Before

Hydration

Hydration is key before, during, and after your Optimal Focus Protocol. Drink mineral-infused water, use mineral sachets (added to your water), or even add a pinch of sea salt to your water if that’s all you have available.  

Why Minerals?  

When there are minerals in the water (sodium, calcium, selenium, potassium, boron, magnesium, and others), the water you drink will be absorbed more efficiently keeping you better hydrated. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy works by infusing oxygen directly into the blood plasma (liquid of our blood). If you are dehydrated, there will be less blood plasma and correspondingly, less oxygen infused and taken to where it's needed. In addition, minerals are essential to energy (ATP) production at the cellular level. During HBOT, we are increasing ATP production because of the increased oxygen in circulation. As a result, your body’s requirement for minerals will also increase.  


During

BREATHING TECHNIQUE

Pair your HBOT-session with the 4-7-8 Breathing
to reach calm, relaxed control.Optimal Focus requires calm, relaxed control. When we are stressed, our sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) is activated and this negatively affects focus and performance. The key is to increase parasympathetic (rest, calm, and digest) activation and one of the fastest and most efficient ways to do this is by using various breathing techniques that prolong exhalation. While in the chamber, we suggest you try the 4-7-8 breathing technique. In 4-7-8, you inhale to the count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7, and then slowly exhale for a count of 8. The goal is to do this 5 to 10 times in succession but even after just one or two rounds, you’ll likely feel more calm and relaxed. If 4-7-8 relaxes you to the point of napping, that’s perfect. This is called an “oxygen nap” and it will be one of the most rejuvenating naps you’ve ever experienced.

After

Cold Therapy
Cold improves blood flow, detox and wakes you up, boosts your focus and making you feel blissful.  

Cold Therapy after your Optimal Focus protocol serves two major purposes. The first is cold therapy increases blood and lymphatic flow. When under actual cold conditions, the body constricts blood peripheral vessels and diverts blood to the most essential organs (brain, heart, lungs) to keep them alive and warm.  When the cold is removed, there is a rapid warming and dilation of blood vessels, including those in your periphery (skin, scalp, feet, etc) with blood and lymphatic flow rushing there.  

The second purpose of cold therapy post HBOT is due to the release of neurotransmitters associated with focus such as norepinephrine and epinephrine, endocannabinoids (our body’s natural cannabinoids) like Anandamide which is known as the “bliss molecule”, and endorphins which make us feel good as well. 

Choices for cold therapy include cold water immersion (tubs, rivers, lakes), cryotherapy in a cryotherapy chamber, or even a cold shower. Typical cold exposure is from 2 to 5 minutes depending on type and temperature of the cold therapy. 

Learn more about Hyperbaric Therapy

Read these articles to learn more about how you can use HBOT to optimise your health.