6 breaths per minute

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Neat Breath Science, 3 Sentences to Live By, and it is a Panacea

,

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 😊

 

4 Thoughts



1. Neat Science: How to See If Slow Breathing is an Antioxidant

“…our results lead to the hypothesis that slow breathing may exert some antioxidant effect, possibly via parasympathetic stimulation.”

- Nature (2017)

The way they got to this hypothesis was pretty cool:

  1. They had people with type-1 diabetes inhale extra oxygen.

  2. After, they observed that arterial stiffness and blood pressure went up. This was likely due to excess oxidative stress.

  3. Then, they repeated the process, but participants breathed slowly at 6 breaths/min while inhaling oxygen.

  4. Slow breathing offset the harmful effects of extra oxygen on blood pressure and arterial stiffness.

Together, this suggests that slow breathing acts as a natural antioxidant.

***

P.S. If you want more neat findings like this, check out the Science 411s in the Breath is Life Learning Center.

2. Get 90% from 50% (or less): A Few Minutes Go a Long Way

“As you read any given sentence, you will probably get 90% of the meaning from 50% of the words…the rest of the words are unnecessary filler.”

- Peter Hollins, The Science of Self-Learning

This made me think of how, with breathing, we get a lot of psychological benefits from a small percentage of the breaths we take.

Example: A 20-minute morning breath practice might be less than 1% of your breaths. But, it may account for 90% of your equanimity.

Of course, all our other breaths aren’t just “fillers”—they’re critical to our wellness, too. But let’s remember that even a small investment in our breath can go a long way toward our health and happiness 🙏

3. Why Breathing Seems Like a Panacea: Part II

“In fact, any condition that is caused or exacerbated by stress can be helped by a well-designed mind body approach. Furthermore, because all health conditions have some stress component, it is no overstatement to say that virtually every single health problem and disease can be improved with a mind body approach.” (my bold)

- Herbert Benson, MD, Relaxation Revolution

Slow breathing is one of the fastest and most effective mind-body approaches to triggering the relaxation response and reducing stress.

And since stress plays a role in basically every health condition, breathing can therefore help in basically every health condition.

Breathe slowly—> reduce stress—> improve virtually every health condition. Maybe it is a panacea, after all? 😊

***

P.S. See Thought #1 here for Part I.

4. Three Short Ancient Sentences to Live By

“Walk slowly! Talk little! Love breath!”

- The Primordial Breath, Volume I

Sounds like a perfect life-mantra to me 🙏

1 Quote

“And beyond improving stress resilience, breath practices can restore your sense of being genuinely who you are, of knowing what you feel, of recognizing what others feel, and of being able to experience deep and meaningful connections with people, with your values, and with all that is.”
— Richard Brown, MD, and Patricia Gerbarg, MD
 

1 Answer

Category: The Cardiovascular System

Answer: There are approximately this many miles of veins, capillaries, and arteries in an average adult.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 60,000 miles?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Every. Single. Time.

 
 

Breath is Life Learning
Science and Books Made Simple

For each book and research paper I read, you get an easy-to-digest 411 summary:

  • Web-based text or downloadable PDF

  • Audio podcast version (also downloadable)

Plus, you get a super short daily email with a nugget of breathing wisdom. It only takes a few seconds to read, but it will set you up for a better day, every day.

P.S. 30-Second Science

For each Science 411, if you read the “1 Big Takeaway” followed by the “1 Practical Application,” you can get almost everything you need from a study in about 30 seconds.

P.P.S. Life-Changing Ideas

For each Book 411, you get “1 Life-Changing” idea from that book. Thus, even if you’re not interested in the book, you can open that section and get a quick idea to help you live a better life.

Here are a few of my favorites:

  • From Buddha’s Brain: Our Breath Moves Spirit Around Like Our Hearts Move Blood Around

  • From The Mindful Day: How to Live Longer (regardless of your age, lifespan, or healthspan)

  • From Breath by Breath: How it Should Be, and Letting Breath (and life) Unfold Naturally

  • From The Confidence Gap: No One is Perfect (and the solution)

  • From Stolen Focus: Mind-Wandering is a Superpower (and How to Do It Correctly)

 
 

* 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.

 
 
,

Holotropic Breathing, a 6 bpm Prayer, and the Power of PNS

,

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 😊

 

4 Thoughts



1. Study: Prayer and Mantra Lead to ~5.5-6.0 Breaths a Minute

“Remark­ably, the regularity of breathing seen during recitation of the Ave Maria or of the mantra was similar to regu­larity during controlled breathing at 6/min, indicating that these methods could stabilise the respiratory rate as effectively as precisely timed control.”

- Effect of rosary prayer and yoga mantras on autonomic cardiovascular rhythms…

In this now somewhat famous study, reciting the Hail Mary prayer or a yoga mantra naturally led to a breath rate of almost exactly 5.5-6 breaths/min. Leading to the conclusion: “The rosary might be viewed as a health practice as well as a religious practice.” 👏

***

P.S. I released a Science 411 for this paper on Friday as part of my new Breath is Life Learning Center. You still have two days to get this & tons of wisdom for just $11/month or $110/year (27% off forever) 🙏

2. The Power of the PNS and How to Nourish It

“Parasympathetic activation is the normal resting state of your body, brain, and mind. If your SNS were surgically disconnected, you’d stay alive (though you wouldn’t be very useful in an emergency). If your PNS were disconnected, however, you’d stop breathing and soon die.”

- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Budhha’s Brain

That’s crazy. And since our PNS is so vital, I think it’s safe to say we should nourish it every chance we get. So how do we do it?

Here are two (of several) exercises Dr. Hanson suggests:

  1. Diaphragmatic Breathing: Place a hand on your stomach and look down at it. Then, breathe slowly, and try to “breathe into your hand with real oomph, so that it travels back and forth half an inch or more with each breath.”

  2. Big Exhales: “Inhale as much as you can, hold that inhalation for a few seconds, and then exhale slowly while relaxing.”

Better yet, combine the two, and enjoy stimulating and nourishing your PNS a little more this week : )

3. The Healing Power of (different) Breaths

“Each breath form is taught for its own special healing purposes. Just as you use different exercises for different muscle groups, you gain more by using a variety of breathing practices that each has their own unique effects.”

- Richard Brown, MD, and Patricia Gerbarg, MD, The Healing Power of the Breath

Just an excellent reminder that one of the key healing powers of the breath is that we can use it in different ways for different outcomes.

We “gain more by using a variety of breathing practices that each has their own unique effects.” <— Let’s do that 👏

4. Are All Breathing Practices Holotropic?

Discussing the word “holotropic:”

“This composite word means literally ‘oriented toward wholeness’ or ‘moving toward wholeness’ (from the Greek holos = whole and trepein = moving toward or in the direction of something).”

- Stanislav & Christina Grof, Holotropic Breathwork

Based on that, I’d say we practice “holotropic” breathing—moving toward wholeness—every time we stop and breathe consciously.

So regardless of what methods we use, let’s all orient toward wholeness a little more, this week 🙏

***

P.S. I’m releasing a Book 411 on Holotropic Breathwork this Friday. Although it’s somewhat controversial to some, I absolutely loved the book (and its bold claims). I hope you’ll consider signing up to get it.

1 Quote

“All persons going to sleep should think, not of their business, not of their riches or poverty, their pains or their pleasures, but, of what are of infinitely greater importance to them, their lungs; their best friends, that have kept them alive through the day.”
— George Catlin
 

1 Answer

Category: The Nervous System

Answer: The nervous system can transmit information up to this many miles per hour.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 268 mph?

In good breath,

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

P.S. A brosecco

 
 

Breath is Life Learning Center Now Open

I made the Learning Center for you. The person who reads these posts all the way to the bottom; that loves learning as much as I do 😊

It’s literally my dream come true, and I hope that shines through in the amount of material I’ve added and continue adding every day.

I hope you’ll consider signing up to get all of it for just $11/month or $110/year if you pay annually (less than 40 cents a day in either case). Your price will never go up. This intro offer ends on Dec. 1.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading and supporting my work over the years 🙏

 
 

* 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.

 
 
,

Yoga vs. Prozac, Deep Insight, and 4 Breaths for a Better Heart

,
 

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 😊

 

4 Thoughts



1. Why 6 Breaths/Min Improves Heart Health & Quality of Life in Diabetes

I never get tired of talking about slow breathing : )

So, here’s a longer blog about the benefits for heart health & diabetes:

Why 6 Breaths/Min Improves Heart Health & Quality of Life in Diabetes

It’s framed around diabetes, but, of course, it really applies to anyone.

4 Breathing Exercises to Improve Your Heart Health and Extend Life Span

While we’re at it, here’s another guest blog for ResBiotic outlining 4 breathing exercises you can do for a better heart. Two are slow breathing, and 2 are not.

Enjoy!

2. Why Breath Holds Are Mental Resiliency Training

When we’re in a stressful event, we can use our breath to help us cope.

But when lack of breath is the stressful event, we must use our minds.

3. Insight: Just Help Them To Do What Nature Provided Us With

I’m taking pranayama teacher training with Eddie Stern and Robert Moses.

In their exercises script, they (somewhat offhandedly) threw in this deeply insightful message:

“We want to teach people to breathe better so it makes their lives better in whatever way they need their life to improve—we don’t always know what that is (even for ourselves) so we do not want to impose things upon them, just help them to do what nature provided us with better.” (my emphasis)

That is perhaps the best statement ever made about breathing and how it should be used & taught. It’s almost as if they’ve been doing this for a while…

4. Yoga and Breathing Exercises, or Prozac and Zoloft?

“Deep breathing is a potent inducer of the parasympathetic nervous system. The release of acetylcholine not only calms our organs, it also stimulates the release of serotonin, dopamine, and prolactin, the feel-good hormones targeted by medicines like Prozac and Zoloft. But yoga and breathing exercises produce this effect naturally and without side effects.”

- Michael J Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

Sounds good to me : )


1 QUOTE

“We must endeavor with all our resources and strength to become capable of doctoring ourselves.”
— Marcus Tullius Cicero
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Vagus Nerve

Answer: This organ receives the greatest supply of nerves from the vagus nerve, helping explain why deep breathing is so relaxing.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the diaphragm?

In good breath,

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

P.S. a hero of our time

Breathing for Diabetes:

If you love learning about breathing, or just want to live an overall healthier life, I think you’ll really enjoy this class (diabetes or not).

 
 

* 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.

 
 
,

Why 6 Breaths/Minute Improves Heart Health & Quality of Life in Diabetes

,

Slow breathing is a highly effective yet overlooked therapy for diabetes.

 

It profoundly changed my life with diabetes, leading me to spend the past 5 years trying to understand it and share it with others.

 

I’ve found that it’s not going to fix everything (of course).  It may not even impact your blood sugars.  But, without question, two things it will do are improve your heart health and your quality of life.

 

And it’s available anytime, anywhere (no pre-authorization required). 

 

I think it’s a no-brainer for better health, and I hope this article inspires you to give it a try.

 

 

What is Slow Breathing? (and why was 6 breaths/minute in the title?)

 

Slow breathing is broadly defined as breathing at a rate of less than 10 breaths per minute.  More specifically, it usually refers to breathing at a rate of about 4.5 to 7 breaths per minute.

 

And even more specifically, almost every study on slow breathing and diabetes has used 6 breaths per minute.  And they’ve found some pretty remarkable things.

 

But before we get to that, let’s take a quick look at the breath-heart connection.

 

 

Understanding the Breath-Heart Connection: Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia and Heart Rate Variability

 

When we inhale, our heart rate increases.  When we exhale, it decreases (if you’d like more details, here’s a blog I wrote for ResBiotic that explains it fully).  This is known as respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA).

 

RSA is one of the underlying principles of heart rate variability (HRV).  Generally speaking, HRV is the beat-to-beat time variability of heart rate.  Research shows that higher HRV indicates a more balanced nervous system and better cardiovascular health.  For these reasons, higher HRV is associated with a better quality of life.

 

And it turns out that people with diabetes typically have worse HRV than non-diabetics.  (A negative side-effect of researching diabetes is that it reminds me of everything it adversely affects.  However, it’s also encouraging to find simple tools like breathing that can help (not fix) some of the problems).

 

 

HRV is Reduced in Diabetes

 

A 2018 meta-analysis found that patients with type-2 diabetes had significantly lower HRV than those without it.  Diabetics with chronic complications have even lower HRV. 

 

The lower HRV observed in people with diabetes is likely related to many negative aspects of the disease, such as chronic stress, inflammation, and increased oxidative stress. 

 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, low HRV is associated with adverse outcomes in diabetes.  For example, people with diabetes and low HRV are at increased risk of coronary heart disease.  Moreover, low HRV is an early marker of cardiac autonomic neuropathy, which can lead to heart disease, the number one cause of mortality in people with diabetes.

 

Sounds depressing, right?

 

 

Enter the Heart-Boosting Power of Slow Breathing

“When we breathe slowly at around 6 breaths per minute, we synchronize signals coming from our cardiovascular, respiratory, and autonomic nervous systems.  ”

When we breathe slowly at around 6 breaths per minute, we synchronize signals coming from our cardiovascular, respiratory, and autonomic nervous systems. 

 

To get a little more technical, we have baroreceptors monitoring blood pressure. They sense the changes in heart rate that accompany each breath.  Then, they send their own signals to the heart. 

 

For example, as blood pressure rises, they tell the heart to slow down.  And as blood pressure falls, they tell the heart to speed up.

 

Here’s the issue: there’s about a 5-second lag for signals.  Thus, they end up getting mingled together with the signals from the breath.  One may be trying to increase heart rate while the other is trying to slow it down.

 

But when we breathe at about 6 breaths per minute, we synchronize these messages.  (To breathe at 6 breaths per minute, we need about a 5-second inhale and 5-second exhale (or 4/6 also works). This matches the time lag from the baroreceptors.)

 

When the signals get synchronized, great things happen.  Each breath amplifies heart rate oscillations, leading to greater HRV.  This also balances the nervous system, making us calm and relaxed.  If we do this regularly, it can significantly improve our quality of life.

 

Let’s break these down into a little more detail and look at 4 positive outcomes we get from slow breathing.

 

 

The 4 Key Benefits of Heart-Breath Synchronization for Diabetes

 

1. Improved Heart Rate Variability

 

This is the most potent effect.  As mentioned, when we breathe slowly, we amplify the heart rate oscillations occurring with each breath.  This increases HRV, a critical problem in diabetes.

 

One study published in Nature found that just 2 minutes of slow breathing at 6 breaths/min could bring the HRV of type-1 diabetics to levels of non-diabetic controls.  (Side note: this was the paper that convinced me to start sharing this information.  Nature is one of the most prestigious journals in the world.  If they’re talking about slow breathing and diabetes, I realized my results weren’t so crazy after all.)

 

A long-term study of people with type 2 diabetes and ischemic heart disease found that one year of slow diaphragmatic breathing significantly increased HRV, and this wasn’t even at precisely 6 breaths per minute. Just slowing down the breath was enough to boost HRV.

 

And better HRV means better cardiovascular health and a longer life.

 

It also means more resiliency to diabetic stressors, but I’ll save that for another blog post.

“And better HRV means better cardiovascular health and a longer life.”

 

2. Efficiency and Blood Flow

 

When bodily messages come into harmony, it creates efficiency.  Efficiency means your body doesn’t have to work as hard to complete its normal processes.

 

This efficiency also improves blood flow, a fundamental problem in diabetes.  For example, the same 2-minute study mentioned above found that slow breathing also improved arterial function.  Better arteries, more blood flow, and less chance of complications.

 

 

3. Reduced Blood Pressure

 

Slow breathing has consistently been shown to lower blood pressure.  A 2019 meta-analysis found an average systolic blood pressure reduction of about 5 points from slow breathing for about 20 minutes daily.

 

The blood pressure-reducing effects of slow breathing have also been shown in diabetes.  In a study of 65 type-2 diabetics with hypertension, slow breathing significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

 

These results are significant because Johns Hopkins Medical Center reports that people with diabetes are twice as likely to develop hypertension.  It’s also estimated that anywhere from 40 to 80% of diabetics have hypertension.  Moreover, a person with diabetes and hypertension is four times more likely to develop heart disease.  For these reasons, preventing and treating hypertension is a chief concern in people with diabetes.

 

Slow breathing provides one complementary therapy for doing just that.

 

 

4. Less Stress & Anxiety

 

And lastly, we can’t discuss heart problems without discussing stress.  We know when we’re stressed, we have chronic activation of the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) nervous system.  This raises heart rate and blood pressure, adding extra strain on our hearts.

 

Fortunately, slow breathing is one of the fastest and most effective ways to alleviate stress. You’ve probably been told at some point in your life to “just take a deep breath.”  It turns out there’s some solid science for this statement.

 

Slowing down the breath, especially with a longer exhalation, increases activity in the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest), reducing stress and increasing relaxation. Slow breathing also reduces activity in the amygdala (often referred to as the “fear center”), which also helps reduce stress.

 

 

Slow Breathing is a Superpower for Your Heart

 

To recap, slow breathing at about 6 breaths per minute is excellent for our hearts, especially if you have diabetes.

 

It harmonizes messages being sent from the cardiovascular and autonomic nervous systems.  This leads to a ton of benefits, but here are 4 critical ones for diabetic heart health:

 

  • Improved heart rate variability

  • Increased efficiency and blood flow

  • Lower blood pressure

  • Less stress and anxiety

 

For these reasons, the paper published in Nature concluded:

“Slow breathing could be a simple beneficial intervention in diabetes.”
— Nature Scientific Reports

 

Simple and beneficial, indeed.

 

 

Start Improving Your Heart Health Today

 

I hope this article motivates you to start a slow breathing practice.

But, if you’d like some more help, you can check out the Breathing for Diabetes Online Course, which covers everything you need to get started.

I hope you’ll check it out, and if you have any questions about slow breathing in general, please email me at nick@thebreathingdiabetic.  I always respond within 5 days (but usually ~2).

Breathing for Diabetes Online workshop

This may be your key to a healthy, more fulfilling life with diabetes.

 
,

Better Attention, Lasting Joy, and How to Age Successfully (in 5 min)

,
 

🎧 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 😊

 

4 Thoughts



1. How to Age Successfully, in Just 5 Minutes

“As such, DSB [deep and slow breathing] represents a practical, low-cost exercise that can be performed anywhere in order to promote successful aging.” <—sounds good to me 😊

- Nature Scientific Reports 2021

This study found that just 5 minutes of slow breathing at 6 bpm (4 in/6 out) increased HRV and reduced anxiety in younger and older adults.

The conclusion: Breathe slower, age better.

2. Why Slowing Down Leads to Better Attention

“But when you practice moving at a speed that is compatible with human nature—and you build that into your daily life—you begin to train your attention and focus. ‘That’s why those disciplines make you smarter. It’s not about humming or wearing orange robes.’ Slowness, he explained, nurtures attention, and speed shatters it.”

- Johann Hari, (inset quote Guy Claxton), Stolen Focus

A broad range of studies shows that when we do any practice that slows us down—whether it’s breathing, yoga, or tai chi—our attention improves.

Here we learn why: we’re moving at a pace “compatible with human nature.”

Slowness nurtures attention. Speed shatters it.

3. The Confidence Cycle: How to Get Good at Breathing

In The Confidence Gap, Russ Harris provides 4 steps to “get good at doing anything” <— 🙏 Here they are, with my wording to apply them to breathing:

  1. Practice the skills: Consistently practice the breathing techniques that interest you. You have to practice to get good—no way around it.

  2. Apply them effectively: Test them out in real life. Apply them when you’re stressed at work, before a presentation, or before sleep.

  3. Assess the results: Did they actually help? Did they make things worse? (I can’t tell you how many times breathing didn’t do anything for me, or how many times it was a life-saver. Find what works for you.)

  4. Modify as needed: Make changes based on what worked well and what didn’t.

Then, of course, repeat the cycle—but only for the rest of your life : )

4. A Secret to Finding Lasting Joy with Your Breathwork Practice

One day, we’ll think we’ve found the answer to our problems with slow breathing. Then, we might become obsessed with Wim Hof. Until, of course, we discover that alternate nostril breathing is what we’ve been missing 😂

But here’s the secret: that’s actually the point. It’s the endless ways we can use our breath that make it so special.

So let’s celebrate how wonderful it is that there’s a breath for everything. That our practice can change as we change. And let’s use it in our lives in whatever way is right in this moment, happily knowing that it won’t last forever.


1 QUOTE

“The most fortunate are those who have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder and even ecstasy.”

- Abraham Maslow

1 ANSWER

Category: Heart Rate Variability

Answer: The discovery that pulse rate varies with the breathing cycle was first reported by Stephen Hales in this year.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 1733?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Most people don’t realize this

 
 

* 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.

 
 

Light and Calm, Start by Starting, and the 60/40 Rule of Slow Breathing

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading

 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. How to Get Started with Breathwork

“But this doesn’t have to be all at once.  Start by starting.  Add in what you can right now, and as these practices begin to improve your performance, they’ll end up saving you time.”

- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

Kotler is discussing practices for peak performance, but the exact same goes for breathwork. Start by starting. One minute is always better than none-minutes.

So go easy and have fun with it : ) Your practice will grow naturally with time.

2. The 60/40 Rule of Slow Breathing

Speaking of getting started, here’s a simple rule you can begin with for slow breathing (and it’s one I use every day), inspired by Heart Breath Mind:

40% of your breath should be inhaling

60% of your breath should be exhaling

Here’s what it looks like:

  • 6.0 breaths/min: 4 sec inhale, 6 sec exhale

  • 5.5 breaths/min: 4.4 sec inhale, 6.6 sec exhale

  • 5.0 breaths/min: 4.8 sec inhale, 7.2 sec exhale

  • and so on…

Note that it’s hard to be this precise with most breathing apps, so just do what you can. For example, I simply use 5 in/7 out to breathe at 5 breaths/min.

3. Breathing and the Brain’s Default Mode Network

“The resting brain turns out not to be resting at all. Left to its own devices, the human mind holds imaginary conversations, replays past experiences, and reflects on the future.”

- Kelly McGonigal, PhD, The Joy of Movement

If you’ve ever tried to rest your brain, this passage probably isn’t surprising : ) It’s called the brain’s “default mode,” and it has a negative bias: Our natural tendency is to ruminate, criticize, and worry. Not so good.

Luckily, McGonigal says there’s an easy way to quiet it down. “In brain-imaging studies, focused breathing, mindfulness, and repeating a mantra have all been shown to deactivate hubs of the default mode network.”

Sounds good to me. So here’s to practicing some 60/40 slow breathing to deactivate our default mode, and activate more joy, today.

***

P.S. Don’t have time for mindfulness or breathing? Kelly has an even easier hack, which is to exercise in nature: “Green exercise appears to do something similar to the brain, but without the need for such dedicated mind-training.”

4. How Breathing (literally) Makes You Prosper

“Did you know the word ‘prosperity’ literally means ‘to go forward with hope’?”

- Brian Johnson, +1 on Spiritual Economics

I did not know that. But now that I do, I can confidently say that breathing makes us prosperous. When you walk away from a slow breathing session (or yoga, meditation, exercise, etc.), you always “go forward with hope.”

I wonder if it’s because we quiet our amygdalae and deactivate that pesky default network…🤔

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“If our breathing is light and calm, a natural result of conscious breathing, our mind and body will slowly become light, calm, and clear, and our feelings also.”

- Thich Nhat Hahn

The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing 101

Answer: The portion of each breath that does not participate in gas exchange is called this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is dead space air?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Good luck to her on this journey

 
 
 

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.

 
 

Breathing Gives Us What Babies Want, 0.1 Hz, and The Miracle of the Nose

 
 

Listen to this post:

 

Hey,

Here’s your weekly dose of breathing and diabetes fun. Plus, a letter I wrote 10 years ago…

I hope you enjoy reading!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. Breathing Gives Us What Babies Want

In the Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz discusses a fascinating study:

  • Group 1: Infants were able to control some dancing toys by turning their heads in their cribs. It made them really happy to see the toys.

  • Group 2: Got “a free ride.” They saw the same toys, but theirs just randomly appeared when the Group 1 babies made them turn on.

The Group 2 babies still found this very entertaining, at least at first. But they eventually lost interest, whereas Group 1 didn’t:

“The different reactions of the two groups caused researchers to conclude that it is not dancing toy animals that are an endless source of delight for infants, but rather having control. Infants kept smiling and cooing at the display because they seem to know that they made it happen.”

I think this study demonstrates why breathing (especially Wim Hof) is so impactful. It taps into a desire that’s in us since birth—the desire for control.

Breathing gives it to us, immediately. We can instantly change our state, and we know we made it happen, not some external force. We become Group 1.

It’s like what Barry Schwartz says when interpreting those babies’ reactions:

“I did this, isn’t it great? And I can do it again whenever I want.”


2. The Upside of Diabetes

“When I was eleven years old, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. This taught me a lot of responsibility at a young age…I have to incorporate a lot of “thinking ahead” and problem solving into my daily routine…Furthermore, it has taught me to always be positive and to be grateful for every opportunity I have…Although I do not enjoy having diabetes, it has definitely had a positive impact on my life.”

I wrote that 10 years ago when I was applying for graduate school.

Fast forward to today, and it’s often depressing researching about breathing and diabetes. As excited as I get about breathing, I’m also continuously reminded of all the ways diabetes is ruining my health. Thanks, science.

But in reality, I’ve always felt that diabetes is the best thing to ever happen to me. And I still 100% agree with everything I said 10 years ago.

I’m not saying diabetes doesn’t suck. But, I try not to forget that it could be a lot worse and that it has had many positive impacts on my life.

So here’s to keeping a positive outlook, while simultaneously being realistic, knowing that we need to take extra good care of our bodies and health.

…

P.S. This was inspired by my recent re-reading of The Upside of Stress.

P.P.S. You can read the letter by clicking here.


3. How Slow, Deep Breathing Taps into A Natural Rhythm in Our Bodies

“Noble’s research demonstrates how tiny mechanisms throughout our cardiovascular system oscillate at that same frequency of 0.1 Hertz. ‘It’s almost like an inherent rhythm,’ he says. ‘Your breath may be unlocking this rhythm that you already have going on in the background.’”

- How Slow, Deep Breathing Taps Into A Natural Rhythm In Our Bodies

I read this article first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee. It was so good, I think I starting buzzing at 0.1 Hz : ) It’s just so awesome seeing “breathing” continue to seep into popular resources like Discover Magazine.

Read it, practice it, share it, and enjoy it. As they say in the article, “All you need is a pair of lungs, and some discipline.”

…

P.S. Another reason this was so much fun to read was because a 411 reader sent it to me. It’s my favorite thing in the world when you all send me such good stuff. Thanks, as always, “Midnight Larry!”

4. How To Get The Benefits of Breathing Without the Mastery

“Happily, the benefits of training in meditation arrive long before mastery does.”

- Sam Harris

The same is true for slow breathing. And it’s simple to get the benefits of breathing without mastery: Just get started.

I still suck at breathing. I’m continuously working on it. But I’ve seen incredible benefits because I practice every single day.

So don’t worry about perfection or mastery. Just get started. The best way to do that? Just four minutes a day—two in the morning, two before bed.

…

P.S. This was inspired by a +1 from my favorite teacher, Brian Johnson.

Related Quote: "How do you best move toward mastery? To put it simply, you practice diligently, but you practice primarily for the sake of the practice itself." - Robert Greene, Mastery


 
 
 
 

1 Quote

“The nose is the silent warrior: the gatekeeper of our bodies, pharmacist to our minds, and weather vane to our emotions.”

- James Nestor, Breath

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Answer: In a blue whale, this organ weighs over 1,500 lbs.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is its heart?

I wonder what it’s resonant frequency is… : )

In good breath,

Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
Diabetes is Tiny. You are Mighty.

P.S. bet u just loooove school

 
 
 

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.

 
 

Slow Breathing Really Does Help Everything, According to a 2020 Study

 
 

Listen to this post:

 

Hey,

It’s a fun post this week. Lots of good info, plus one of the best real-life breathing videos you’ll ever see.

I hope you enjoy it!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. Slow Breathing Really Does Help Everything, According to a 2020 Study

“The results of this review provide evidence that HRVB and PB at approximately six breaths per minute have positive effects on a variety of physical, behavioral, and cognitive conditions.”

- Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Improves Emotional and Physical Health and Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis

Good news. I’m not crazy, which is how I often feel after every paper I read leads me to say that “slow breathing helps with just about everything.”

But, that’s also the conclusion of a recent 2020 meta-analysis.

They found that, like we discuss all the time, slow breathing won’t “cure” any one particular thing. But, it does help many different things in small ways:

“The overall effect sizes are modest but highly significant, suggesting that these methods may not be sufficient for treating any one problem but may be useful as a complementary intervention.”

Amen to that. And like you already know, when combined and compounded, these small improvements add up to overall better health.

To learn more, click here and read my short summary of the study.

Or better yet, don’t read it. Instead, spend those few minutes breathing slowly and experiencing the positive benefits for yourself : )

…

Related: Breathing is the Compound Interest of Health and Wellness

Related: Cardiovascular and Respiratory Effect of Yogic Slow Breathing in the Yoga Beginner: What Is the Best Approach?



2. Diabetes Really Does Hurt Everything, According to Our 2020 Life Experience

Just kidding. Well, kinda.

But I believe the meta-analysis above in thought #1 highlights why slow breathing can be so beneficial for diabetes.

As we know, when not properly managed, diabetes hurts just about every aspect of health and wellness:

  • Anxiety

  • Distress

  • Autonomic function

  • Emotional regulation

  • Cardiovascular function

  • And on & on

So, if slow breathing helps many of these, even modestly, they’re still going to add up to considerable benefits for our diabetes control.

Of course, it’s not a cure-all. But slow breathing is possibly the simplest, safest, and most effective thing we can do to address many diabetic problems.

…

Related: Diaphragmatic breathing improves antioxidant status & HbA1c in type 2 diabetics


3. Breathing Exercises for Kids: Everything Parents Need to Know

“The cure? Take a deep breath. That sounds like a useless platitude. It’s not.”

- Breathing Exercises for Kids: Everything Parents Need to Know

Wow, this was a surprisingly good article. Quick and easy, and full of good information. It did have one typo about CO2, but I’ll let it slide since they provided so many awesome breathing books I can now get my daughter : )

And since they also provided this excellent advice for our children, nieces and nephews, and really just everyone in general:

“You practice every day, you slow breathe every day, even when you’re not anxious, and then even though you become a little bit anxious, you have the bandwidth to not fall off the edge.”

- Dr. Umakanth Katwa,
Director, Sleep Laboratory at Boston Children’s Hospital
Professor at Harvard Medical School

Sounds good to me.

Enjoy the excellent read!

…

Related: Watch this in action.

This is perhaps the best real-world 21-second breathing video ever recorded.

4. Words Are Not Always Adequate, or Important

“Again, the likely explanation is that what is most easily put into words is not necessarily what is most important.”

- Barry Schwartz, The Paradox of Choice

This is certainly true for breathing.

Heart rate variability, autonomic function, blood pressure, blood flow, anxiety, distress. Slow breathing helps them all, and they all sound good.

But are they what’s truly most important?

I think that 21-second YouTube video above is what’s most important.

And I don’t have words for that.

 
 
 
 

1 Quote

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Answer: Over 1.1 million children and adolescents below the age of 20 have this chronic disease, increasing their likelihood of anxiety and depression.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is type-1 diabetes?

In good breath,

Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
Diabetes is Tiny. You are Mighty.

P.S. WELL WHAT TIME DOES HE GET OFF?

 
 
 

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.

 
 

Coherent Breathing, Diabetes, and How All Top Performers Use The Breath

 
 

Listen to this post:

 

Thanks for clicking on another issue of The Breathing 411.

Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for this week. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts

1. Why We Should Practice Coherent Breathing, in just Two Sentences

“When oscillations of two or more systems are synchronised it increases physiological efficiency by enabling the functions of these systems to be coordinated. This prevents energy being wasted on non productive functions.”

- The Functions of Breathing and its Dysfunctions and Their Relationship to Breathing Therapy

Coherent (or resonant) breathing synchronizes different body systems, and I thought those two sentences perfectly summarized why it’s so important:

It improves efficiency and conserves energy.

To experience this yourself, you might think finding your particular resonant breathing rate requires special biofeedback equipment…and you’d be right. 

Fortunately, however, a 2006 study found that we get most of the benefits by simply breathing at 5-6 breaths per minute. Meaning you can get started right now without any fancy gear. It’s as simple as using a phone app.

Here’s to synchronizing our breathing for optimal efficiency today.

Related Quote: “Did it matter if we breathed at a rate of six or five seconds, or were a half second off? It did not, as long as the breaths were in the range of 5.5.” - James Nestor, Breath

P.S. The two apps I recommend are iBreathe and BreathWrk.

2. All Things Breathing and Diabetes

Patrick McKeown and I sat down a couple of months ago to talk about all things breathing and diabetes. It was a surreal experience to be chatting with the person who has taught me so much. We covered a lot of material from both personal and scientific perspectives.

Watch the full interview on YouTube here.

I hope you enjoy watching and listening.

Related Links:

3. Mick Fanning’s Breathwork is the Key to His Success

“Fanning’s performance coach, Nam Baldwin says breathwork is the foundation of mental and physical performance.”

- Mick Fanning’s scoliosis led him to breath work. Now, it’s key to his success

Aside from diabetes, one reason I became interested in breathing was surfing. So, when I saw this headline, I couldn’t wait to read it.

And it was better than expected. It was impossible to pick just one quote to share, so here’s another gem from Mick himself:

“You can change your moods, your thought patterns, just by concentrating on breath… and the better you breathe the better you perform.”

Enjoy the great read!

4. Maybe All Top Performers Focus on Their Breath?

And it’s not just Mick Fanning. In The Mindful Athlete, we learn that many top-performing teams and athletes use breathing as a critical component of their practice. They might not use “breathwork,” but they certainly make focusing on their breath a daily routine, especially before games:

“If they're mindful athletes, most of them are actually bringing their attention not to the game ahead, but to the present moment: fully concentrating on their breathing and, in doing so, centering themselves in that calm place where they are able to be in touch with the space between stimulus and response.”

- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete

We’re all athletes in the game of life. (Having a chronic disease like diabetes makes each day like the Super Bowl.) We might not have personal trainers, nutritionists, or millions of dollars. But we all have the breath. And we all have access to the same control and awareness that these top performers do.

Let’s use it wisely.

 
 
 
 

1 Quote


“What do Mahatma Gandhi, the martial artist Bruce Lee, Buddhist meditators, Christian Monks, Hawaiian kahunas, and Russian Special Forces have in common? They all used breathing to enhance their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.”

- Richard P. Brown & Patricia L. Gerbarg,
The Healing Power of the Breath

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Answer: The cardiovascular system shows resonance at approximately this frequency.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 0.1 Hz?

In good breath,

Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
Diabetes is Tiny. You are Mighty.

P.S. …and the money will come

 
 
 

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.

 
 

Breath Walking with Gandhi

 

Today marks one year since I walked 100 miles for breathing and chronic disease. In that spirit, this week’s newsletter celebrates breathing and walking. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. An Update on "Walking 100 Miles: How Chronic Disease Makes Us Stronger"

Here is a re-share of the blog I wrote a few months after completing the walk:

Walking 100 Miles: A Story of How Chronic Disease Makes Us Stronger

Reading it now, I would change the "Healthy Paradox" section. At the time, I felt quite conflicted that I had become unhealthy on my mission to promote being healthy. In hindsight, that shouldn't have been the case.

Undoubtedly, I was the most unhealthy I had been in a long time. But, I was training for a very difficult challenge. Hard things don’t come easy. Without my daily breathing practice, who knows how much worse I would have been.

I had forgotten that sometimes health is what you don’t see [#2].

2. The Surprising Trick This Breathing Expert Uses To Stop A Panic Attack

"So when Bentley tells you to take in quick, shallow inhales, it's understandable you may raise a brow….'Doing it intentionally and in a relaxed manner and setting can actually help open up the lungs,' Bentley adds, 'so that when one does try to breathe in fully, it actually relieves that feeling.'"

- Jamie Schneider, mindbodygreen

Tanya Bentley, Ph.D is the CEO of HHPF, the non-profit organization the 100 mile walk was for. In this article, Tanya describes a rather counterintuitive approach to dealing with panic attacks: intentionally hyperventilate.

Whenever I read something that goes against everything I’ve ever learned, I immediately think, "well this just might work." : ) Enjoy the quick read.

3. Breath Walking

"Synchronizing your breathing with the rhythm of your steps in order to walk more while providing less effort…Both energizing and meditative, the Afghan Walk offers a new opportunity to approach walking with a sense of well-being."

- The Afghan walk, the benefits of a regenerating walk

Here’s a unique article about combining breathing and walking through what is known as the Afghan Walk. The goal is to reach around 6-8 breaths per minute, which we know is linked to better cardio-autonomic balance. It’s always nice when practiced methods are validated by new science.

Since learning this technique, I’ve been practicing a modified version (inhale 4 steps, hold 1 step, exhale 6 steps, hold 1 step) a few times a day in my backyard. It’s rather phenomenal. Here’s to more breath walking today.

Thanks to L.M. for sharing the Afghan Walk with me!

4. Getting Healthy vs. Staying Healthy

With high motivation, you can get healthy pretty quickly. In one day, you could clean out your pantry, start a meditation practice, and sign up for a gym.

The real challenge is staying healthy when motivation wanes.

To do this, we must develop and maintain healthy habits. It must become customary to do things that are good for us, even when we don’t feel like it.

Fortunately, there are two simple, scientifically-proven habits you can easily create to get and stay healthy: Walk more, breathe less [see #1].

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Gandhi used to walk for miles every day repeating it to himself until the rhythm of the mantram and his footsteps began to stabilize the rhythm of his breathing, which is closely connected with the rhythm of the mind."

– Eknath Easwaran, Gandhi The Man

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: The highest recording of this measurement of oxygen consumption is 96.7 ml·min-1·kg-1.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is VO2max?

 
 

Stop Breathing Sugar

 

Happy Monday!

Let’s get right to it. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for this week.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing is so Cliché

"Defense wins championships // The best defense is a good offense.

Birds of a feather flock together // Opposites attract.

You get what you pay for // The best things in life are free"

- Neil Pasricha, The Happiness Equation

For any situation you’re in, you can find a cliché to help you through. And as seen above, clichés are often contradictory. Likewise, breathing clichés are also contradictory, as we saw about a month ago:

Wim Hof tells you to breathe more. // Patrick McKeown tells you to breathe less.

Lung capacity determines longevity. // But you also shouldn’t take big breaths.

Oxygen is your body’s most important energy source. // But the exhale is the most important part of the breath.

For breathing, I suggested that we embrace these contradictions. But from a practical perspective, I like Neil Pasricha’s advice: "Any cliché, quote, or piece of advice that resonates with you only confirms to your mind something you already know."

We’re all different. So if you notice a specific breathing method standing out, it’s probably confirming something you already know to be right for you.

2. Stop Breathing Sugar

"Cutting sugar-sweetened beverages from your diet is the single-biggest thing you can do to improve your health."

- Mark Hyman, Food Fix

Many different diets work for many different people. But they all pretty much agree on one thing: remove processed sugar. And Mark Hyman’s number one recommendation is even more straightforward: "Don’t drink sugar."

Similarly, despite all the inconsistencies in breathing advice, there is one thing we can all agree on: don’t breathe through your mouth. Mouth breathing is like drinking sugar. It’s easy and it feels good, but it is detrimental to your health.

Let’s cut this processed "breathing sugar" from our diets. It may very well be the most important thing we can do for our health.

Thanks (for the millionth time) to Brian Johnson for inspiring this thought.

3. Nitric Oxide Reduces Alveolar Dead Space

"Alveolar dead space…represents alveoli, typically in the apex of the lung in an upright person, that do not receive blood flow"

- Respiratory Physiology, A Clinical Approach, pg. 96

By redistributing blood flow in the lungs, inhaled nasal nitric oxide reduces the alveolar dead space described above. Specifically, it allows more alveoli to receive blood flow, which allows more gas exchange to occur. This is something you won’t find in textbooks because the science is just too new.

This remarkable effect has led some to postulate that nasal nitric oxide is an evolutionary adaptation that helped allow us to walk upright. Pretty neat.

4. Slow Breathing is Better Than Social Media for Sleep

"Slow-paced breathing appears a promising cost-effective technique to improve subjective sleep quality and cardiovascular function during sleep in young healthy individuals."

- Journal of Clinical Medicine (2019)

This study found that 15 minutes of slow breathing (6 breaths/min) before bed led to better subjective sleep quality than 15 minutes of social media use. Slow breathing also led to higher overnight vagal activity.

Although these results might seem like common sense, I thought they were still compelling nonetheless. Here's to putting away our phones and focusing on our breath before bed.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life because everything is pulling you to be more and more complex."

- Yvon Chouinard

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This condition drops 21% two days after we gain an hour moving from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are heart attacks?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. lmao ok fine.

 
 

The Breathing 411 - There Are No Quick Fixes, Except This One

 

Welcome to another version of The Breathing 4.1.1., where I curate the curators to bring you the best practical ideas I can find about breathing.

Below you’ll find 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (think "Jeopardy"). Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. There Are No Quick Fixes, Except This One

"You won’t find many quick fixes in this book, but there is one way to immediately boost willpower: Slow your breathing down to four to six breaths per minute [...] Slowing the breath down activates the prefrontal cortex and increases heart rate variability, which helps shift the brain and body from a state of stress to self-control mode. A few minutes of this technique will make you feel calm, in control, and capable of handling cravings or challenges."
-Kelly McGonigal, The Willpower Instinct

Beautifully said. Thank you, Kelly.

2. The #1 Breathing Fundamental

I’ve referred to it as the 1% rule (an idea I borrowed from James Clear and Dan Pink), but it is also the #1 fundamental: Breathe through your nose.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably aware of the importance of nose breathing. But, did you know that a 2018 study, which has been viewed over 93,000 times and cited 26 times, concluded that the benefits of breath control might be linked back to the nose?

"Taken together, these results confirm that nasal stimulation represents the fundamental link between slow breathing techniques, brain and autonomic activities and psychological/behavioral outputs." - Zaccaro et al. (2018)

That’s a powerful conclusion. So, to add on to what Kelly McGongical said above, breathe slowly and through your nose.

3. Breathing as Active Rest

"Active rest" has become a popular topic among athletes (and people who just enjoy exercising). It’s hard to take a day off when you love your workout, but it’s also necessary to give your body the rest it needs to recover. Enter: active rest.

There are several popular approaches. The sauna, an ice bath, or a long walk. But one of the most powerful is breathing…I’m not biased or anything : )

And the best part is that restful breathing doesn’t require any fancy equipment or money. It can be done anywhere, anytime.

In The Power of Rest, Dr. Matthew Edlund puts it this way:

“We want to learn to rest anywhere, anytime, in ways that restore us, calm us, relax us, and make us alert. That means we have to learn how to breathe.”

Agreed. See Kelly McGonigal’s advice above for the best way to "learn how to breathe."

4. Science Guides the Macro, Practice Guides the Micro

When studies show that something works, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll work for everyone.

We’re all different. We have different bodies, different environments, and different day-to-day stressors and stimuli that we’re exposed to. Although scientific studies try to be as general as possible, their results cannot be expected to work the same in everyone.

This gets to my thought: Science guides the macro, practice guides the micro.

For example, "get 8 hours of sleep" is a great macro statement. It sets a good target that will be beneficial for most people.

However, if you performed an in-depth sleep study on yourself, you might find that you need 7 h 37 min or 8 h 11 min to be fully rested. And that might vary from day-to-day, season-to-season.

The same goes for all of this "breathing" stuff. Guidance such as "breathe at 4-6 breaths per minute" is excellent general advice that will be beneficial for almost everyone. However, it is a macro statement. It will take personal practice to find what’s right for you.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Breathing, like most forms of physical rest, improves as you practice. It takes a little time. But it’s a technique you’ll be able to do for the rest of your life, so it’s worthwhile getting good at it now."

- Matthew Edlund, The Power of Rest

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This mammal, weighing in at only 2 g, has the smallest lungs.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy music.)

…

Question: What is the bumblebee bat?

If you enjoy my work, check out a guest blog post I recently did for BreathWrk:

Pilot Your Breathing: The Unexpected Goal of a Breathing Practice

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. The Ultimate COVID-19 Sport.