411

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I Had No Idea, 14% More Endurance, and Breathing to Help Yourself

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Reading Time: 2 min 19 sec

I hope the next 28’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.

4 THOUGHTS

1. I Had No Idea the Impact

“I had no idea the impact a simple, gentle walk would have on my life. The impact comes not only from the actual physical walking but also from the discipline, the practice, the commitment. This MorningWalk has ignited my sense of curiosity, satiated my everlasting wanderlust and been the most powerful tool for inspiration in my life.”

– Libby DeLana, Do Walk

When I read this, I thought, “I could say the same about my morning breath practice.” It’s a great reminder that there’s no perfect approach: the way I feel about breathing is the same way someone else feels about walking and how another person feels about dancing or creating art. What’s important is finding what works best for you 🙏

2. Subliminal Smiles and 14% More Endurance

“As the cyclists pedaled, a screen in front of them periodically flashed images of happy or sad faces in imperceptible 16-millisecond bursts, ten to twenty times shorter than a typical blink. The cyclists who were shown sad faces rode, on average, for just over 22 minutes. Those who were shown happy faces rode for three minutes longer and reported a lower sense of effort at corresponding time points. Seeing a smiling face, even subliminally, evokes feelings of ease that bleed into your perception of how hard you’re working at other tasks.”

– Alex Hutchinson, Endure

If an imperceptible smile can help someone pedaling to exhaustion go ~14% longer, imagine what a genuine smile might do for someone you pass on the sidewalk or a store clerk having a rough day. So, let’s use this as our reminder to mindfully smile at those we encounter—it may help them more than we know 😊

3. Thoughts on Laughter (the best breathing exercise)

1. “Laughter is the soul’s health.” - James Henry Potts

2. “We need laughter in our lives. Laughter is carbonated holiness. It’s like the cavalry arriving to help us get our sense of humor back.” - Anne Lamott

3 “A person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused.” - Shirley MacLaine

4. You’re Helping Yourself

“One of the most appealing aspects of a breathing practice is that you’re helping yourself. You’re not dependent on someone else. You’re in charge of your own healing. You’ve got this. You’ve got sovereignty.”

– Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., Sovereign

A great reminder that one of the most therapeutic aspects of breathing is the heightened sense of agency it cultivates. You feel in charge of your own healing, and this mindset carries into other areas of life, providing you with more sovereignty in your daily living 👏

1 Quote

“It’s quite amazing: we can control our breath, which means we can control the state of our autonomic nervous system and even our state of consciousness.””
— Elissa Epel, Ph.D.

1 GOOD BOOK

I was struggling to come up with a good trivia question this week, so I decided to switch it up with a book recommendation.

This is a children’s book about Fabi, a now 7-year-old girl, who underwent heart surgery last year. She used breathing, meditation, and prayer to face it with courage and calmness. And in true warrior fashion, she wrote a book to support other kids facing similar challenges. It’s an inspiring and humbling short story; if you have kids, consider getting a copy!

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!

P.S. I would do anything…

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
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How Breathing Helps the Brain: CSF and Better Retention of Motor Skills

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Reading Time: 1 min 54 sec

I hope the next 23’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.

4 THOUGHTS

1. Increasing Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Flow to the Brain

“With rigorous testing, we demonstrated that the three yogic breathing patterns (slow, deep abdominal and deep diaphragmatic) immediately increased both cranially directed instantaneous CSF velocities and power of respiratory-driven CSF motion.”

– Yildiz et al. (2022)

This study found that yogic breathing increased cerebrospinal fluid flow toward the brain by 16-28%, with the most significant changes occurring during deep abdominal breathing. These findings may help explain how breathing techniques improve brain health.

Check out the study breakdown on IG.

2. Nasal Stimulation, Brain Changes, and Non-Ordinary Consciousness

“In conclusion, we found that nasal, and not mouth breathing, is able to induce a non-ordinary state of consciousness characterized at a neurophysiological level by:

1) An enhancement of power at slow frequencies (especially in the theta band) in medial prefrontal and posterior areas

2) A widespread increase of connectivity both at slow (theta) and fast (high-beta) frequencies

3) Heightened theta/high-beta coupling in medial prefrontal and posterior areas”

– Zaccaro et al. (2022)

And critically, those brain changes led participants to feel less physical and psychological tension, less anxiety, more joy, and to enter a relaxed yet fully aware altered state of consciousness during slow nasal breathing vs. slow mouth breathing.

Check out the study breakdown on IG.

3. Three Science-Based Breath-Brain Quotes

“The brain, by regulating breathing, controls its own excitability.” - Journal of Physiology (1988)

"Messages from the respiratory system have rapid, powerful effects on major brain centers involved in thought, emotion, and behavior." - Dr. Patricia Gerbarg and Dr. Richard Brown

“Respiration, being so closely coupled to heart activity and oxygen supply, is key in maintaining metabolic activity in all organs including the brain.” - Neuroscience Bulletin (2023)

4. Alternate Nostril Breathing & Motor Skill Retention

“Our results thus uncover for the first time the remarkable facilitatory effects of simple breathing practices on complex functions such as motor memory, and have important implications for sports training and neuromotor rehabilitation in which better retention of learned motor skills is highly desirable.”

- Yadav and Mutha (2016)

This one found that practicing alternate nostril breathing right after learning a motor skill significantly improved the short- and long-term retention of that skill. I highly recommend the study breakdown on IG, as this was a neat one!

1 Quote

“Humming induces brainwave entrainment, and since the sound of a hum is long and sustained, it has a calming effect on the brain.””
— Eddie Stern

1 Answer

Category: Breath-Brain Connections

Answer: Through its direct connection to this brain region, nasal breathing can indirectly influence brain activity in other regions like the amygdala and hippocampus.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the olfactory bulb?

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!

P.S. just know that I also cannot tell

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
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A Funny 1-Minute Story, Instant Calm, and Creating Hope & Contentment

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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.”

– Seppälä et al. (2014)

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.””
— Eknath Easwaran

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.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is pupil diameter?

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!

P.S. it’s a daily coin toss

Smarter Coaching. Stronger Practice. Lasting Impact.

Being a great coach or practitioner isn’t just about knowing more, it’s about being a Mixed Mindful Artist: applying the right knowledge in the right way.

The Breath Learning Center gives you concise, practical, and powerful tools to do this, deepening your understanding, strengthening your coaching, and transforming your practice—without fluff or overwhelm.

Get Started Today.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
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SKY Breath Course, Tend to Your Wellbeing, and the Key to Longevity

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Reading Time: 1 min 53 sec

I hope the next 23’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. SKY Breathing Course for Better Physical and Mental Health

My great friend Colleen Loehr, MD, is co-leading a SKY breathing course for the Art of Living. This is the infamous practice that started James Nestor on his path to writing Breath.

I’ve taken a mini version of this course and loved it. Moreover, Colleen is one of the kindest humans you’ll ever encounter, so if you’ve ever wanted to learn SKY, check it out!

Learn More and Sign Up Here

2. Life Coaching for a Better Living

Speaking of incredible humans, here is another one: Mary Hunt. If you’re looking for a life coach or navigating a particularly tough time, I can’t recommend Mary enough. She has a heart you immediately know is good from one moment of interacting with her.

You all know I turn to books for my therapy 😂, but I met with Mary a little over a year ago, and her guidance was invaluable as I worked through a major life decision. Can’t recommend her enough.

Learn More about Mary Here

3. Tending to Your Own Wellbeing

“I believe we show up in the world with more clarity, intelligent energy, and self-awareness when we create the space to tend to our own wellbeing: mental, physical, emotional and spiritual.”

– Libby DeLana, Do Walk

Whether it’s a morning walk (like DeLana does) or a morning breath/meditation/etc. practice, this is a great reminder that we show up best “when we create the space to tend to our own wellbeing” first. So, make sure you’re making time for that 😊

4. The Brain Will Respond in Kind

“When we breathe slow and steady, with the abdomen rising and falling with the breath, the messages that get sent to the brain through the vagus nerve are messages of steadiness, evenness, rhythmicity, safety, and control. The brain will receive these messages, and then respond in kind, sending messages back down to the body and releasing hormones and neurotransmitters that are a response to safety.”

– Eddie Stern, Healing Through Breathing

Just a great reminder of the power of slow, gentle, deep breathing. Make sure you take advantage of this healing feedback loop today 👏

1 Quote

“If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn’t ask me, I’d still have to say it.””
— Comedian George Burns

1 Answer

Category: Lungs

Answer: These receptors are located in the smooth muscle of the bronchi and bronchioles, but not the alveoli, and can communicate with the brain via the vagus nerve.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are pulmonary stretch receptors?

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!

P.S. thank you for your concern

Smarter Coaching. Stronger Practice. Lasting Impact.

Being a great coach or practitioner isn’t just about knowing more, it’s about being a Mixed Mindful Artist: applying the right knowledge in the right way.

The Breath Learning Center gives you concise, practical, and powerful tools to do this, deepening your understanding, strengthening your coaching, and transforming your practice—without fluff or overwhelm.

Get Started Today.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
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Great Books on Breathing, Mindfulness, and Better Living

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Today, we have a special 411 full of good books I’ve read in the past year or so. I hope you find a few you like!

P.S. If you want to support my work, you can use the Amazon affiliate links below for any that you purchase. Thanks!

Reading Time: 2 min 14 sec

I hope the next 27’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Books on Breathing and Mindfulness

Healing Through Breathing (by Eddie Stern): One of my favorite breath books in recent past. It’s only available on Audible.

Mindfulness in Plain English (by Bhante Gunaratana): I reread this for the third (!) time recently, and it finally clicked just how incredible it is. It’s a testament to needing to read books at the right time in your life.

The Mind Illuminated (by John Yates PhD and Matthew Immergut PhD): Changed everything about how I approach meditation.

The Mindfulness Solution (by Ronald Siegel, Psy.D.): Amazing blend of science, traditional wisdom, and personal experience.

2. Books on Movement

Move (by Caroline Williams): This one is so good. It also has an incredible chapter on breathing that I can’t recommend enough.

Do Walk (by Libby DeLana): Instantly became my favorite book on walking. Quick and fun to read.

52 Ways to Walk (by Annabel Streets): Also incredibly good on walking, plus a couple of chapters on breathing and walking.

3. Books on Better Living in General

Awareness (by Anthony de Mello): This one is so good. You have to get the audible version to hear him speak it and feel his wisdom and humor. I laughed out loud many times, while also having my mind blown by his insights. It’s one of my new all-time favorites.

Falling Upward (by Richard Rohr): Few authors write with genuine wisdom you can feel through their words. Rohr is one of them. This is a truly life-changing book.

Take Your Time (by Eknath Easwaran): Easwaran is my favorite teacher, and I’ve now read 7 of his books. Although they’re all phenomenal, this one is probably still my favorite.

4. Recency Bias: What I’ve Been Reading Lately

Here are my last five books from most recent backward:

Sovereign (by Emma Seppala): Just started this one and loving it so far. Thanks to C.L. for the recommendation!

Do Walk (by Libby DeLana): See above. My new favorite book on walking.

Science of Breath (by Yogi Ramacharaka): A classic I recently reread. (I’ve been told that some of this isn’t legit pranayama, but it’s a good read nonetheless.)

Concentration (by Kam Knight): Super practical, no-fluff book on how to concentrate better.

The Heroic Heart (by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo): How could I not buy this book based on the title? lol. It was an amazing outlook on compassion, and on using adversity to fuel our growth. Loved it.

P.S.

If some of these sound interesting but you don’t have time to read them, you can check out the Breath Learning Center for short, practical reviews on most of them!

1 Quote

“We read books to find out who we are.””
— Ursula K. Le Guin

1 Answer

Category: Books and Breathing

Answer: Although not usually called one, this common activity with a book could be considered a powerful breathing exercise.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is reading aloud?

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!

P.S. on their way to Samadhi

Smarter Coaching. Stronger Practice. Lasting Impact.

Being a great coach or practitioner isn’t just about knowing more, it’s about being a Mixed Mindful Artist: applying the right knowledge in the right way.

The Breath Learning Center gives you concise, practical, and powerful tools to do this, deepening your understanding, strengthening your coaching, and transforming your practice—without fluff or overwhelm.

Get Started Today.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
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Intelligent Control of Breathing, Humming, and Stopping to Think

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If you enjoy listening, you can listen to dozens of past episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible 😊

Reminder for Instructors:

Don’t forget to sign up for the free 5-day email series: Help More People by Avoiding These 5 Mistakes Holding Back Your Breathing and Mindfulness Coaching

Reading Time: 1 min 34 sec

I hope the next 19’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Intelligent Control of Breathing

“An intelligent control of our breathing power will lengthen our days upon earth by giving us increased vitality and powers of resistance, and, on the other hand, unintelligent and careless breathing will tend to shorten our days, by decreasing our vitality and laying us open to disease.”

– Yogi Ramacharaka, Science of Breath

Just a simple (but always welcomed) reminder of the power of our breath. By using it intelligently—which often means nasal, slower, deeper, and quieter—it can help us lengthen our days and support our vitality and resilience 👏

2. The Power of Humming

“Bhramari pranayama practice is found to be associated with higher levels of attention, quality of sleep, parasympathetic activity and pulmonary functioning and lower levels of stress, anxiety, depression, sympathetic activity and blood pressure across the included studies.”

- Exploring the Health Benefits of Bhramari Pranayama (2024)

This paper provides a well-rounded look at the evidence supporting bhramari as a formal breath practice. As you can see from the quote, the findings showed a wide range of impressive health benefits.

Read the full paper for more, or get my review and practical takeaways when you become a member of the Breath Learning Center.

3. Three Short Thoughts on Mindful Breathing

1. Breathing saves your life 20,000 times a day; mindfulness helps you appreciate this truth.

2. Breathing, with awareness, is gratitude.

3. The shortest definition of mindfulness is breath.

4. I Dare Not Stop…

“Someone once said, ‘I dare not stop to think, because if I did, I wouldn’t know how to get started again.’”

– Anthony de Mello, Awareness

Just a funny quote on how hard it can be to pause sometimes. But let us take it as a reminder that occasionally “stopping to think” may actually help us start back even better.

1 Quote

“The important thing is not to worry about what is going to happen to us but to create inner strength to deal with whatever does happen.””
— Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

1 Answer

Category: Lung Connections

Answer: The existence of this two-way communication system between the gut and lungs suggests that breathing-related factors may influence the gut microbiota.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the gut-lung axis?

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!

P.S. little secret about me

Smarter Coaching. Stronger Practice. Lasting Impact.

Being a great coach or practitioner isn’t just about knowing more, it’s about being a Mixed Mindful Artist: applying the right knowledge in the right way.

The Breath Learning Center gives you concise, practical, and powerful tools to do this, deepening your understanding, strengthening your coaching, and transforming your practice—without fluff or overwhelm.

Get Started Today.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

On Breathing, Moving & Stillness, and Taking an Instant Vacation

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If you enjoy listening, you can listen to dozens of past episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible 😊

Reminder for Coaches:

Don’t forget to sign up for the free 5-day email series: Help More People by Avoiding These 5 Mistakes Holding Back Your Breathing and Mindfulness Coaching

Reading Time: 1 min 17 sec

I hope the next 16’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. On Breathing No Longer Being Just Breathing

“Once you start meditating, breathing is no longer just breathing. When we start paying attention to our breathing on a regular basis, our relationship to it changes dramatically. As we have already seen, tuning in to it helps us to gather our often unfocused energies and center ourselves. The breath reminds us to tune in to our body and to encounter the rest of our experience with mindfulness, in this very moment.”

– Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living

2. On How Being Around Water (or nature) Enhances Your Practice

“Water’s amazing influence does not mean that it displaces other concerted efforts to reach a mindful state; rather, it adds to, enhances, and expands.”

“This is the huge advantage of water: you don’t need to meditate to take advantage of its healing effects because it meditates you.”

– Wallace J Nichols, Blue Mind

3. On Moving to Find Stillness

1. “We need to move to be still, and only from that place of stillness can we move well.” – Caroline Williams

2. “Without a balance between physical activity and meditation, for instance, we may become irritable or restless. Exercise…can help to solve some of the problems that come as you descend in consciousness.” – Eknath Easwaran

3. “In order to understand the dance, one must be still. And in order to truly understand stillness, one must dance.” – Attributed to Rumi

4. On Vacation (and the best breathing exercise)

“Laughter is an instant vacation.”

– Milton Berle

1 Quote

“As the breath goes, so goes the body.””
— Larry Rosenberg

1 Answer

Category: Lung Adaptations in Marine Mammals

Answer: To prevent decompression sickness (the “bends”) during deep dives, some marine mammals have the ability to do this to their lungs.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is collapse their lungs?

In good breath,

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

P.S. but there are downsides too

Smarter Coaching. Stronger Practice. Lasting Impact.

Being a great coach or practitioner isn’t just about knowing more, it’s about being a Mixed Mindful Artist: applying the right knowledge in the right way.

The Breath Learning Center gives you concise, practical, and powerful tools to do this, deepening your understanding, strengthening your coaching, and transforming your practice—without fluff or overwhelm.

Get Started Today.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

How to Solve Complex Problems, Your Path, and Focusing on Joy

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No Audio this Week

If you enjoy listening, you can listen to dozens of past episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible 😊

Reminder for Coaches:

Don’t forget to sign up for the free 5-day email series: Help Real People Get Real Results by Avoiding These 5 Mistakes

Reading Time: 1 min 34 sec

I hope the next 19’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. On Finding Your Own Path

“You enter the forest at the darkest point, where there is no path. Where there’s a way or path, it is someone else’s path; each human being is a unique phenomenon. The idea is to find your own pathway to bliss.”

– Joseph Campbell, Pathways to Bliss

2. Complex Problems, Simple Solutions

“Many fall into the trap of thinking that if they have a complex or debilitating problem, then they need a complex or difficult solution, one that takes time and energy to apply. Since they expect the solution to take effort, they overlook the easy suggestions and focus only on the difficult techniques, or those they haven’t heard or used before.

The truth is, if you have a big or complex problem, then more than likely you need a simple and easy solution—one that is easy to apply and that you are encouraged to apply.”

– Kam Knight, Concentration

A wonderful reminder that just because a problem is complex doesn’t mean the solution has to be. Most times, it’s the simple things—breathing, meditating, walking, laughing—that help the most 👏

3. Three Short Breath-Focused Quotes

1. “Be devoted to the breath and renounce everything else.”

– Eugene Cash

2. “The quality of our breath expresses our inner feelings.”

– TKV Desikachar

3. “Walk slowly! Talk little! Love breath!”

– The Primordial Breath, Volume I

4. Focus on Joy

“Why do you have to do things well? Do them enjoyably, not well.”

– Anthony de Mello, Awareness

This quote comes from a story about friends who played music—not because they were good, but because they loved it. It’s a great reminder that we don’t always need to optimize or excel at everything (including our mindful practices). Sometimes focusing on joy is best.

1 Quote

“The universe is only as large as our perception of it. When we cultivate our awareness, we are expanding the universe.””
— Rick Rubin

1 Answer

Category: The Nose

Answer: The alternating swelling and shrinking of the nasal turbinates is referred to as this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the nasal cycle?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Grow up

Wisdom that Inspires Action, Mindfulness, and Humor

The Breathing 411 is mindfully created each week to support your journey. If you find it valuable, consider joining the Breath Learning Center. Members gain access to an ever-growing collection of book summaries, science paper reviews, and insights from the greatest teachers and thinkers, designed to help you find your unique path, connect ideas, help others, laugh, and grow as a Mixed Mindful Artist. It also includes ad-free daily emails, guided practices, and more.

Get Started Today.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

Free 5-Day Course, Less Inflammation, and 3 Breath-Focused Quotes

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Audio Block
Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more

Reading Time: 1 min 34 sec

I hope the next 19’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. A Free 5-Day Email Course for Instructors

It’s called: The Mixed Mindful Artist’s Guide: The 5 Biggest Mistakes Coaches Make with Breathing, Meditation, and Mindfulness (and How They Might Be Holding Back Your Coaching Practice).

You can sign up for it here. I hope you enjoy it!

2. Mindfulness Lowers Inflammation

“Mindfulness practice, it seems, lessens inflammation day to day, not just during meditation itself. The benefits seem to show up even with just four weeks of mindfulness practice (around thirty hours total), as well as with loving-kindness meditation…Looks like there’s biological confirmation of what meditators say: it gets easier to handle life’s upsets.”

– Daniel Goleman, Ph.D. & Richard Davidson, Ph.D., Altered Traits

Given that excess inflammation negatively impacts nearly every aspect of health, this highlights just how powerful a consistent mindfulness practice can be for overall well-being👏

3. Three Great Breath-Focused Quotes

Here are three great quotes from The Healing Power of the Breath, which is one of my all-time favorite Book 411s in the Breath Learning Center:

1. “The daily use of breath practices can turn back the tide of stress, counteract disease progression, and improve overall quality of life.”

2. “Once you establish an inner calm, you will transmit it naturally to others.”

3. “In learning breath practices the most important thing to remember is to relax…Self-judgment adds another layer of stress. The less you judge yourself, the easier it will be to relax and experience the benefits.”

4. The First Step on the Path

“Thus the first step on the Path is to know what you want, not what you ought to want. Only in this way can the pilgrim set out upon his journey fully prepared.”

– Alan Watts, Become What You Are

How good is that? It’s a great reminder that a well-lived life is not about figuring out what we “ought” or “should” want. Rather, it’s about finding our own way 👏

1 Quote

“It is an astonishing truth: there is only one person in the world I can hope to control, and that is myself.””
— Eknath Easwaran

1 Answer

Category: Breath and Brain

Answer: This relaxing (and vibrating) breathing practice has been shown to increase gamma brain waves.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is humming?

In good breath,

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

P.S. me following my path

Wisdom that Inspires Action, Mindfulness, and Humor

The Breathing 411 is mindfully created each week to support your journey. If you find it valuable, consider joining the Breath Learning Center. Members gain access to an ever-growing collection of book summaries, science paper reviews, and insights from the greatest teachers and thinkers, designed to help you find your unique path, connect ideas, help others, laugh, and grow as a Mixed Mindful Artist. It also includes ad-free daily emails, guided practices, and more.

Get Started Today.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

One-Second Meditation, Being Breathed, and Why Slow Breathing Works

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 30 sec

I hope the next 18’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Why Slow Breathing Works

“Specifically, as slow and deep breathing is initiated during a contemplative practice, the internal state of being settles into a relaxed state with a slower heart rate. With this slowing of heart rate, a positive feedback loop is initiated: The vagus nerve sends this lowered heart rate information via afferent fibers to the brain, and after it receives these signals that imply safety from the body, the brain then turns off threat arousal activation. Now, parasympathetic activity is dominant over sympathetic activity, initiating a felt sense of peace, safety, and contentment.”

– Crosswell et al. (2024)

Just a terrific “scientific reminder” of why slow breathing works and is a crucial part of most contemplative practices that elicit deep rest 👏

2. The One-Second Meditation

“Concentrate for one second. If, at the end of this time, your mind has wandered off, concentrate for another second, and then another. Nobody ever has to concentrate for more than one second—this one.”

– Alan Watts, Become What You Are

Yep, that’s about as straightforward and low-pressure as it gets. I’ve been adopting this mindset during my practice and it’s been super helpful. If it resonates with you, give it a try and see how you feel 🙏

3. Breathing vs. Meditation, Clothing, and Lighthearted

1. Studying breathing allows me to put my years of scientific training to good use. Practicing meditation teaches me how to forget everything I learn.

2. The breath will outgrow any clothes you try to put on it.

3. There is a reason laughter is called lightheartedness and not lightheadedness.

4. Being Breathed

“One day I noticed that I wasn’t breathing—I was being breathed.”

– Byron Katie

No matter what we call it—God, prana, life force, or simply the autonomic nervous system—it’s pretty remarkable to remember that there is something in us that ensures we’re always “being breathed,” always living 👏

1 Quote

“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help.””
— May Sarton

1 Answer

Category: Lungs

Answer: Healthy lungs are typically this color.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is pink?

In good breath,

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

P.S. if you want to pull up

Wisdom that Inspires Action, Mindfulness, and Humor

The Breathing 411 is mindfully created each week to support your journey. If you find it valuable, consider joining the Breath Learning Center. Members gain access to an ever-growing collection of book summaries, science paper reviews, and insights from the greatest teachers and thinkers, designed to help you find your unique path, connect ideas, help others, laugh, and grow as a Mixed Mindful Artist. It also includes ad-free daily emails, guided practices, and more.

Get Started Today.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

Inspiration, Recharging Our Batteries, and How to Float Through Life

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 33 sec

I hope the next 19’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Inspiration from the Environment

“Studies of brainwaves during breathing suggested that the strongest effect of synching up with breathing rate comes on an in-breath. It sounds a bit cheesy, but it’s also true: when we breathe, we are literally taking inspiration from the environment and the subtle clues that it contains.”

– Caroline Williams, Move

How cool is that? Inhaling synchronizes our brainwaves because it’s literally our way of receiving subtle clues from the environment. This means that information coming from breathing gets special attention in the brain…which is why deliberately changing how we breathe can profoundly impact our mental and emotional states 👏

2. Recharging Our Batteries

“A lot of people also run out of energy because they forget to recharge. We need to recharge our batteries by doing retreats or other things that help us to relax, that give us pleasure and make us laugh, because we don’t want to take ourselves too seriously. We all want to lighten up, don’t we?”

– Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, The Heroic Heart

This applies not only in big ways like retreats, but perhaps even more importantly, in tiny ways—like when we have a few extra minutes to laugh, to breathe, to walk, or read. When we recharge our batteries this way, we’re better able to serve others 🙏.

3. Retreats, Frames, and How to Float Through Life

1. When life is your practice, you’re always on a retreat.

2. Any frame we put around the power of breathing won’t fit.

3. To float through life, treat laughter as your ocean.

4. Don’t Should on Yourself

“How many of us should on ourselves all the time?”

– Don Campbell, Healing Yourself with Your Own Voice

Guilty here. Let’s do our best not to “should on ourselves” this week 😊

1 Quote

“The breath helps you maintain full attention, enabling you to see with greater clarity and accuracy the true nature of all forms: everything that arises passes away.””
— Larry Rosenberg

1 Answer

Category: Lung Forces

Answer: When upright, blood flow is greatest in the lower portions the lungs (up to 5-fold greater) due at least partially to the effect of this ever-present force.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is gravity?

In good breath,

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

P.S. okay let’s not jump to conclusions

Wisdom that Inspires Action, Mindfulness, and Humor

The Breathing 411 is mindfully created each week to support your journey. If you find it valuable, consider joining the Breath Learning Center. Members gain access to an ever-growing collection of book summaries, science paper reviews, and insights from the greatest teachers and thinkers, designed to help you find your unique path, connect ideas, help others, laugh, and grow as a Mixed Mindful Artist. It also includes ad-free daily emails, guided practices, and more.

Treat yourself to a better life.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

Intention, 25 Breath Ideas, and Sincere but Never Serious

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 37 sec

I hope the next 20’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. 25 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas for 2025

1. Don’t take ten breaths; take one breath, ten times.

2. The breath will continue to outgrow any clothing you give it.

3. You will float through life so long as you treat the breath as your ocean.

4. Don’t go around air expecting not to breathe.

Continue reading them all here.

2. Ultimately, It’s Not About Breathing

“We can form an intimate relationship with our breath, our nervous system, and thus understand on a deep level the way our mind works. Ultimately, this is not about simply breathing; it is about finding a deep connection to our inner life.”

- Eddie Stern, Healing Through Breathing

Here is an excellent reminder that breathing isn’t “just breathing.” It’s “about finding a deep connection to our inner life” so we can better understand how our bodies, minds, and souls work 👏

3. This is What Counts

“Before doing anything, we should examine the underlying motivation, because as the Buddha said, “Karma is intention.” It is not so much what we do but why we do it. … This is why when we are undertaking any action it is important for us to see as honestly as possible the underlying intention behind us performing this action of body or speech. … It isn’t just the action performed or words that we speak, but how it is said or done and with what intention. That is what counts.”

– Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, The Heroic Heart

👏👏👏

4. Sincere But Never Serious

“You must understand that I am not a serious person. I may be sincere, but never serious, because I don’t think the universe is serious. And the trouble comes into the world largely because various beings take themselves seriously, instead of playfully.”

– Alan Watts, Still the Mind

“I may be sincere, but never serious.” That might just be my new life motto. It perfectly captures the paradox of giving life our all while simultaneously laughing at ourselves and approaching it all with humor and playfulness 👏

1 Quote

“When your intentions are clear and strong, the appropriate actions naturally follow.””
— John Yates, Ph.D., and Matthew Immergut, Ph.D.

1 Answer

Category: The Nose

Answer: These are curved, bony structures inside the nose that are covered in mucus and help filter, warm, and humidify incoming air.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are nasal turbinates?

In good breath,

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

P.S. please don’t take this personally

Wisdom, Summarized for Action

The Breathing 411 is mindfully created each week to support your journey. If you find it valuable, consider joining the Breath Learning Center. Members gain access to an ever-growing collection of book summaries, science paper reviews, and insights from the greatest teachers and thinkers, designed to help you find your unique path, connect ideas, help others, and grow as a Mixed Mindful Artist. It also includes ad-free daily emails, guided practices, and more.

Treat yourself to a better life.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

New Mouth Tape Study, Universal Rhythm, and the Ego Hates This

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 44 sec

I hope the next 21’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. New Study Published on Mouth Taping

“This is the first comprehensive literature review on nocturnal mouth-taping. It aims to ascertain what research is available that evaluates mouth-taping during sleep and to summarize this research. Additionally, it compares these research findings with the most common claims regarding mouth-taping on TikTok.”

– Fangmeyer et al. (2024)

As a fan of mouth-taping, I view this study (published earlier this month) as essential reading. It distinguishes proven benefits from anecdotal claims, offering the first review that coaches and educators can use to provide evidence-based information to those they help.

Read the full thing above, or you can get my summary and 12:40 podcast discussion as a member of the Breath Learning Center. (After you sign up just go to "Science 411s" and it will be the top one.)

2. The Universal Rhythm

“The expansion and contraction of the abdomen, lower abdomen, and chest are parts of the universal rhythm. Everything in the universe has the same rhythm of expansion and contraction just like our breath and body. All of them are rising and falling.”

– Bhante Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English

I have nothing to add but a few of these 👏👏👏

3. Going with the Flow, a Great Force, and Laughter

1. Breath control isn’t always necessary—the art is knowing when to go with the flow, and when to take control.

2. Demonstrations of breathing are small compared with the great force hidden behind them.

3. The best and most therapeutic form of mouth breathing is laughter.

4. The Ego Hates This

“It is also helpful to maintain a sense of humor, as it greatly diffuses anger and humiliation. If we can see the funny side of things then we can laugh. The ego hates to be laughed at; it takes itself very seriously, so it is important to practice not taking ourselves so seriously whenever the opportunity arises.”

– Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, The Heroic Heart

Here’s our reminder that the ego hates to be laughed at…which means we should do it every chance we get 😊

1 Quote

“In any athletic discipline, the alignment of body and breath is critical. The synchronization of what you are doing with your breathing is the whole art.””
— Alan Watts

1 Answer

Category: High Altitude

Answer: When exposed to low oxygen levels, our bodies produce more of this molecule, which promotes the release of oxygen from the hemoglobin into the tissues.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate (BPG)?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Is this really all there is to life?

Breathing and Mediation Instructors:

The Breath Learning Center is a mountain of modern science and timeless wisdom. It’s summarized, organized, easy to read, and immediately actionable.

If you want to supply those you help with the best program possible, the wisdom and science in the Learning Center will be invaluable to your practice.

Click here to learn more.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

After 8 Years, How to Be Like Water, and Our Body’s Love Language

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 36 sec

I hope the next 20’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. That’s It

“If we only practice when all the outer conditions seem nice but not when people are noisy, or when there are problems, or when we are feeling ill, or something adverse comes up, then we don’t know how to practice. We have to learn how to use our life—everything in our life—as our practice. That’s it.”

– Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, The Heroic Heart

Yep, that truly is it 👏

2. “I’ve Been Helping the Wheat Grow”

“Once upon a time in China, there was a farming family, and they were having dinner. The oldest son came in late, and they asked him, ‘Why are you late for dinner?’

‘Oh,’ he said, ‘I’ve been helping the wheat to grow.’

They came out the next morning and all the wheat was dead. It turned out that the son had pulled each stalk up a little bit, to help it grow.”

– Alan Watts, Still the Mind

Here is a little humor wrapped around a powerful message. As Watts puts it, “The point is that growth always occurs in a being as it does in a plant, and it is perfect at every step.” 👏

3. After 8 Years, Bruce Lee, & Gravity for Your Practice

1. After 8 years of practice, I’ve never been able to watch my breath without changing it. That’s the point. That is the lesson.

2. Laughter is like the Bruce Lee “be like water” of breathing exercises: it flows effortlessly, forms to any situation, and, given enough time, will erode any obstacle in its path.

3. Intention is gravity for your practice.

4. Wholeness and Holiness

“Psychological wholeness and spiritual holiness never exclude the problem from the solution. If it is wholeness, then it is always paradoxical, and holds both the dark and light sides of things.”

– Richard Rohr, Falling Upward

We must accept all of ourselves—even the parts we dislike and want to change—if we are to truly experience wholeness 🙏

1 Quote

“Deep breathing is our nervous system’s love language.””
— Lauren Fogel Mersy, PsyD

1 Answer

Category: Tidal Volume

Answer: This type of breathing, often used in singing, aims to keep your ribs expanded while slowing the ascent of the diaphragm to elongate the breath cycle.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is appoggio breathing?

In good breath,

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

P.S. I wish I could be nonchalant but…

Breathing and Mediation Instructors:

Check out the Breath Learning Center. It’s a mountain of modern science and timeless wisdom. It’s summarized, organized, easy to read, and immediately actionable.

If you want to supply those you help with the best program possible, the wisdom and science in the Learning Center will be invaluable to your practice.

Click here to learn more.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

Breath Curious, a Moving Museum, and the Necessary Path

,

Sorry, No Audio This Week

Sorry, I was traveling last week and couldn’t record audio. On the plus side, Thought #3 and the humor in the P.S. link were inspired by this travel 😊. Will be back with audio next week.

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Audio Block
Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more

Reading Time: 1 min 36 sec

I hope the next 20’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Breath is a Curious Operation

“Breath is a curious operation because it can be experienced as both a voluntary doing and an involuntary happening. You could do a breathing exercise and feel that “I am breathing” in just the same way as you can feel “I am walking.” But on the other hand, you breathe all the time when you’re not thinking about it. And in that way, it’s involuntary. You must breathe. And so it is the faculty attending to which we can realize the unity of the voluntary and involuntary systems.”

– Alan Watts, Still the Mind

That’s the curious power of the breath: We can control it and see that “we are breathing.” At the same time, we can study it and see that, as Eddie Stern tells us, “We are literally being breathed by the atmosphere all through the day, all through our lives.” The insight and control this brings is why breath awareness and breath exercises have been used for millennia for self-realization 👏.

2. Inherent Connectedness

“Breath is a phenomenon common to all living things. A true experiential understanding of the process moves you closer to other living beings. It shows you your inherent connectedness with all of life.”

– Bhante Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English

👏 👏 👏

3. Inner Tourism, A Moving Museum, and Distance

1. Mindfulness is inner tourism.

2. Mindful breathing is a moving museum you can visit anytime.

3. “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” -Victor Borge

4. The Necessary Path

“The world mythologies all point to places like Hades, Sheol, hell, purgatory, the realm of the dead. Maybe these are not so much the alternative to heaven as the necessary path to heaven.”

– Richard Rohr, Falling Upward

Are you currently going through any “hells or purgatories” in your life? (Since you’re human, I’d wager there’s a 99.9% chance you are 😊). Maybe these are not “the opposite of heaven” but instead “the necessary path” to discovering it…

1 Quote

“It helps to realize that it’s better to follow the universe than those around you.””
— Rick Rubin

1 Answer

Category: Tidal Volume

Answer: The average amount of air we breathe with each breath is only about this percentage of our total lung capacity.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 10-15%?

In good breath,

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

P.S. every time I socialize

Breathing and Mediation Instructors:

Check out the Breath Learning Center. It’s a mountain of modern science and timeless wisdom. It’s summarized, organized, easy to read, and immediately actionable.

If you want to supply those you help with the best program possible, the wisdom and science in the Learning Center will be invaluable to your practice.

Click here to learn more.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

Common Breath Currency, 3 of the Best, and an Overlooked Exercise

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 48 sec

I hope the next 22’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. The “Common Currency” of Breath, Brain, and Mind

“The synchronization between respiration and slow neural activity is likely key to understanding the brain-physiology relationship. Higher degrees of coupling between respiration and brain activity likely manifest as the inverse of symptoms of panic disorder (e.g., relaxation, greater attention, and more measured thoughts). Slow rhythms thus provide a link and shared feature of respiration, neural, and mental activity serving as their ‘common currency’.”

– From Lung to Brain (2023)

How neat? Speed acts as a “common currency” that the breath, brain, and mind accept. This means when we slow our breathing, the brain and mind accept that as payment and slow down in return. The result is relaxation, better attention, and calmer thoughts 👏

***

P.S. If you love science like this but don’t have time to read all day, let me do it for you 👨‍🏫. In the Breath Learning Center, I provide clear and succinct summaries of significant studies like this one. Sign up today.

2. An Overlooked Breathing Exercise

“We breathe, most importantly, to bring oxygen from the atmosphere into our bodies and to release carbon dioxide in return. Another crucial aspect of the breath, and one that is rarely discussed, is that it gives us our voice. Breathing generates speech, a fundamental element of our experience as human beings.”

– Michael J Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

Here’s an obvious yet often overlooked (for me, at least 😊) reminder that speaking is, at its core, a “breathing exercise.” This means that if we become conscious of what and how we speak, our speech can become an integral part of our practice, providing endless chances to use breathing and mindfulness to support the people we want to be.

3. Three of the Bests

1. The best healing breathing exercise? Laughter.

2. The easiest form of meditation? Laughter.

3. The purest, most universal, and most natural way to mindfulness? Laughter.

4. Move to Be Still

“We need to move to be still, and only from that place of stillness can we move well.”

– Caroline Williams, Move

Here’s a wonderful reminder that movement is critical to our breathing and meditation practices. They are two sides of the same coin: “We need to move to be still, and only from that place of stillness can we move well.” 👏

1 Quote

“We move toward understimulation if we are on the schedule of soul.””
— Richard Rohr

1 Answer

Category: Nasal Breathing Brain

Answer: Nasal breathing, through its direct connection to this brain region, can influence and synchronize rhythms throughout the whole brain.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the olfactory bulb?

In good breath,

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

P.S. no more loops

Breathing and Mediation Instructors:

Check out the Breath Learning Center. It’s a mountain of modern science and timeless wisdom. It’s summarized, organized, easy to read, and immediately actionable.

If you want to supply those you help with the best program possible, the wisdom and science in the Learning Center will be invaluable to your practice.

Click here to learn more.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

Ten Breaths, the Power of Intention, and a Prescription for a Good Life

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 57 sec

I hope the next 24’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. The Power of Intention

“Intention plays an important role in each moment of consciousness: it determines the objects of subsequent moments of consciousness. The stronger our intention to attend to a particular object, the more moments of attention will subsequently be focused on that object.”

– The Mind Illuminated

Although this was discussing meditation, it applies perfectly to life in general. When we intend to be good people, or intend to live more joyfully, or intend to be more caring and compassionate, then “more moments of attention will subsequently be focused” on cultivating these qualities, and they’ll gradually become part of who we are 👏

***

P.S. If you’re a breath or meditation coach, this is a powerful tool. Helping people clarify their intentions can motivate them to practice. So, rather than focusing solely on results, you focus on intention, and the outcomes take care of themselves.

2. Helping You Deal with All of Life’s Challenges

“I think that working with the breath can be a very powerful technique to center the mind, to help you work more effectively, to help you deal with all of the challenges that life throws in your way every day, and to really turn your direction away from the material world toward the non-physical world.”

– Andrew Weil, MD, Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing

Here’s a powerful reminder that the breath can “help you deal with all of the challenges that life throws in your way.”

So, whether it’s through breath awareness or deliberate breath control, make sure you put this power to good use this week 😊

3. Gratitude, 10 Breaths, and Spirit Circulation

1. Gratitude turns an ordinary breath into air candy.

2. Don’t take ten breaths; take one breath, ten times.

3. Our breath moves spirit around like our heart moves blood around.

4. A Prescription for a Good Life

“A well-known physician who has made a specialty of nerve diseases, not getting satisfactory results from the prescription of drugs, tried the experiment of inducing his patients to smile under all circumstances—to compel themselves to laugh whether they felt like it or not. ‘Keep the corners of your mouth turned up,’ is his prescription for those suffering from melancholia. It works like a charm.”

– Orison Swett Marden, The Joys of Living

I’m not sure if there was a doctor who really did this, and I’m not a fan of faking emotions. BUT, I can wholeheartedly get behind a “prescription” to smile and laugh for living a good life 😊

1 Quote

“There is another word for self-discipline. It is patience.””
— Bhante Gunaratana

1 Answer

Category: Breath and Meditation

Answer: Many forms of meditation focus on breath sensations in this part of the nose, also known as the nasal vestibule.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the inside of the nostrils?

In good breath,

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

P.S. a rug made of legos

A Better Approach to Breathing

While I love just about everything about breathing and meditation, there’s one thing I feel could use more balance: Specialization.

Specializing to become “the best at this” or “the go-to person for that” certainly has its place and value. But for real-life, complex, messy humans (not speaking from experience or anything 😂), blending and adapting principles from a variety of practices, sciences, and traditions often works best.

This is the art of being a generalist, or what I playfully call being a “Mixed Mindful Artist.”

If you’re looking to build a truly beneficial personal practice or have a broader impact on those you teach, the generalist approach of becoming a mixed mindful artist might resonate with you.

You can learn more about it here.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

Whole-Brain Breathing, Nexus Point, and Life is Far Too Important

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 46 sec

I hope the next 21’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. A Nasal Nexus Point

“That point at the tip of the nostril can be viewed as a sort of a window between the inner and outer worlds. It is a nexus point and energy transfer spot where stuff from the outside world moves in and becomes a part of what we call “me,” and where a part of “me” flows forth to merge with the outside world. There are lessons to be learned here about self-identity and how we form it.”

– Bhante Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English

One of those lessons is that we are not separate from the world around us but are (quite literally) connected to it: “We” absorb pieces of “it,” and “it” absorbs pieces of “us.” The breath just reminds us that the boundary between “we” and “it” is somewhat of an illusion 👏

2. Breathing Modulates the Whole Brain

“We, therefore, propose that an individual’s respiratory rhythm serves a fundamental, intrinsic role that modulates the topography and dynamics of the whole brain. Going beyond respiration-brain coupling, this opens the door for the application of respiration as a therapeutic technique in mental disorders.”

– Neuroscience Bulletin (2023)

Our breathing might serve “a fundamental, intrinsic role that modulates the topography and dynamics of the whole brain.” How cool is that?

If you’d like to learn more, we have a new Science 411 on this paper in the Learning Center. Get access to it, plus the largest hub of science and wisdom on the contemplative arts, all for as little as $5.

3. Three Random Breathing Thoughts

1. Slow breathing is air appreciation. Fast breathing is air intoxication. And breath holding is air imagination.

2. Breathing is more an expression of our life force than merely our connection to it.

3. With time, breath awareness naturally becomes gratitude for living.

4. Life is Far Too Important

“Life is far too important to be taken seriously.”

– Attributed to Oscar Wilde

Or if you prefer this version from Eckhart Tolle: “Life is not as serious as the mind makes it out to be.” Both are perfect reminders to smile and laugh at ourselves often this week 😊

1 Quote

“Life itself is always in movement, so aligning with our life force means that we must always look for the flow within us.””
— Gladys McGarey, MD

1 Answer

Category: Breathing and Pressure

Answer: Pursed-lips and ujjayi breathing both likely lead to a slight increase in this (clinically abbreviated PEEP), which may help keep the airways open during exhalation.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is positive end-expiratory pressure?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Basic human needs:

The Generalist Approach

While I love just about everything about breathing and meditation, there’s one thing I feel could use more balance: Specialization.

Specializing to become “the best at this” or “the go-to person for that” certainly has its place and value. But for real-life, complex, messy humans (not speaking from experience or anything 😂), blending and adapting principles from a variety of practices, sciences, and traditions often works best.

This is the art of being a generalist, or what I playfully call being a “Mixed Mindful Artist.”

If you’re looking to build a truly beneficial personal practice or have a broader impact on those you teach, the generalist approach of becoming a mixed mindful artist might resonate with you.

You can learn more about it here.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

A Mini Life, Breath-Brain, and Helping Everyone Else Relax

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Audio Block
Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more

Reading Time: 1 min 32 sec

I hope the next 19’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. A Miniature Model of Life

“When we truly observe the breath, we are automatically placed in the present. We are pulled out of the morass of mental images and into a bare experience of the here and now. In this sense, breath is a living slice of reality. A mindful observation of such a miniature model of life itself leads to insights that are broadly applicable to the rest of our experience.”

– Bhante Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English

Yep, that sums it up perfectly. I have nothing else to add but several of these 👏👏👏

2. Breath-Brain: Entire Fields are Dedicated to This

“The brain’s metabolic-energetic coupling to respiration is at odds with how neuroscientists methodologically treat respiration. Respiration-related neural activity is typically considered noise, and entire fields are dedicated to stripping it from brain data.”

– Neuroscience Bulletin (2023)

The breath’s influence on the brain is so pervasive that “entire fields are dedicated to stripping it from brain data.” How crazy is that? 🤯

It’s a powerful reminder that, although we often talk about the breath’s impact on the nervous system, its effects on the brain may be the most profound (yet least appreciated) of all…

3. Three Random Breathing Thoughts

1. Shining your attention on your breath is like a dimmer switch: even if it’s not all the way up, it will still help you see better.

2. Scientific studies of breathing are timely and indispensable; personal experience with the breath is timeless and irreplaceable.

3. Equanimity is when the breather realizes they are the breath.

4. Few Persons Realize

“Few persons realize that health actually varies according to the amount of laughter.”

– James J. Walsh, MD, PhD

Here is our weekly reminder to laugh. It is, after all, the best “breathing exercise” around… 😊

1 Quote

“Pressure is contagious, but so is good will. Just one person slowing down, one person not putting others under pressure, helps everyone else to relax too.””
— Eknath Easwaran

1 Answer

Category: Breath Connection

Answer: Breathing influences this organ over a wide set of frequencies, ranging from as slow as 0.01 Hz to as high as 80 Hz.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the brain?

In good breath,

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

P.S. like I get it

Reminder: A Good New Year Begins Now

Like a good inhale starts with a full exhale, or a good morning starts the night before, a good 2025 begins with how we end this year. So, if you want to start 2025 off strong, consider ending this year by becoming a Mixed Mindful Artist. You can do that by joining the Breath Learning Center. I’ve made it accessible, with options starting at just $5, because I believe the mixed mindful arts should be available to all who seek them. I hope you’ll join us!

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
,

Learning to Live, 3 Random Thoughts, and Going on an Internal Jog

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 33 sec

I hope the next 19’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Learning to Live

“In the practice of meditation you become sensitive to the actual experience of living, to how things actually feel. You do not sit around developing sublime thoughts about living. You live…meditation, more than anything else, is learning to live.”

– Bhante Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English

Here’s a wonderful reminder that meditation—and all our other contemplative practices—are not a means of escaping life. They are actually a way of learning to live, a way of becoming more “sensitive to the actual experience of living.” 👏

2. Nasal Stimulation and Altered Consciousness

“The NS [nasal stimulation] elicited an altered perception of the self and of the flowing of time, a high degree of inwardly-directed attention together with a diminished ability of controlling their own thoughts, which led to a general perception of being in an altered state of consciousness.”

- Nature Sci Rep (2018)

I shared about this study about a month ago, but I recently made a post explaining its fascinating results that I thought you might enjoy. Check it out on HHPF.

3. Three Random Breathing Thoughts

1. Breathing exercises don’t solve our problems—they change how we interpret our problems, which may be just as valuable.

2. The goal of a mindful breathing practice is better mindless breathing.

3. Start by starting; one minute is always better than none-minutes.

4. An Internal Jog

“Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without having to go outdoors.”

– Norman Cousins

That’s a great analogy and reminder to take a daily “internal jog” this week using the most therapeutic breathing exercise of all—laughter. No treadmills required 😊

1 Quote

“I believe I know the only cure, which is to make one’s center of life inside of one’s self, not selfishly or excludingly, but with a kind of unassailable serenity—to decorate one’s inner house so richly that one is content there, glad to welcome anyone who wants to come and stay, but happy all the same when one is inevitably alone.””
— Edith Wharton

1 Answer

Category: Breath and Brain

Answer: Breathing’s impact on this brain signal is so significant that it’s often regarded as “noise” that needs to be removed.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the fMRI signal?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Not to be dramatic but…

A Clear Path?

“If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s.”

– Joseph Campbell

This perfectly captures the essence of becoming a Mixed Mindful Artist. We don’t focus on one method that worked for someone else; instead, we find our own path, guided by timeless wisdom, modern science, and self intuition. So, if you’re ready to start clearing your own trail, get started today.

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!

Learn more here.

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.