Grand Canyon Times

While some breathwork programs involve hyperventilation, it’s more effective to focus on the “power of the exhale,” said Sedona, Arizona-based CEO, author, and coach Curt Mercadante.

“The ancients knew about the power of the exhale,” said Mercadante this week to members of his "Freedom Circle" men’s community. “They knew inherently that when we hyperventilate, it made you feel worse. They knew that it made you more anxious and then harder to concentrate. If you're meditating, it’s harder to be at one with yourself, with God, with the world around you. They knew the power of the exhale.”

Mercadante’s remarks came during a March 14, 2023 presentation titled, “Breathwork for better all-around performance.” He is CEO of Advantage Informatics, LLC, and founder of Freedom Rising Enterprises. He is author of the book, "Five Pillars of the Freedom Lifestyle."

“What they (the ancients) didn’t know is the word, ‘hypocapnia,’” said Mercadante. “The word has Greek origins. Hypo means ‘less than’ and Kapnos means ‘smoke.’ So the translation is ‘too little smoke.' The ‘smoke’ is actually carbon dioxide. You see, when we think we’re oxygenating ourselves by (hyperventilating) what we might actually be doing is messing up our balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide.”

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word “hypocapnia” means, “a deficiency of carbon dioxide in the blood.” Mercadante said that the condition can be caused by rapid breathing, or hyperventilation, resulting from exercise, anxiety, or panic attacks. He said there could be a number of symptoms of hypocapnia, including dizziness, confusion, lack of focus, or tingling in the extremities.

“We often focus on the oxygen, but we don't think of the carbon dioxide,” said Mercadante. “The balance is key for the acidity of your blood, and that affects the ability for your blood to carry the oxygen to your muscles and tissues. So people who think they're oxygenating themselves (by hyperventilating) might actually be preventing the oxygen from getting from their blood into their muscles and tissues. You need that good balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide.”

Mercadante pointed to the work of Dr. Konstantin Buteyko, a Ukrainian doctor who developed the Buteyko breathing method. This method involves a series of breathing exercises and techniques that aim to reduce the amount of air a person inhales, increase carbon dioxide levels in the body, and restore normal breathing patterns.

“There’s a great test for you to do, and anyone can do this. It's called the Buteyko Test to measure where you're at in terms of hypocapnia," said Mercadante. “I usually recommend to do it in the morning when you wake up. Go and sit quietly for a few moments. Breathe normally. Sit there, quiet, calm, have your feet on the ground. Just relax and breathe normally. And then exhale normally. Then hold it and measure the time of your breath hold.”

This breath hold is called "The Control Pause," according to Buteyko Clinic International. 

“Over time, paying attention to the breathing pattern, your carbon dioxide threshold will adjust to a higher and healthier level," said the organization's website. "As a result, the body becomes less sensitive to carbon dioxide accumulation, which will result in a gradual improvement in the length of time a person can hold their breath. By reducing the volume of breathing, carbon dioxide levels increase and therefore the control pause will increase.”

Butyeko Clinic International was founded in 2022 by Patrick McKeown, a breathing expert and author of "The Oxygen Advantage." McKeown began practicing the Butyeko Method at age 26 following “a lifetime of asthma medication and inhalers,” according to his website. He learned the method from Dr. Buteyko in Moscow, and in 2022 McKeown received accreditation to teach the Buteyko Method.

“Breath is such an overlooked part of our mental, physical, and spiritual health,” said Mercadante, who added that breath exercises such as the Buteyko Method will, “help you at work with your focus, and it's certainly going to help you in terms of your physical wellbeing, mood, stress and anxiety.”