How To!: Breathe Like a Navy SEAL

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4 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 11 April 2023

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

John has spent years training to become a Pararescueman, a member of Air Force Special Warfare tasked with recovering downed military personnel around the globe. He has pushed himself past countless obstacles and trials, except one — holding his breath in the pool. On this episode of How To!, co-host Carvell Wallace is joined by free diving expert and founder of the Performance Free Dive Academy Kirk Krack. Kirk has spent decades mastering the art of lowering his heart rate and increasing his capacity to hold his breath. He has advised everyone from Navy SEALs to the cast members of Avatar 2: The Way of Water. He even helped Sigourney Weaver go without a gulp of air for over 6 minutes! Kirk gives John tips for extending his breathholds under water and explains why all of us should be more conscious of how we breathe. If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Withstand Pain” Do you wonder how to push yourself past your limits? Send us a note at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen. Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, Kevin Bendis and Jabari Butler. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work. Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I kind of got bored just laying on the floor doing breathholds which made it even harder
0:04.6	when I wanted to breathe.
0:07.8	My wife was on the swim team and she got annoyed because I'd get to the end of a breathhold
0:11.0	and then I'd start getting up and walking around instead of laying down and relaxing.
0:14.9	She's like, you're doing it wrong.
0:21.0	Welcome to How To.
0:22.0	I'm Carbo Wallace.
0:24.5	Do you remember as a kid trying to escape the heat and boredom in the middle of July?
0:29.8	You find yourself at the community pool, the public beach, or even your neighbor's
0:33.2	tiny inflatable pool.
0:35.0	And then someone suggests like a breathholding contest.
0:37.9	And of course there's always that one kid that tries to cheat and there's that one kid
0:41.2	in goggles who's like watching everyone like a vigilante to make sure no one sneaks
0:44.6	an extra breath.
0:45.6	And eventually everyone bursts out of the water gasping for air, bragging about how
0:49.4	long they lasted.
0:50.8	Well, for this week's listener, holding his breath is no longer just a game.
0:57.2	My name's John.
0:58.2	I tried out for a special operations group in the Air Force called Para Rescue.
1:03.0	The pool is kind of their big testing ground and I'd panicked in the pool and quit.
1:11.0	John joined the Air Force later than most.
1:13.4	He wanted to change from his job, but more than that, he was drawn to this Para Rescue group.
	...

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