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I hope the next 27’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.
4 THOUGHTS
1. Science Talk for “Breath is Life”
“We must continuously breathe precisely to bring oxygen to mitochondria to fuel oxidative phosphorylation, to charge our mitochondria, which sustain cellular life, brain activity, and consciousness.”
- Crosswell et al. (2024), Psychological Review
That’s a scientific way of saying: Breath is life.
So, let’s use this passage as inspiration to occasionally take a mindful breath, remembering that each one sustains “cellular life, brain activity, and consciousness.”
2. Stress, Inflammation, and a Valuable Tool for Coaches
“Stress-reduction techniques may serve as cost-effective interventions for preventing and treating metabolic disease.”
– Jurgens et al. (2023), Brain, Behavior, & Immunity
The results of this paper suggest that stress-lowering exercises (like slow breathing) may reduce inflammation and, consequently, improve metabolic function. 👏
***
P.S. If you’re a coach, implementing these findings in your practice is straightforward; all you need is a Google Form. Join the Breath Learning Center: Sign Up -> Click Science 411s -> Click the top one and you’ll see exactly how (plus a Google Form you can copy).
3. Take a Breath Pilgrimage
“With pilgrimage you literally walk a physical path, have a clear goal—your destination—and a means of reaching it: walking. The simplicity...may be the secret to finding inner-direction.”
- Dr. Guy Hayward
That sounds a lot like a breath practice. You breathe a specific way, have a clear goal, and a way of achieving it: your breath. “The simplicity may be the secret to finding inner-direction.”
The best part? You don’t even have to leave your house 😊
4. Three Breathing Exercises that Will Heal Any Ailment
There are three breathing exercises that will heal any ailment:
The first one is to laugh.
The second one is to laugh.
The third one is to laugh.
(Inspired by last week’s quote from Mr. Rogers.)
1 Quote
“Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath.””
(Thanks to Insight Timer for sharing this one.)
1 Answer
Category: Animals Breathing
Answer: According to one study, at least 65 different species of animals perform their own version of this breathing exercise, which you might have thought was uniquely human.
…
(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
…
Question: What is laugh?
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
P.S. all nervous…
Breath Science & Wisdom Meditations for a Better Life
Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.
Four Seminars by Eddie Stern and Me
If you subscribe to The Breathing App for Diabetes before April 11th, you’ll be automatically enrolled in a four-part webinar series from me and Eddie Stern.
April 11 @ 6 p.m. EST: New Findings in Breathing Research Relevant to Diabetes
April 13 @ 2 p.m. EST: Exercise Light Stretches to Increase Your Lung Capacity
April 18 @ 6 p.m. EST: Advanced Practices in Breathing (Suitable for All Levels)
April 20 @ 2 p.m. EST: Deep Dive into Mindfulness and Metacognition
Recordings will be made available for anyone who can’t join live. And even if you don’t have diabetes, you will find these seminars helpful and engaging 🙏
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.