At first glance, breath-holding and breathing training seem like opposites — one stops the breath; the other strengthens it.

But beneath the surface, they share the same biological foundation.

Both train the respiratory muscles, both can reshape the nervous system, and both build a deeper command of the boundary between physiology and will.

What recent science is showing — and what elite freedivers have known for decades — is that breath-holding itself can serve as one of the most powerful forms of respiratory muscle conditioning.

Breath-Holding as Isometric Strength Training

Every long apnea is a war between reflex and restraint.

When ventilation is paused, oxygen lowers, and carbon dioxide rises, the brainstem commands “breathe,” the diaphragm and upper respiratory muscles contracts against a closed glottis — an isometric contraction under hypoxic stress.

It’s the respiratory equivalent of lifting heavy weight without moving the bar.

This repeated interna...

It is in the aquatic world reigning beneath the surface of the ocean off Yelapa, Mexico, that in 2020 I discovered a truth about breath-holding that would shape my life and, soon, my forthcoming book. This story, destined for a chapter I’m keeping confidential for now, unveils how stillness and intention - born from spearfishing - unlocked a resilience far beyond traditional relaxation practices. Today, I invite you into this underwater world, blending personal narrative with science to build anticipation for what’s to come.

The Hunt Beneath the Waves

Living in Yelapa, a jungle-fringed village where the sea dictates survival, I turned to spearfishing to feed my family fresh-caught fish. Each dive was a dance with the unknown, my body submerged, breath held, waiting behind a rock for “huachinango” (red snapper) or grouper to glide into range. The challenge wasn’t just holding my breath, it was remaining as still as possible. Fish sense everything: a twitch of a fin, a ripple of ...