“I believe that all of humanity suffers from false breathing,” says Yasin Seinewasser. “We humans have breathed perfectly as babies, because a healthy baby always breathes into the nose and stomach and never flat up.” Breathing the nose into the stomach is the best, explains the 48-year-old in the DW interview. The mental and breathing trainer believes in the power of breathing and sees the key to success in different breathing techniques- at competitive sports level, but also in everyday life.
Samurai warriors influence Yasin Seinewasser
As a child, Seinewasser discovered the importance of breathing for himself. At the age of eight, he was enthusiastic about martial arts, went to the local library and read a lot about the old Samurai and the Zen apprenticeship from Japan.
He wanted to learn how he can strengthen his body and above all the mind. “So I started training early on a mental level and that included many breathing exercises,” recalls Seinewasser.
He worked hard – on his body, but also on the spirit – and became German champion in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in 2007. He also achieved the fastest co-strike in the history of his weight class (three seconds). Later he was responsible for the royal family of Saudi Arabia as a bodyguard. After that, Seine Water returned to Germany and turned his life up. From then on he devoted himself to Zen apprenticeship. The martial artist became mental and breathing coaches.
Frank Stäbler: “I only breathed for two months”
During the Corona pandemic, the then wrestling world champion Frank Stäbler became aware of him in 2020. Stäbler suffered from Long Covid and had big breathing problems. “At that time I was desperate,” recalls Stäbler in the DW interview. “I was set as a great gold hope for the Tokyo Olympic Games, but I was no longer resilient due to the illness and had scientifically proven a drop in performance of over 20 percent.”
His doctors had little hope that he would be fit again. He was a severe asthmatist and without strong medication he has no chance of participating in the games, it said. But Stäbler tried a different way and went into the hands of Seinewasser, which believed in him and a complete recovery.
“We met and started training immediately. So first I am away from the mat, i.e. my Olympic preparation and only did breathing techniques for two months.”
Impressive blood values through breathing techniques
Stäbler’s doctors and many people from his surroundings and the wrestling association saw this skeptically. “You said: ‘Hey, the Franconia, who spins. He wants to become an Olympic champion and now he is no longer training, but just breathes.'”
But Stäbler did not let himself be put off and consistently continued his breathing training – in meetings with life water, but also on the home sofa in the evening. “The key is to have confidence in something that is not visible,” explains the 35-year-old. “We very often speak of the invisible power.” And he got this trust very quickly through life water.
The critics fell silent very quickly, because Stäbler’s values improved after a few days. “We had the whole process scientifically accompanied, and after three weeks I had incredible values,” says the wrestler. “My red blood cells increased by 32 percent after just under a month. I didn’t do that to any altitude training camp.”
The body’s chemistry changes
What was a big surprise for many was nothing new for life water. “You can reduce stress, you can reduce or transform fear. You can acquire courage through good breathing techniques,” says Seicherwasser about the power of breathing and explains: “The chemistry of the body is restructured depending on breathing.”
And that is crucial for great success or perhaps a defeat. The training paid off for Stäbler. He became completely healthy again and won the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The qualities of Seinewasser have now got around and more and more athletes, but also people who have problems in their everyday life, train with the breathing coach. Since the end of 2021 he has been working regularly with the Bundesliga club Werder Bremen. Professional players like national players Niclas Füllkrug and his then Bremen teammate learned “to breathe properly” again and – also – also managed to get back into the Bundesliga with Seinewasser’s help.
Tina Rupprecht: “Many do not know how important breathing is”
Boxing world champion Tina Rupprecht has also prepared for her competitions with the breathing coach. With the so -called “fast bamboo method”, fast, controlled breathing in the stomach, Rupprecht learned to master her emotions in the boxing ring and improve its endurance. “I believe that many professional athletes don’t even know how important breathing is,” says the boxer in an interview with the WDR.
“For me it is a tool to earth myself and find my middle,” she explains. “This not only helps me in sports, but also in everyday life.” Also because of her improved breathing techniques, Rupprecht 2024 became the first triple boxing world champion in the atomic weight.
Stäbler continues to build on the cooperation with Seinewasser after his career end, because the training has also changed his everyday life. “Every human emotion is associated with breathing. If you check your breathing, you check your emotions,” says Stäbler and adds: “If you can control your emotions, you can control your life.”