1. You don’t have to meditate; breathing meditates you.
P.S. This was inspired by this excellent quote in Blue Mind: “This is the huge advantage of water: you don’t need to meditate to take advantage of its healing effects because it meditates you.”
2. Physically, wherever you find your breath, you find yourself; spiritually, whenever you find your breath, you find your self.
3. The best and most therapeutic form of mouth breathing is laughter.
4. Most of the time: the nose is part of the respiratory system; the mouth is part of the digestive system.
5. Put your breath where your heart wants to be.
P.S. This was inspired by Steven Pressfield’s more explicit line: “Put your ass where your heart wants to be.” : )
6. Our greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one breath over another.
P.S. This is a play on a William James quote I saw on Insight Timer: “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”
7. Try it out, find what works for you, and enjoy the timeless (and timely) wisdom of the breath.
8. When we’re in a challenging life event, our breath is always there—not to make it go away, but to help us align with our highest self and make a one-second decision to stay in the fight.
9. Rather than study every aspect of life, we can study the breath, which can be applied in every aspect of life.
10. Equanimity is when the breather realizes they are the breath.
11. Adding a spiritual significance to the air—realizing it contains life itself—can only add value to your breath practice.
12. Our breath moves spirit around like our hearts move blood around.
13. Breath is to body what Brandy is to wine.
14. Our bodies respond to slow breathing practices by interpreting the external environment as safe.
15. Breathing exercises don’t change our situation, but they do change how we interpret it, which may be more powerful.
16. Breathing is life-force translated through you into action.
17. Breathing is the most direct way to practice science and philosophy in our lives.
18. Every breathing practice lies somewhere between an art and a science; the goal is to find the right sweet spot for you.
19. You can’t breathe two breaths at once—so focus on this one—and watch your mindfulness and spiritual awareness grow.
20. In breathing, self-expression is paramount: It’s less about words, and more about expressing concepts through you, in your unique way, to feel beyond the words.
21. Expanding your breath makes space for your problem.
22. Breathe hearter, not smarter.
23. Before the internet, before you could major in positive psychology, before life coaches and Harvard studies, there was the breath. Breathing is the ultimate self-improvement tool.