The 4-Hour Body_ An Uncommon Guide to Ra - Timothy Ferriss [185]
This is why, when I bumped into him at the medical conference TEDMED, I begged him to train me. See, I am also an anomaly. When I was born premature, my left lung collapsed. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d held my breath for more than one minute.
He agreed, and I joined a small group in a closed-door training session the next evening. The training lasted 15 minutes.
The results?
Before: 40 secs.
After: 3 mins. and 33 secs. (!!!)
Out of roughly 12 TEDMED attendees he taught, all but one beat Harry Houdini’s lifelong record of 3 minutes and 30 seconds. One woman held her breath for more than five minutes. Roni Zeiger MD, Google’s Chief Health Strategist, topped out at an unbelievable 4:05 and remembers the experience vividly:
“We were tricking our bodies into doing something, and the tingling in my fingers and lightheadedness made that clear. For me, it was like skydiving—I felt powerful, vulnerable, am lucky to have done it, and I probably won’t do it again.”
The David Blaine Method
DISCLAIMER: This is for informational purposes only. Do not attempt in water or without proper supervision.
Here’s how we all did it.
First and foremost, the disclaimer is not a joke. David himself has almost died on several occasions. See the video in “Tools and Tricks” for a visual warning: you will watch firsthand as David goes into convulsions underwater.
The notes that became this chapter were taken on a scrap of paper while performing the exercises. Much of it was written after I lost almost all sensation in my hands following the purging exercises, and after colors began to morph. After 3 minutes and 20 seconds, I was shaking.
FYI, the above side effects are all common.
DEFINITIONS
Deep breathing: Taking a big breath in through the mouth, holding for one second, and then exhaling for 10 seconds through your almost-closed mouth with tongue pressed against your lower teeth. It should be a hissing exhalation and make a tsssssss sound. All breathing and exercises—both inhalation and exhalation—are performed through the mouth.
Purging: A strong exhalation as if you were trying to blow a toy sailboat across a pool, followed by a big but faster inhalation. David’s cheeks were puffed out as he demonstrated the exhalation. (Imagine the Big Bad Wolf blowing the pigs’ houses down.) Be careful not to heave or rock back and forth, as this wastes oxygen. Keep as still as possible.
Semi-purging: Breathing somewhere between the above two. More forceful than deep breathing but less forceful than full purging. Used for recovering after each time trial.
THE STEPS
All durations are in MIN:SEC format, and everything was done seated.
1:30 deep breathing
1:15 purging (if you feel like you’re going to pass out, do it less intensely)
Hold breath for a target 1:30, no more
After that hold:
Take 3 semi-purge breaths
1:30 deep breathing
1:30 purging
Hold breath for a target 2:30, no more
After that hold:
Take 3 semi-purge breaths
2:00 deep breathing
1:45 purging
Hold breath for as long as possible
After exhalation:
Take 3–10 hard semi-purge breaths until you recover
Other Observations
David’s record using the above method is 7:47, and his heart rate dropped below 20 beats per minute when he did it.
Supervision is critical, and David had us move our right index finger slightly every 30 seconds or so while holding our breath to indicate we were all right. More motion would waste O2.
He also suggested going from A to Z in your head during time trials, visualizing friends whose names start with each letter as you go. This was incredibly useful. Use celebrities or historical figures when needed. This serves to distract you from the fact that you’re holding your breath.
The more frequently you check your time, the shorter your ultimate time will be. Too much focus on the time creates tension. All of the test subjects, including me, had a harder time holding their