbing Mount Everest in shorts or withstanding temperatures of −20°C by generating internal heat through breathing and increasing pain tolerance.

By strengthening the vascular system, the immune system is also strengthened.

These discoveries push the boundaries of our true potential and raise new questions about what our real limits may be. When we remember that we have the power to voluntarily influence a key process such as breathing, we open access to systems over which we do not have direct control, yet which are critical to the functioning of the organism as a whole. Those who breathe better, regulate better.

Therefore, this myth falls apart when we accept that breathing is about regulating the nervous system, not merely oxygenating tissues.

Ignoring this function means wasting one of the most accessible and powerful tools of the human body.

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