Reading Time: 1 min 40 sec
I hope the next 20’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.
Reminder: SKY Breath Course Starts Today
There is still time to sign up for the SKY Breathing Course starting today. My good friend (and all-around wonderful person) Colleen Loehr, MD, is co-leading it, and it's bound to be a great experience. If you’re interested, check it out!
4 THOUGHTS
1. Immediately Observable Calming Effects
“Since sitting silently in meditation – as in traditional mindfulness practices – may be challenging for anxious people with high degrees of physiological arousal, breathing may be preferable because it engages the participant in a structured activity (i.e., controlled breathing) that leads to immediately observable calming effects.”
Just a great reminder that if you’re naturally anxious (like me), or work with people who are, breathing exercises can be an excellent alternative to traditional meditation for calming the body and mind 🙏
2. Creating a Sense of Comfort, Hope, and Contentment
“Well, here is the thing: the most generous act we can make is to take time to focus on our own wellbeing as soon as we wake up (in most cases, that is the morning). There is something about a morning ritual that creates a sense of comfort, of certainty, of hope, or contentment.”
– Libby DeLana, Do Walk
I’m a huge fan of starting the day with breathing, meditation, or [insert your favorite practice]. And while this passage is about walking, it perfectly captures why morning rituals like these are so powerful: They create “a sense of comfort, of certainty, of hope or contentment.” 👏
3. Three Breathing Ideas that Aren’t About Breathing
1. Don’t go around air expecting not to breathe.
2. If you follow your breath, you may actually end up where you’re going.
3. We can be lost in the breath, without knowing we have been breathing.
4. Humor and Wisdom: A 1-Minute Story with Insight
If you want a deep insight wrapped in humor and laughter, listen to this funny story about an unexploded bomb from Anthony de Mello (it’s about 1 min long, from 1:32:05 to 1:33:10). Enjoy!
1 Quote
“Artistry in living begins with learning to be flexible for the sake of those around us.””
1 Answer
Category: Breath-Brain Connections
Answer: In one study, paced breathing stabilized oscillations in this eye measurement, which is linked to the brain’s attentional system.
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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
…
Question: What is pupil diameter?
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
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The Breathing App for Diabetes
This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!
Amazon Associate Disclosure
I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )
* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.