Originally Posted by
jim24
That said, point me to any activity that ISN'T improved through control of the breath. Increased oxygen supply to the muscles through correct, controlled breathing comes to mind.
High intensity exercise.
Originally Posted by
surchekian
unless we're blowing up in a state of elevated aerobic or anaerobic function.
Exactly. The body spontaneously adjusts breathing depth and frequency to optimize gas exchange. At low exercise intensities (like yoga) you have more room to play with breathing techniques, but as the intensity increases your body will take over.
Another thing that people fail to realize is that altered breathing can reduce the amount of oxygen absorbed via loss of CO2. The loss of CO2 alters the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. This is why people who are hyperventilating are told to breath into a paper bag. The CO2 recirculation increases oxygen absorption.
Short of asthma or COPD ventilation is not performance limiting.
Any notion that you know better than your body is laughable; and yoga is closer to religion than science. Namasté