Last week, I barely passed my KB snatch test on a practice day.
The culprit? Breath control.
I got lost in the reps, lost in my family turmoil, lost in my formidable schedule, lost in my fatigue…just lost.
I forgot for 4 minutes and 59 seconds the most important part of strength and conditioning, as well as life.
Breath control.
So, I’ve been diligently working on it every day since then. The most effective way for me to make myself do it is to coach others in doing it.
My patient today couldn’t nail a difficult skill and started breathing heavily. I stopped him and coached him through breathing.
Two minutes later – he cried. He then nailed the skill with an ease I could barely believe I witnessed.
It’s an intense emotional release. Yes – breathing is not just breathing.
Breath control is taking control.
When I asked if he was alright, he said, “Yes. I was breathing hard out of fear. Fear that I just couldn’t do it.”
When you feel like control isn’t yours, put all your focus into breath control. Breath is the first thing you check on an unconscious person for good reason.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley