Join a meditation retreat! It's not just about helping you awaken your inner kundalini, it'll also mitigate any possible ADHD!

Learning the Wim Hof breathing method changed my life for the better. And this is not meant as an advertisement for his business; you can find the same technique (with or without branding) for free everywhere online. I highly, highly recommend trying it out.

Whenever I feel scatter-brained, lack focus or creativity, when I'm feeling down, (or just feel like it) ... this is my go-to method. ~20 minutes of controlled, intermittent hypoxia. Not to mention it's an excellent "tool" to have in psychologically and/or physically stressful times, such as after an accident and being in a hospital (speaking from experience).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tummo

You can also download the Wim Hof app for free, which has a feature to guide you through the breathing exercise in a more personalized way.

If I said anything has a pronounced effect on sleep restfulness or concentration it's been whole plant based food which I tried incorporating in my diet more after watching Forks over Knives.

I still eat the occasional meat and cheese, but I found especially useful to replace dinner with WPBF. I naturally, i.e. without alarm, wake up after 6-7h of sleep instead of 9-10h, and I feel much more awake during the day.

I think it's mostly that if you eat heavy (greasy, meaty, cheesy) food in the evening your digestive system is so busy you can't sleep properly.

I would say the effect is much larger than cutting out alcohol, even though that's of course also helpful.

IMO both of these are better integrated with pranayam.

I don't know about Wim Hof but I hope that he preserves the spirit and the ambience of yoga while imparting the knowledge and also cites references and gives credit where it is due. Yoga works on a much deeper level than just curing ADHD if done in the right ambience. Even a moderate yoga practitioner raises and expands their consciousness from oneself to being coextensive with everyone and everything.

You're better going straight to the source: http://www.yogebooks.com/english/atkinson/1903sciencebreath....

Thats probably the reason why the author of this comment feels that it is far better going to the source rather than cherry picking a few practices.

My kid went through a battery of tests that included light - no reaction - and hyperventilation - that triggered some jerky movements in his legs and a clear alteration of the EEG readings.

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6546426/

On an aside, I have struggled with reading focus these past few years I have found that when I read I get a jittery panicky feeling like I need to stop and do something else. What seems to help is, when that feeling occurs is to use diaphragmatic breathing and continue to read, my focus is better and the feeling subsides. I am hoping I can retrain myself to focusing like I used to as I loved to read.

Growing up, adults used to say... "Remeber your breathing!" Perhaps they were right :-)

Not worth reporting.

Totally worth doing a few bigger studies before shouting to the world that we're just not breathing right.

Snark aside, your anecdotal endorsement of this breathing technique could give some Homeopaths a run for their money. Might want to ease up on the fanatical tone of your pitch.

Also, this way of breathing isn't something you do continuously. It's just an exercise you do when you want to realize the benefits. Maybe a couple times a day if you are keen.

The guy climbs mountains in just his underwear and shorts, can ward off a cold using his mind and this way of breathing, held the world records for distance under ice and sitting submerged in a tub of ice water. He teaches others to do these things very quickly. Women want him and men want to be him. I'm still not being fanatical ok? This guy is the real deal.

This sounds really fanatical, especially when you say you want to give someone something "real and objective". Real and objective is more than personal experiences and a case study of 1. We need diverse, well-considered studies in a controlled setting.

Now if through a breathing exercise you can go and pump out 34 that would be extraordinary and something impressive. I'm telling you that this kind of gain is actually possible for you right now if you try it. Go ahead, give it a try and report back.

well sure, for vaccine trials maybe. the parent's suggestion is more along the lines of, "give it a try, what could it hurt?"

The same can and has been said for essential oils, fat-only diets, and homeopathic dilutes.

"What can it hurt" is a terrible justification, especially in the field of psychiatric disorders.

"What can it hurt?" Alot.

Seriously, I didn't make a comment about essential oils, fat-only diets or homeopathic dilutes. While you are correct that the same CAN be said for these, you should note that the same WAS NOT SAID BY ME.

I posted regarding spending 5 minutes a day on breathing excersises.

And nobody is suggesting to replace existing approaches for ADHD with breathing exercises. It's just another tool to consider and try for focus or physical exertion.

The funny thing is there's lots of credible science with Wim Hof if you care to Google. But what's the point when it's so accessible, harmless and easy to just validate a claim for yourself?

In re: "magic powers": The word is "siddhi".

> Siddhis (Sanskrit: सिद्धि siddhi; fulfillment, accomplishment) are material, paranormal, supernatural, or otherwise magical powers, abilities, and attainments that are the products of yogic advancement through sādhanās such as meditation and yoga.[1] The term ṛddhi (Pali: iddhi, "psychic powers") is often used interchangeably in Buddhism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi

The only important thing to know about these magic powers is that they are a distraction.

And yeah these benefits may in fact be a side effect and not central to the whole spiritual journey you could go on but that doesn't resonate a lot in the West and probably closes the door to a lot of us if that's how it is first framed.

Going at it this way personally worked as an intro and has made me more receptive to the bigger picture you allude to which is a place I never would have got to without Wim Hof first convincing me to try.

I know how it is when you find something that works for you and you really want to share it.

FWIW, I see the popularization of these things as a net positive.

Taoists believe that the spirit and the body connect through breathing because it is both a involuntary and voluntary action at the same time.

Now that you're thinking about it, you're probably personally controlling your breath, where before you clicked into this comment section it was just happening naturally.

I read several books, starting with one written by a Westerner and the later ones that were over a millenia old. All focused on all sorts breathing exercises.

Even during love making, controlled measured breathing. Centering yourself, focusing your attention/sensory tools inwards rather than the outside world.

From my limited experience, I'd say if you're having issues with focus it is a great tool to have.

If you want some book recommendations I can give them, just ask. I don't want people to think I'm here to market anything.

A link to the free PDF is mentioned in the last paragraph.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/292570/tao-te-ching...

Has had a significant effect on my life. Do it for 20 minutes before you go to bed and see if you get results in a couple of weeks.

I certainly knew nothing about it until I read this feature article [0][1] and the resources it pointed to.

[0] https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jul/26/every-b...

[1] HN thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23962638

Don't get me wrong, I still love breathing techniques and Yoga and practice both on a daily basis.

But I DON'T see how stimulating your nervous system this way will do what ADHD medication actually does: Inhibit dopamine/norephedrine reuptake / increase dopamine/norephedrine secretion.

In other words, in my n-equals-one world, the difference the right medication has made in managing ADHD has been an order of magnitude greater compared to regular, intense and consistent breathing, Yoga and meditation.

[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=interleave

Medication helps with the latter part. Meditation helps me capitalize on it further.

Why do you assume thats the only way to mitigate behaviors associated with ADHD?

One region of the brain getting more oxygen? If that were the explanation, surely other regions of the brain would be performing poorly due to insufficient oxygen as well. And further, taking oxygen might be expected to yield improvements. Is any of that the case?

This is news to me, and I'm having trouble finding any good sources that talk about it. Anyone have any suggestions?

Magnesium deficiency should be part of this discussion.

I wonder what criteria they used to measure the improvement in focus. Was it the children themselves saying "yes, I feel more focused now", or was it a test of the children's ability of focus, or something else?