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4 Thoughts
1. Two Places to Put Your Breath
For thinking:
Put your breath where your mind wants to be.
For acting:
Put your breath where your heart wants to be.
***
P.S. This was inspired by Steven Pressfield’s more explicit saying : )
2. How do Slow Breathing Practices Reduce Pain? Focus & Safety
“It’s all about attention, says anesthesiologist Sam Sharar ... If we focus on a painful sensation, it will increase our experience of that pain. But if we think about something else—something safe, pleasant, far away—the pain we feel is dimmed.”
- Jo Marchant
Slow breathing practices have consistently been found to reduce pain. This passage helps explain how: They give us something to focus on. And more than that, they also make us feel safe, which could be even more helpful.
And although this is referring to physical pain, I think these same mechanisms help explain why it’s so beneficial for emotional distress, too.
3. Our Somewhat Unusual Breathing Patterns During Sleep
In 1984, an editorial review on breathing during sleep had conclusions that were somewhat surprising (and opposite of what I expected):
Our breathing rate is variable, especially during REM sleep (I anticipated it would be slow and steady)
Our breathing volume is reduced significantly (by as much as 16%)
We frequently experience hypoxia (low O2) and hypercapnia (high CO2)
I guess we could say: The more we sleep, the less we breathe, the more we heal, and the longer we live : )
4. Taste the Hidden Life of Breathing
“There is a great difference between comprehending the knowledge of things and tasting the hidden life of them.”
- Isaac Penington
The breath itself is hidden life.
The more we practice, the more we taste it.
1 QUOTE
“We have to learn the art of breathing in and out, stopping our activities, and calming our emotions.”
Extra: How the Heart & Breath Work in Harmony to Improve Health & Life Span
Here’s another guest blog I wrote for ResBiotic. This one is all about the heart-breath connection. I hope you enjoy the 4-minute read!
1 ANSWER
Category: Breath & Heart
Answer: The inward curve in the left lung that makes room for the heart is also called this.
…
(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
…
Question: What is the cardiac notch?
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
Available Now:
THE BREATHING FOR DIABETES SELF-PACED WORKSHOP
If you like geeking out on breathing, or just want to live an overall healthier life, I think you’ll really enjoy this class (diabetes or not).
It’s packed with easy-to-understand science and super practical breathing advice that you can immediately start using. I hope you’ll check it out.
* 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.
Sign Up For The Breathing 411
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.