Retrohaling

[bullet08]

You guys are making it more complicated than it is. Just blow the damn smoke out through your nose.

 

[badbriar]

Retro is a good way to experience even more tastes that pipe tobacco offers. There are nuances you find with retro that you likely will not detect otherwise. Retrohaling pipe tobacco is softer and easier on the sinuses than with cigars. The important thing is not to overdo it in the beginning when you learn.

 

[NCHARLEYRIDER]

Close mouth around stem and inhale through nose. Smoke enters your mouth. Keep mouth closed around stem. Exhale and smoke leaves your nose. Repeat the process two or three times. If you keep doing it though you might get light headed from not inhaling enough oxygen. So you do that retrohale sequence to get some flavor and then break to breath. You'll have to find your cadence that works for you.

The method I found that works for me is very similar to your expect sip from the stem then exhale through the nose. It is the only method that I have found where I can really taste the blend

 

[NCHARLEYRIDER]

Could someone explain retrohaling to me?

As I understand it, you keep your mouth closed and breathe thru your nose, drawing as you inhale and exhaling your breath and draw out thru the pipe. Correct?

Retrohaling is passing the smoke out through your nose not the pipe. You pass it out the nose and you will get a much better tasting of the blend because the nose has more senses than your tongue does I think there are six in the tongue and about 20 in your nose

 

[thebriarbear]

Retrohaling is a must. But don’t try too hard - once you get more comfortable with the idea, breathing and relaxing while smoking, you’ll get it.

Back when I first started it was almost as if I was holding my breath when I drew in on the pipe…no wonder retrohaling was tough and I couldn’t get much flavor.

Time heals all.

 

[NCHARLEYRIDER]

Retrohaling is passing the smoke out through your nose not the pipe. You pass it out the nose and you will get a much better tasting of the blend because the nose has more senses than your tongue does I think there are six in the tongue and about 20 in your nose

Just do some "dry" run hold the pipe in your mouth draw in with your mouth and then exhale passing the smoke out through your nose- you will get the hang of it

 

[crowbait]

This is why I love this place. I never knew what I did had a name!

I have always used the lowering of my tongue and soft pallete to create a vacumn and slowing/gently pull in smoke from the pipe and then doing the reverse to push the smoke out through my nose. Its super easy to practice: just keep your mouth closes and push and push air through your nose only. Once you get the hang of that, practice the same put pushing air in and out of your mouth. Then add and a pipe!

 

[bullet08]

Here's a neat trick. Go to any fast food joint with wide straws like Mickey D. Get a large drink, not coffee. Fizz or pop or soft soda or whatever you call it. Stick the straw in the drink, start slowly sucking up the soda. Then! Slowly breath out of you nose while sucking up the soda. Then once you are used to that, while sucking up the soda, breath in through nose. Soon, you can finish the whole cup while breathing through your nose. Among wind instrument players, it's called circular breathing. It works wonders for smoking pipe, and kissing a girl who latches on like a leech.

 

[crowbait]

Among wind instrument players, it's called circular breathing. It works wonders for smoking pipe, and kissing a girl who latches on like a leech.

Life hacks at their finest.

 

[samb]

I learned way back how to retrohale from watching doc stogie fresh. Don’t think he’s really around anymore but I’m sure his videos are out there somewhere.

 

[Choatecav]

Piping and cigars would certainly be less of a pleasure without the act of the retrohale.

 

[VDL_Piper]

Its just like playing the bagpipes!

 

[bullet08]

Its just like playing the bagpipes!

Actually, practice chanter is expected to be played with circular breathing. But the actual pipe is almost impossible to play with circular breathing. It just takes too much air to keep it going that way. Have to keep constant pressure on the bag at all time until the cut off.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I inhale, retrohale, French inhale, breathe normally with a pipe clenched, “breath method”, etc.

If you’re freaked out about getting smoke in your lungs, having a hobby centered around instruments made to combust tobacco and delivery the smoke directly to your respiratory tract may not be a really prudent move.

French inhaling is the second leading cause of death by girlfriend’s tongue! I can’t discuss the first.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

It’s just like playing the bagpipes!

Not sure what the sound of 50 cats perishing in a tenement fire have to do with pipes.

 

[sablebrush52]

Why? I do it fairly often. Most pipe smokers don't do it as routine but, doing so now and then is satisfying. It's a pipe, no rules. Smoking is risky business without inhaling but, I'm good with it. Plus you're pulling smoke into your lungs as you sit wreathed in smoke you've blown out from your mouth/nose. Simply part and parcel of risky little vice.

Of course, I only smoke outdoors, which dissipates the wreath of smoke. Smoking indoors means you’re inhaling the smoke.