Conscious control of breath allows you to utilize each inhale and exhale for a purpose. Every phase of the breathing cycle, and each type of breathing has advantages and disadvantages. Knowing what each phase does and consciously using each of them is one of the most foundational sets of life hacks you can have in your arsenal (and it’s easier than making Bulletproof coffee). Here are just a few.

Breathing is one of our body’s core functions.  It is both incredibly simple to do and infinitely complex in its variations. There are many, many breathing techniques that can serve a multitude of purposes—and in the current culture, breathwork is something we could all use a little more of. You can use it to calm your mind and body, diffuse panic attacks, increase your alertness, promote weight loss (it turns out that we actually lose weight as we exhale—more on that another time), achieve spiritual breakthroughs, and get hallucinogenic highs… all without the aid of drugs or supplements.