I Ditched Meditation for This Ancient Breathing Technique—Here's What Happened
The breathing technique that beat meditation
Have you ever sat down to meditate, only to be told to
“focus on your breath, but don’t control it”?
For me, that instruction was an impossible paradox. My mind immediately starts directing the show. As a biohacker, I needed a better way—a path to calm and focus that I could actually measure and rely on.
This is the story of how I went from a frustrated meditator to a firm believer in the power of breathwork, all thanks to a simple biofeedback device and a personal experiment. I'll share how I discovered a more practical way to control my state and how you can, too.
This article is for you if:
You've tried traditional meditation but struggle to quiet your mind.
You're a practical, data-driven person who wants to see measurable results.
You feel you don't have time for a lengthy practice but need a quick way to manage daily stress.
My Unexpected Journey from Biohacker to Meditator
Over a decade ago, my life looked very different. I was wrestling with my own health problems, which ultimately took me on a transformative path from poor habits to becoming a biohacker and certified coach. You can read the full story on my blog here, but the journey was anything but a straight line.
When I dove into my year-long Human Potential coach training in 2016, I expected to be immersed in cutting-edge supplements, tech, and biohacking devices. To my surprise, the program kicked off with eight weeks of mindfulness meditation training.
I actually loved it. Around the same time, I had a powerful experience with Wim Hof at the Bulletproof conference, where he led a room of a thousand people through a breathwork session. The immediate shift in my state was undeniable and it planted a seed. But still, I pursued meditation.
The Biohacker's Dilemma: Putting Mindfulness to the Test
The core challenge I kept running into with mindfulness was that nagging instruction: observe the breath without controlling it. It just wasn’t happening. And I knew that an unregulated nervous system was at the root of so many issues my clients (and I) faced—brain fog, reactive emotions, and poor sleep.
So, I decided to do what a biohacker does best: run an experiment. I used a simple biofeedback device by HeartMath called an emWave, which uses an ear clip to measure your heart rate variability (HRV). It shows a red light when you’re stressed or out of sync and a green light when your nervous system is in a state of optimal balance, or “coherence.”
I took this little device everywhere. I measured my coherence scores during mindfulness meditation, group mantra meditations, and structured breathwork sessions. I wanted to see the data for myself.
The Data Was Clear: The Benefits of Breathwork Were Undeniable
The results were immediate and consistent: breathwork produced the highest coherence scores every single time. It wasn't even close.
The science behind this is fascinating. When you intentionally slow your breathing down, you are directly stimulating your vagus nerve. This is the main highway of your parasympathetic nervous system—the body's built-in "rest-and-digest" system. Techniques like coherent breathing, at a pace of about six breaths per minute, have been shown to be optimal for stimulating the vagus nerve and maximizing HRV, which is exactly what the emWave was measuring. (Source: National Library of Medicine)
The data confirmed what I felt. Breathwork was the most practical and effective tool to consciously shift my state into one of calm, energy, or focus.
Your First Step into Breathwork
Ready to run your own experiment? You don't need a fancy device to feel the benefits of breathwork. All you need is a few minutes.
Step 1: Find a Quiet Space. Set aside just three to five minutes where you won't be interrupted. Sit upright but comfortably in a chair or on the floor.
Step 2: Try Coherent Breathing. Close your mouth and gently inhale through your nose for a slow count of 5. Then, smoothly exhale through your nose for a slow count of 5. Don’t pause at the top or bottom. Just create a smooth, continuous loop of breathing.
Step 3: Notice the Shift. Do this for a few minutes and simply notice the change. You’ll likely feel a sense of calm wash over you as your heart rate settles and your mind clears. For more simple and effective exercises, check out my guide to breathing exercises for anxiety.
It’s not just about managing stress; the ripple effects are profound. I recently guided a client through a Zen Mindset Reset session, and by the end, she looked at me in surprise and said, "My back pain... it's gone." She had been living with chronic pain for years, and a single session of regulating her nervous system provided immediate relief.
If you're tired of struggling with the abstract nature of meditation and are curious to see how a more direct approach can transform your focus and resilience, I’ve designed a program for you.
Join the Zen Mindset Reset to build a powerful, sustainable practice that delivers measurable results.
P.S.
The best part about this form of meditation?
You're supposed to be in control. Your busy mind will thank you.