Breath as Spirit, Body and Mind, and 2 Opposing Views on Overbreathing

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4 Thoughts

1. 18 “Inspiring” Quotes on Breath as Spirit and Life

“Man was created of the Earth, and lives by virtue of the air; for there is in the air a secret food of life…whose invisible congealed spirit is better than the whole earth.”
- Michael Sendivogius, 17th Century

In this post, I share 18 excellent quotes referring to the breath as life or spirit. It’s by no means comprehensive—just a few that have stuck out to me.

Enjoy!

2. Overbreathing Causes Electrolyte Imbalance

“In addition, overbreathing and the resulting pH dysregulation also lead to electrolyte imbalances … When your pH becomes too alkaline, electrolytes migrate into muscle and brain cells instead of staying in the fluid outside of those cells. As a result, you may experience muscle spasms, weakness, and fatigue.”
- Inna Khazan, Ph.D., Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life (this book is 🤯good)

I knew that overbreathing could dehydrate us, but this one was news to me. And since it’s hard to tell if you’re overbreathing without a capnometer, I think the most practical safeguard here is to simply breathe nasally, even during exercise.

3. A Different Take on Overbreathing

“Sometimes students get confused about using the breath throughout the day. They give it an inordinate amount of attention … That isn't the idea at all. The breath is a gateway into the present moment, making our attention to it greater, not less.”
- Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

I’m an overbreather in a different way: I focus on my breathing too much. So, here’s a friendly reminder to all of us that breathing is just a tool. Let’s not give it “an inordinate amount of attention.” Just enough to make our lives richer and fuller. For most people, that’s as little as 10-20 min/day.

4. Breathing Translations—Go to the Source Yourself

You can read my thoughts on breathing (thank you 🙏). You can read what Wim Hof, Patrick McKeown, and others say. But these are just a few translations. The best thing to do is go to the original source for yourself.

And luckily, you don’t need training in any ancient languages to do your own translations. You just need the universal language of living: the breath of life.

1 QUOTE

“The good news is that through working with the breath, we actually hold the key to helping ourselves bring body and mind into balance.”
- The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing 101

Answer: This is the amount of air that moves into and out of the lungs with each breath.

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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is tidal volume?

In good breath,

Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”

P.S. try for a new high score

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Each Monday, I curate and synthesize information from scientific journals, books, articles, and podcasts to share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy!") related to breathing. It’s a fun way to learn something new each week.