👉 Start the 2-Minute Nervous System Reset -https://alignbreathing.com/reset Four-time World Champion freediver Stig Severinsen is the first human in history to hold his breath for more than 20 minutes, a feat that earned him a Guinness World Record and cemented his place among the world's most extraordinary athletes. In this episode of the Align Podcast, Stig Severinsen joins Aaron to explore the science and psychology of breath holding, flow states, stress resilience, and human performance. Stig shares what happens inside the mind during a 22-minute breath hold, why relaxation is the key to peak performance, the truth about hyperventilation breathing methods, and how conscious breathing can improve everyday life, recovery, and emotional well-being. ALIGN PODCAST EPISODE #600 ========== OUR GUEST ========== Stig Severinsen is a four time World Champion freediver and the first human to hold his breath for more than 20 minutes (20 minutes and 10 seconds back in 2010). The same year he also beat the Wim Hof record diving under ice. Stig holds a Master’s degree in biology (2001) and a PhD in medicine (2007) from the University of Aarhus, Denmark. In 2017 he was inaugurated as a fellow international member of the Explorer’s Club in New York. Stig has set 10 official Guinness world records, including the deepest unassisted dive in the ocean (200 feet in 2003), swimming 250 feet under ice wearing only speedos on a single breath (2013) and swimming 202.0 meters on a single breath in open water (2020). In 2012, Stig was crowned “The Ultimate Superhuman” on the Discovery Channel’s “Superhuman Showdown” when he held his breath for 22 minutes under water. Stig’s methods have been trusted by Olympian gold medal athletes, Navy SEALs, Fortune 500 companies, and the Danish Royal Airforce. Besides the high-performance segment, this method is also widely used for veterans battling PTSD, for people recovering from illness or accidents, and for everyday people and employees to stay healthy and energized throughout busy and stressful days. Today Stig focuses entirely on public speaking, 1:1 coaching, and teaching the many benefits of conscious breathing through his Breatheology platform, making the world breathe better, one breath at a time. =============== STIG SEVERINSEN =============== 🌐 WEBSITE ▶ https://www.stigseverinsen.com/ 📸 IG ▶ https://www.instagram.com/breatheology/?hl=en ▶️ YOUTUBE ▶ https://www.youtube.com/@breatheology ================= AARON ALEXANDER ================= 📸 IG ▶ https://www.instagram.com/aaronalexander/ 🤳 TIKTOK ▶ https://www.tiktok.com/@alignmethod 👉 SUBSCRIBE ▶ https://www.youtube.com/@AlignPodcast?sub_confirmation=1 🌐 WEBSITE ▶ https://www.alignpodcast.com =========== TIMESTAMPS =========== 00:00 Intro 00:40 What Happens Mentally During a 20-Minute Breath Hold? 06:28 Relaxation as a Performance Tool 09:31 Wim Hof Breathing & Common Misconceptions 12:23 How to Break the 20-Minute Barrier 15:25 The Transition Into Flow 19:12 How to Respond to Stress ====== ABOUT ====== Aaron Alexander is the best-selling author of The Align Method and host of The Align Podcast — a Top 10 Philosophy show with over one million monthly views. For two decades, he has helped the world’s greatest performers, athletes, and CEO’s improve the way they move, breathe, and regulate their nervous systems — simply put, he helps the best in the world feel and function even better. Aaron’s mission is simple: to inspire and educate people to live in alignment — body, mind, and beyond. Through the podcast and Align Breathing certification program, he teaches the principles of posture, breath, and movement that reconnect us to our natural state of strength and ease. ====== TOPICS ====== 1. Breath Holding Techniques 2. Freediving Training 3. Flow State Psychology 4. Conscious Breathing 5. Stress Management 6. Relaxation Techniques 7. Mental Resilience Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
