Calm your body and mind – naturally and effectively
When you consciously hold your breath, your body begins to respond automatically. Your heart rate slows, your breathing steadies, and your mind starts to calm down. This isn’t visualisation or imagination – it’s your body’s own measurable response, and you can learn to use it to your advantage.
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Breath-hold exercises activate the parasympathetic nervous system and stimulate the vagus nerve, which lowers heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormone levels. This helps you shift into a recovery state quickly and naturally – without having to “try” to relax.
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Order the book and learn how to move from stress to calm in just a few minutes.
The diaphragm – your body’s forgotten calming force
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The diaphragm is your body’s main breathing muscle, but it also plays a key role in regulating the autonomic nervous system. When it functions well, your breathing is calm, deep, and efficient. When it’s tense or inactive, your breath rises into the chest – and your body stays in a heightened alert state.
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The movement of the diaphragm directly stimulates the vagus nerve, which supports the parasympathetic nervous system. When the diaphragm has space and strength to move, your body receives a clear signal: you’re safe.
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In the book, you’ll find:
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exercises to activate and restore diaphragm mobility
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stretches to open up your breathing space
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insight into why diaphragmatic function is essential for deep relaxation
Breath-hold exercises offer a fast and effective way to activate the diaphragm and return the body to a calming rhythm.
Relax consciously – especially when you need it most
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Your body is designed to maintain a stable level of carbon dioxide. But under chronic stress, it may adapt to an abnormally low COâ‚‚ level – and start treating it as the new normal. The result: increased breathing rate, elevated heart rate and blood pressure, and a constant state of physiological overdrive.
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Breath-hold training helps your body adapt to higher carbon dioxide levels. This restores your natural breathing rhythm, reduces unnecessary breath rate, and strengthens parasympathetic activity. At the same time, blood circulation improves and your heart rate drops – naturally.
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In the book:
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you’ll learn why carbon dioxide is not a threat, but a helpful signal
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you’ll get exercises to safely raise your tolerance levels
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you’ll experience how your breathing quiets and your body relaxes – without trying
This isn’t a performance – it’s a return to your body’s natural rhythm.
Why practice breath holding?
When you train breath-holding, you learn to breathe better – deeper, slower, and more efficiently. You begin to use your lungs to their full capacity. This is not only important for performance – it also increases body awareness, presence, and peace of mind in daily life.
Breath-holding is a powerful and versatile practice that benefits both body and mind. When done regularly, breathing and apnea exercises strengthen the muscles of the respiratory system – especially the diaphragm and chest muscles – improving lung capacity and breathing efficiency.
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Breath-holding also increases your body’s ability to tolerate higher levels of carbon dioxide. As COâ‚‚ builds up, blood vessels dilate and circulation improves. This enhances the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, improving endurance, performance, and recovery. A higher COâ‚‚ tolerance also helps maintain the body’s optimal pH balance, making oxygen more available for use in your muscles.
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Improving COâ‚‚ tolerance through breath-holding is one of the most effective ways to support overall well-being and athletic performance.
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Breathing exercises also have a deep mental dimension. Focusing on your breath promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and brings mental clarity. Breath-holding activates the body’s natural dive response, which helps conserve oxygen by quieting the brain’s “thinking center.”
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This oxygen-saving reflex makes freediving and breath-holding a uniquely calming and meditative practice – one that supports resilience, presence, and both physical and mental endurance in everyday life and demanding situations.
AUTHOR
Johanna Nordblad
ICE DIVING WORLD RECORD HOLDER
I’m a freediving instructor and a three-time world record holder. I’ve taught breath-holding to both beginners and elite athletes, and I’ve seen the powerful effects of simple exercises: calmness, confidence, endurance, and the joy of moving in water.
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I wrote this book because I believe breath-holding is a skill everyone should have – not just competitive divers. Training can be enjoyable, safe, and deeply relaxing.
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If you want to learn how to breathe properly, breath-holding is one of the easiest and most effective ways to do it.
You can learn more about me and my work in the Netflix documentary
“Hold Your Breath: The Ice Dive” (2022)
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Order the book now and start your journey into the world of breath.
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