On episode 69 I sat down with Rob Wilson to discuss how breathing influences athletic performance as well as our overall state of well being. This is a conversation full of explanations for implementing breathwork practices that help to build proper breathing mechanics. We start the discussion by defining the term breathwork and getting a better idea of the aim of a well developed breathwork regiment. Bringing breathing into training realms is definitely something that has trended upwards over the last few years, so I thought that we would be welled suited to understand what a well intentioned breath practice includes. I really enjoyed how Rob expressed that we have to have a goal or aiming point in mind, without this it's hard to validate if practices are having a meaningful impact on our athletes or clients. One of the benefits of breathwork that appeared on more than one occasion is the idea of conscious control, when implementing breathwork, you are consciously taking control of your breathing process.  Rob outlines the positive aspects of implementing nasal breathing in our everyday lives as well as within training parameters.  Rob does a great job of outlining some of the causes behind this phenomena and some of the things that can be done to bring a greater balance to the inhale/exhale cycle. One of my favorite parts of the conversation dealt with the neurology of the breathing process. Rob shares how  breathing is an autonomic process controlled mostly at a subconscious level by the brain stem and lower portions of the brain. However, our ability to practice breathwork displays that at any time we can take conscious control of the breathing process and utilize it to shift or change our physical and mental state. I really wanted to discuss this aspect because of my familiarity of the limbic system and its interconnection to Carbon Dioxide sensitivity. Rob provides great insight to how the body regulates PH and CO2 sensitivity, this is a great area of the conversation, where Rob shares why and  how over breathing can become the norm for an individual. Rob not only shares how over breathing can become a common occurrence, he discusses the power of harnessing nasal breathing to shift CO2 sensitivity as well as a mechanism to make individuals more aerobically efficient in the long run.  Rob shares how we can implement breathing practices in larger settings and avoid all the jargon that can stifle and dampen the power of breathwork practices. Rob shares how giving athletes a sense of feel or awareness in their breathing processes is the beginning. This allows for athletes to examine their limitations, once you label issues you can than actively seek to improve issues with individual breathing processes. The conversation ends by discussing resilience and adaptability, and rob shares how resilience is really a multifaceted trait. Rob also shares how breathing is one of the simplest manners that we can influence our own mindset and physiology and leverage it for change and greater adaptability to any number of circumstances.  Make sure to click the link below to check out the longer write up that references multiple points that were shared in this weeks episode. While there, you can also sign up for Ground Level the monthly Podcast Newsletter covering key points from each episode.  From the ground up athletic performance.com  prepare to perform Insta Breathing as a skill (Simplifaster) Nasal Breathing for Athletes (Simplifaster)