Andrew Weil

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

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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.

 
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Free 5-Star Resort, Transferring Passion, and Breathing in the Rain

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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 25’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

4 THOUGHTS

1. A Rainy, Effortless Breathing Exercise

“Importantly, rain washes away the vestiges of pollution. Air is always cleaner during and immediately after a downpour…As rain tumbles through the atmosphere, each drop attracts hundreds of pollutant particles…Leaving the air bracingly fresh, scrubbed clean.”

- Annabel Streets, 52 Ways to Walk

Next time it rains, go out and breathe some freshly cleaned air. It’s the most effective & effortless “breathing exercise” you can do 😊

2. What Can Be Transferred is Passion

“That's really where the power of meditation lies, and it's not something that can be transferred from one person to another. What can be transferred is the passion for it.”

- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Meditation for Optimum Health

This made me think if I could sit down and do slow, mindful breathing for you, I would. But alas, our bodies don’t work that way…

However, I hope these newsletters and my workshops & coaching can at least transfer some of my passion for these practices to you 🙏

3. The Spiritual Essence of Human Beings

“I think that really is the power of breath. It is the spiritual essence of human beings; when we look in that direction, we are doing spiritual work.”

- Andrew Weil, MD, Breathing: The Master Key

Of course, doing breathing exercises doesn’t require any spirituality.

But because breathing is “the spiritual essence of human beings,” just focusing on it can become a spiritual practice if we so choose 👏

4. Checking Into a Free 5-star Resort

“When you focus for a short time, gently brushing aside any intrusive thoughts, your mind and body suddenly become a five-star resort in which all the service personnel make your restoration and health their priority and are especially concerned with alleviating the harmful effects of stress.”

– Herbert Benson, MD, Timeless Healing

Sitting or lying down, slowing down, and focusing on your breath is like checking into a five-star healing resort: “all the service personnel make your restoration and health their priority.”

Make sure you check in a few times this week.

1 Quote

“You should keep your mind on your breathing until you are not aware of your breathing.””
— Shunryu Suzuki

1 Answer

Category: Receptors & Nerves

Answer: Pulmonary stretch receptors respond to excess lung stretching by sending a signal through this nerve to stop inhalation.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the vagus nerve?

In good breath,

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


P.S. feeling visited enough

Is Your Advice Being Ignored?

Consider giving the gift of calm to someone you care about (maybe that person you’ve tried to convince to do breathing exercises, but they just won’t listen 😉):

Use discount code NICK20 for 20% off.

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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An Incredible Study, Meaningful Change, and Gratitude Right Now

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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 43 sec

I hope the next 26’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Carve a Canyon: How to Produce Meaningful Changes with Breathing

“Rather, I think the power of breathwork to change the function of the nervous system can be compared to the way water cuts a canyon through rock. It’s the constant stimulus, the constant pressure, that produces huge changes, so that what appears to be a very gentle force produces very large results.”

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

This analogy is why I appreciate gentle and easy breathing exercises.

Of course, intense sessions can provide rapid transformations.

But one strong thunderstorm rarely carves a lasting canyon.

It’s the gentle, constant force of simple techniques, applied over years & years, that often produces the most meaningful change.

2. There’s Something in the Air (this is truly an incredible study)

In The Mindful Body, Ellen Langer, Ph.D., describes an incredible study. Participants were led into an empty room. Beforehand, one of three things had happened:

  1. Meditators had meditated for 45 minutes and then left.

  2. People had watched a stressful video for 45 minutes, then left.

  3. Or the room was just empty for 45 minutes.

Participants entering after the meditators or stressful video watchers found the room more appealing and enlivening <—that’s pretty neat.

But wildly, only the group entering after the meditators improved their reaction time in a mindfulness test.

As Dr. Langer summarized, “These mysterious results suggest that somehow our mindfulness leaves a residue in the air and as such may affect the mindfulness of others.” 🤯

3. What Sets Breath & Mindfulness Apart: They Empower You

Breathing and mindfulness for people (with diabetes) are different than most approaches.

Instead of focusing solely on blood sugar control and doing everything “perfect,” these practices empower you to reduce stress, improve mental and emotional health, and cultivate resilience.

The goal isn't perfect numbers; it's peace of mind and lifelong agency.

4. Experience Gratitude Right Now

I shared this breath last year, but we can never do it too much 😊

Take a few conscious breaths and think to yourself: “This is great! I have an abundance of the most valuable resource known to our species, and I don't even have to work that hard to get it.”

1 Quote

“We die with each out-breath, only to be breathed back to life with the next in-breath.””
— Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D.

1 Answer

Category: Cognitive Function

Answer: Slow breathing (and mindful breathing) both improve this, allowing us to better resist distractions.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is inhibition or impulse control?

In good breath,

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


P.S. My two rules are:

iCalm for Focused Relaxation

I know I’m a broken record, but I can’t recommend iCalm enough. I take 1/2 shot before my coffee and absolutely love it. Give it a try!

Use discount code NICK20 for 20% off.

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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Mindful Sauna, Focus on You, and Singing for Better Breathing

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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: 2 min 15 sec

I hope the next 34ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. How Jon Kabat-Zinn Got Introduced to Mindfulness (it’s not what you might think)

“I would actually say that the sauna at MIT was probably my first and most powerful meditation teacher. And I used to go with some of my graduate student friends and sit in the sauna and crank the heat up as far as it would go. And you'd have to breathe more slowly in the sauna because it was so hot to just not burn your nostrils. And it was helpful if you didn't move around too much because even that took a lot of energy. And it was also helpful if you didn't think all that much.”

- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., Meditation for Optimum Health

This is a neat story for sauna lovers and a nice metaphorical reminder that sometimes stressors help us most in cultivating peace.

2. Sing More for More Efficient Breathing

“Singing provides our lungs with a workout, resulting in enhanced respiratory muscles and more efficient breathing. Researchers call this optimized breathing, and arguably, it’s exactly what we need as we walk, particularly if we sing in rhythm with our feet.”

– Annabel Streets, 52 Ways to Walk

As an overly self-conscious person, I can’t bring myself to sing while walking. But this passage has inspired me to sing more (when no one is listening, of course 😂). I hope it does the same for you.

3. Focus on You: What Sets Breathing Apart from Traditional Diabetes Approaches

Traditional approaches to diabetes often forget that we’re people (with diabetes), not diabetic people. They seem to only focus on our disease, not on us.

Breathing and mindfulness are different. They are about bringing awareness to what’s right with you—what’s already whole.

They build resilience, compassion, and agency despite your condition, enhancing you as a person rather than only focusing on your diabetes.

Sometimes, they do end up helping your diabetes, and sometimes, they don’t. But either way, you have peace of mind and a better life.

4. What Matters is That We’re in the Water

Here’s a memorable passage from Tsoknye Rinpoche on how to deal with the ups and downs of our contemplative practice:

“Remember that meditation experiences keep rising and falling, like our moods or the stock market. Sometimes we feel clear, light, and elated, like we’re making rapid progress. Other times we feel sluggish or agitated, like we’re not getting anywhere, like anything but meditation would be better. Just keep going without getting too caught up in our shifting experiences. … In the end, our experiences are like waves in the ocean, but despite their ups and downs, what matters is that we're still in the water.”

👏👏👏

1 Quote

“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

1 Answer

Category: The Nose

Answer: Nasal congestion is generally caused by this, which makes breathing more challenging and reduces the nose’s ability to clear mucous (which exacerbates the congestion further).

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is inflammation of the nasal mucosal?

In good breath,

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


P.S. No just that one thing

iCalm for Focused Relaxation

I know I’m a broken record, but I can’t recommend iCalm enough. I take 1/2 shot before my coffee and absolutely love it. Give it a try!

Use discount code NICK20 for 20% off.

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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One Solution to Stress, Getting More, and the Best $0.99 I’ve Spent

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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: 2 min 12 sec

I hope the next 33ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. The Most Ubiquitous Form of Stress (and one solution to it)

“Our bodies get worn down more quickly under chronic stress, and chronic uncertainty is the most ubiquitous form of chronic stress.”

- Elissa Epel, Ph.D., The Stress Prescription

Our greatest, “most ubiquitous form of chronic stress” is uncertainty. (This statement holds up in my life. It’s mind-blowingly obvious, yet I’ve never realized it.)

One of Dr. Epel’s Solutions: Accept and embrace uncertainty as an unavoidable part of life. Easy to say, harder to do.

My Way of Doing It: Practice mindfulness of breathing, learning to cultivate an attitude of nonjudgmental acceptance as you receive each breath exactly as it is. This mindset will transfer to your perspective off the cushion, too.

2. A Simple Way for Getting More Out of Your Practice

Before you start:

“Take a moment to reflect on your motivation, making sure that the wish to practice for the benefit of all beings is present in the mind.”

- Anyen Rinpoche & Allison Choying Zangmo, The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

It only takes 5-10 seconds, and you can adopt this beautiful mindset for any wellness practice you do 👏

3. Mindfulness is Contagious (you can make others healthier)

“As more than forty years of research has shown, mindfulness is good for our health. The research on mindful contagion suggests that one person’s mindfulness may increase another person’s mindfulness. Thus, I think it may be the case that the people around us with whom we interact may actually be having a positive effect on our health.”

- Ellen Langer, Ph.D., The Mindful Body

✅ Mindfulness is good for our health.

✅ Our mindfulness can increase another person’s mindfulness.

Thus, deductive logic tells us that, by practicing mindfulness, we may be able to positively impact the health of those around us 🙏

4. Becoming Your Own Island

“You don’t need a course in silence or relaxation to be able simply to pause. Silence can be anywhere, anytime—it’s just in front of your nose.”

- Erling Kagge, Silence

That’s amazing by itself, but it got even better. Kagge went on to say, “Sure, we are all part of the same continent, but the potential wealth of being an island for yourself is something you carry around with you all the time.”

“An island for yourself” <– That’s so good 👏

Here’s to using our breath to create our own island of silence, today.

BONUS: The Best $0.99 cents I’ve Spent

This gentle, fade-in alarm clock: Progressive Alarm Clock (this is iPhone specific, but it looks like Android has other good options).

P.S. I just Googled “gentle alarm clock” and found this one. Perhaps there are better ones out there, but this does the trick for me.

1 Quote

“I recommend breathwork to almost all patients that I see because, in my experience, stress is a primary cause (or an aggravating cause) of most cases of illness. And even if people have diseases that clearly have organic physical causes, relaxation can nonetheless benefit them and help their body’s healing system work better.””
— Andrew Weil, MD

1 Answer

Category: Respiratory Tract

Answer: The upper & lower respiratory tracts are lined with this, which can trap small particles, thus helping to filter incoming air.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is a mucous membrane?


3 Spots Left

I have 3 spots left in October for my 8-week program for overcoming stressful life setbacks. Email nick@thebreathingdiabetic.com with subject line “breath” to learn more.

In good breath,

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


P.S. achieved full enlightenment

iCalm for Focused Relaxation

If you haven’t already, try iCalm. They called it “meditation in a bottle”…I gave in and bought…and now I use it almost daily, lol. Use discount code NICK20 for 20% off.

* 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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Free 5-day Course, an Inspiring Study, and the Heart of Life

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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. Yoga Breathing Helps Cancer Chemotherapy Symptoms (+ free science 411)

“Pranayama may be helpful for improving sleep disturbance, anxiety, and mental QOL [quality of life] among patients undergoing chemotherapy.”

- Dhruva et al. (2012)

This is an inspiring pilot RCT that found that a simple breathing practice can help reduce the harmful side effects of chemotherapy.

The study wasn’t perfect and pranayama didn’t magically solve all their problems. But it helped. That’s all we can hope for.

I’ve also made the Science 411 on this paper free for everyone 🙏

***

P.S. Some of you may know that I lost my sister to cancer. I remember how hard chemo was for her. So—even as someone obsessed with breathing—it’s difficult to review a study suggesting that patients should “just breathe,” and it will help. But this study was done over 1 year, and the classes had almost 100% attendance, making me believe the patients found it valuable, which matters the most.

2. Breathing is the Heart of All Life

“In addition, the mental component of breath is a sense of rhythmic expansion and contraction, and I think that connects us to every other living thing because all living organisms breathe. So that same rhythm is at the center of the heart of all life.”

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

Just an elegant reminder that breathing connects us to all living things. It’s the heart of all life 🌎

3. Optimal Mouth Posture at Rest

“The correct oral posture, the one that appears most conducive to jaw development, is (when not speaking or eating) holding the mouth closed with teeth in light contact and the tongue resting on the roof of the mouth.”

- Sandra Kahn and Paul Erhlich, Jaws

I struggle following these guidelines all day, but here is the most succinct description I’ve found on optimal mouth posture at rest.

Maybe it will inspire you to notice your mouth posture more today 🙏

4. It’s Not the Highs; It’s Who You Become

“It's not the highs along the way that matter. It's who you become.”

- Daniel Goleman & Richard Davidson, Altered Traits

 

That’s a perfect rule of thumb for any contemplative practice (like breathing).  Experiencing highs & improving biomarkers of health and wellness is meaningful, but it’s who you become that matters most.

Free 5-Day Email Course on Becoming a Breathing Generalist

Sign Up for Free Here.

Day 1: The Four Paths of a Generalist

Day 2: How to Read Books Efficiently

Day 3: How to Find Science Papers Worth Reading

Day 4: How to Decide Which Books and Papers to Read

Day 5: Become More You, Become Irreplaceable

1 Quote

“If you would foster a calm spirit, first regulate your breathing; for when that is under control, the heart will be at peace; but when breathing is spasmodic, then it will be troubled.””
— Kariba Ekken

1 Answer

Category: Breathing and Brain

Answer: This neural network is critical to generating breathing rhythm.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the Pre-Bötzinger complex?

In good breath,

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


P.S. Google Maps every time

* 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.

 
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30 Seconds, Wim Hof Wisdom, and 23 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas

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Listen Instead of Reading

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4 Thoughts



1. Warm Up Your Mind & Spirit with the Wim Hof Wisdom Bundle

“There’s nothing mystical or abstract about it. It’s physical. Your breath is your life-force, right here, right now. It could not be any simpler. Just breathe and reclaim your soul.”

- Wim Hof, The Wim Hof Method

If you enjoy Wim’s philosophy (like me) or practicing his method, check out the wisdom bundle I just added to the Learning Center.

You get all the science and inspiring quotes condensed into 62 minutes of podcast audio and 22 PDF pages.

Here’s to a happier, healthier, and stronger new year 🙏 ❄️ 🧊

2. 23 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas for 2023

A few of my favorites this year:

#1. You don’t have to meditate; breathing meditates you.

#12. Our breath moves spirit around like our hearts move blood around.

#13. Breath is to body what Brandy is to wine.

#22. Breathe hearter, not smarter.

Read them all here.

3. A 30-Second Thought Experiment That is Bound to Improve Your Life

(it genuinely changed mine in 2022)

(1) Bring to mind someone you would die for—no hesitation, no questions asked.

(2) Now ask yourself: Would you live for this person? Would you start that one thing you know you should be doing? (Yes, that one.) Would you give up that one thing you know you shouldn’t be doing? (Only you know which one.)

It’s easy to say you’d die for someone. What’s harder is really living for them instead.

***

P.S. This was inspired by a beautiful book titled The Gift by Dr. Edith Eger, a Holocaust survivor with an incredibly tragic yet deeply humbling and inspiring story.

4. A Tiny Thought on Problems

A breathing practice won’t stop problems—health or otherwise—from occurring in 2023 (or any other year).

These are part of being human.

A breathing practice will, however, give you the mental, physical, and spiritual strength you need to deal with and bounce back from those challenges as they occur.

(EXTRA) Being with Diabetes: Meditation as Medicine

Diabetes Sangha, a non-profit meditation community for type-1 diabetics, is launching their first course, which brings “meditation to diabetes & diabetes to meditation.”

I’ve spoken to their community twice, and they’re just genuinely great people. Kind and compassionate, yet honest and open. It’s almost like they meditate a lot or something…

But dad jokes aside, they’re offering 411 readers 20% off (this isn’t an affiliate link, just a kind gesture on their behalf).

I hope you’ll check it out if you have diabetes or live/work with people that do 🙏

Discount Code: BREATHE-20

Click Here to Learn More

1 Quote

“Each new breath creates a unity of life as all people share the nourishment that the earth’s atmosphere freely offers.””
— Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D.

1 Answer

Category: Saving Breaths

Answer: If you spent 20 minutes a day breathing at 6 breaths per minute every single day in 2023, you’d save approximately this many breaths (assuming 15 breaths/min is average).

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is ~65,700? (or about 3 days worth of breaths)

In good breath,

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


P.S. The cutest blueberries you’ll ever see

* 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.

 
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Effective Non-Breathing Tool, Equanimity, and an 8 Breath Protocol

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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 😊

If You Have Diabetes…

Would you mind taking a quick survey? I try to avoid stuff like this, but it will genuinely help me with a project I’m a part of. Thank you!

 

4 Thoughts



1. The Perfect Word for How You Feel from a Breathing Practice

“Equanimity is neither apathy nor indifference: you are warmly engaged with the world but not troubled by it. Through its nonreactivity, it creates a great space for compassion, loving kindness, and joy at the good fortune of others.”

- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Buddha’s Brain

Equanimity. That’s the perfect word to describe what you get from a breathing practice. It’s what you feel immediately after a session, and it’s a state that gradually becomes a bigger part of who you are.

So here’s to experiencing a little more of it, today.

***

P.S. Of course, I’m nowhere near a permanent state of equanimity (just ask my wife 😂), but it has certainly become more a part of me than it was before.

2. Breathing Got the Best Feedback (+ Dr. Weil’s 8 Breath Protocol)

“Over the years, I would say that of all the techniques that I recommended to people for improving health, the single technique that I get most feedback about in a positive way is the breathwork that I'm going to teach you in this program.”

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

That’s an insanely powerful statement when you consider how many people Dr. Weil has helped and all the tools he has at his disposal.

And here were three exercises he taught in the program that stood out the most:

  1. Breath Awareness: “The very simplest form of breathwork is doing nothing other than paying attention to your breath.”

  2. The Relaxing Breath: This is the infamous 4-7-8 breath. Watch a video demonstration here.

  3. The Stimulating Breath: This is the bellows breath. Watch a video demonstration here.

As a bare minimum, Dr. Weil recommends four rounds of the 4-7-8 breath twice daily. That’s 8 breaths. It doesn’t get any simpler than that, folks. 👏

3. One of the Most Helpful Non-breathing Things I Learned in PTT

Close your eyes and rub your palms together vigorously for a few seconds to create heat. Then, place them over your eyes.

Do it anytime, but especially at the end of a breathing practice. It’s amazing.

***

P.S. This wasn’t really part of the pranayama teacher training (PTT), just a side note that I found unbelievably helpful. If you’re interested in pranayama, I wholeheartedly recommend Eddie and Robert’s training.

4. My Twice-Yearly Rant (with helpful tools, at least)

I’m pretty laidback 99% of the time (equanimity for the win). But nothing frustrates me more than the time change—even the good one, like yesterday.

But instead of ranting like I normally do on how awful the whole idea is, let’s focus on something we can do to support our sleep: yoga nidra.

Here are a few tracks you might find helpful for better sleep or midday resets:

1 Quote

“Since earliest history, virtually every major psychospiritual system seeking to comprehend human nature has viewed breath as a crucial link between the material world, the human body, the psyche, and the spirit.”
— Stanislav & Christina Grof
 

1 Answer

Category: The Airways

Answer: This portion of the upper airways is part of both the digestive and respiratory systems because it carries both food and air.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the pharynx?

In good breath,

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

P.S. An undeniably valid concern/question

Breathing for Diabetes Online Course ($99):

If you love learning about breathing, want to live a healthier life, or just want to support my work, 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.

 
 
,

Is Resonance Overrated, Breathing 3.0, and Feeling More this Week

,

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4 Thoughts



1. The ROI for Our Daily Morning Self-Care Practice

“Think of mindful meditation as a smart investment of your time, offering such returns as being less reactive, less stressed, and more alert, grateful, and content. All of these will help you optimize the rest of your morning and whatever else the day brings.”

- Laurie Cameron, The Mindful Day

Those returns sound good (& really apply to any daily self-care practice you do).

And remember, by being less reactive, less stressed, more alert, and more grateful, everyone you interact with will also profit. 👏

2. Breathing 3.0: Directing our Own Lives

“Motivation 3.0 is all about intrinsic motivation. It’s spurred by Pink’s belief that ‘the secret to high performance isn’t our biological drive or our reward-and-punishment drive, but our third drive—our deep-seated desire to direct our own lives, to extend and expand our abilities, and to make a contribution.’” (my emphasis)

- Peter Hollins, The Science of Self-Learning

This made me think we should create Breathing 3.0: It’s not focused on any one benefit or method. Instead, it’s about “our deep-seated desire to direct our own lives, to extend and expand our abilities, and to make a contribution.”

What better way to do all those than with our body’s most important function?

3. Slow Breathing With or Without Resonance Gives Similar Benefits

“Within the context of this study, we found that breathing at RF or RF + 1 induced significant hemodynamic and autonomic changes but we were unable to detect any differences between the two breathing schemes. This raises the question as to whether precise measurement of the RF is essential for the reported beneficial clinical effects of individualized RF or a standardized paced breathing at 5–7 breaths per min is all that is required.” (my emphasis)

Acute effects of resonance frequency breathing on cardiovascular regulation

Two key points from this paper:

  1. We each have a personal resonance frequency (RF) breathing rate theorized to maximize the benefits of our slow breathing practice.

  2. However, slow breathing at, or close to, our RF gives similar beneficial cardio-autonomic outcomes.

My less scientific but practical takeaway for our daily practice:

  • Don’t stress over finding your “perfect” rate. Just use a comfortable pace that’s less than 7 breaths/min, and enjoy the power of slow breathing.

4. Breathing’s Biggest Benefit is…

“But for me, and for millions of people everywhere, the best and biggest benefits of water are all emotional …. Try as we might, no amount of scientific data, fMRI scans, EEG readings, or carefully designed research projects can really show us exactly what we feel at those moments.” (my bold)

- Wallace J Nichols, Blue Mind

Likewise, I think the same is true for our breathing (or really any contemplative) practice we might use: The best benefits are emotional.

Try as we might, nothing can show us exactly how we feel in those moments.

So make sure you feel more of them, this week 🙏

1 Quote

“I think it’s fair to say that when you have your attention on your breath, it’s in a safe place. It’s like putting your consciousness in neutral.”
— Andrew Weil, MD
 

1 Answer

Category: Breathing Forces

Answer: Our breathing muscles and airways don’t actually move air, but instead create differences in this between the atmosphere and lungs, which forces air into (inhalation) or out of (exhalation) the lungs.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are differences in air pressure?

In good breath,

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

P.S. My worst nightmare

Breathing for Diabetes Online Course ($99):

If you love learning about breathing, want to live a healthier life, or just want to support my work, 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.

 
 
,

How to (actually) Live Longer, Point A to B, and Breathing for Spirit

,

Listen Instead of Reading

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4 Thoughts



1. How to Get from Point A to Point B

“This is the deepest paradox in all of meditation: we want to get somewhere—we wouldn’t have taken up the practice if we didn’t—but the way to get there is just to be fully here. The way to get from point A to point B is really to be at A.” (my emphasis)

- Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

To get from point A to point B, we just have to be fully at A.

Although that reframe is life-changing by itself, here’s another mind-blower:

Point A is the breath.

2. How Long Should You Practice Breathwork Each Day?

“I think the amount of time that you spend on this work is not that important. …[W]hat is important here is the regularity of doing this work. You want to do this every day without fail because you are attempting to change rhythms in your nervous system, and it's the constancy of the input, it's the regularity of the input, that is going to produce these changes over time.”

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

Of course, we can use scientific findings to find a reasonable dose (which is about 10 min/day for slow breathing).

But, an even better approach is what Dr. Weil says here. Simply focus on consistency. We’re trying to rewire our nervous systems, and “it’s the regularity of the input that is going to produce these changes over time.”

Amen to that 🙏

3. How to Live Longer (regardless of your age, lifespan, or health span)

“Harvard researchers found that 47 percent of the time, people are thinking about something other than what they're doing. That's nearly half of our day.”

- Laurie J Cameron, The Mindful Day

We’re not present about half the time. That’s nuts. It made me think, what’s the point of trying to live a long, healthy life if we’re not actually experiencing it?

Enter the power of the breath. By learning to come back to our breath—back to Point A—we learn presence. And we instantly (and truly) live longer.

As Cameron says, “It amounts to having a longer, richer life, because you’re present for much more of it. And we can all do this.” <— Let’s do that 👏

4. Breathing for the Spirit

The foods we eat influence our bodies.

The thoughts we think influence our minds.

The breaths we breathe influence our spirits.

Let’s feed them all well, this week 🙏

1 QUOTE

“From time to time we should take a breath and notice the silence between sounds.”
— Haemin Sunim
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing Mechanics

Answer: These organs are actually passive during breathing—they don’t create any movement associated with inhalation and exhalation.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are the lungs?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Did a little self-diagnosing over the weekend

Breathing for Diabetes Online Course ($99):

If you love learning about breathing, want to live a healthier life, or just want to support my work, 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.

 
 
,

Four Qualities to Develop, and Why Breathing Might Be a Panacea

,
 

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4 Thoughts



1. Why Breathing Seems Like a Panacea

“Your body has numerous major systems, including the endocrine (hormone), cardiovascular, immune, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. If you want to use the mind-body connection to lower your stress, cool the fires, and improve your long-term health, what’s the optimal point of entry into all these systems? It's the autonomic nervous system (ANS).” (my emphasis)

- Rick Hanson, PhD, Buddha’s Brain

And what’s the optimal point of entry into the ANS? The breath.

As Deb Dana says, “Breath is a direct, easily accessible, and rapid way to shape the state of the nervous system.”

When we change the breath, we change all the major systems of the body.

2. The Four Qualities of Breath We Want to Develop to Feel Better

“One of the essential techniques that I distill from this body of knowledge about pranayama is that the qualities of breath that you want to develop are to make it deeper, slower, quieter, and more regular.”

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

This has become my new mantra.

Waiting in line at the grocery store: deeper, slower, quieter, & more regular.

At the park with my daughter: deeper, slower, quieter, & more regular.

Anywhere we find ourselves: deeper, slower, quieter, & more regular.

Why are these four qualities so powerful?

“When your breathing is deeper, slower, quieter, and more regular, you are feeling better, in both mind and body. Your nervous system is functioning more smoothly, and all your organs are operating more harmoniously as a result.”

Sounds good to me 🙏

3. It Only Makes Sense that the Breath is So Profound

“The act of breathing begins our life as we come out of the womb; in our last moment, when we cease breathing, our life is over. It only makes sense that the breath should also have a profound influence on all the moments in between.”

- Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

Whenever all this breathing stuff just seems too good to be true, remember: It’s not (talking to myself here 😅). In fact, “it only makes sense” that breathing should have a “profound influence” on all aspects of our lives. 👏

4. Knowing Doesn’t Change Your Life; Doing Does

“But knowing something doesn't change your life. Doing something does. … [T]here's a huge difference between acquiring information and understanding it. And there's an even wider gap between understanding it and implementing it, or actually doing it.”

- Dr. Jason Selk & Tom Bartow, Organize Tomorrow Today

This is a perfect reminder that, although learning is incredible, practice is what changes our lives.

As Jon Kabat-Zinn says, “Try it for a few years and see what happens.”

Count me in. I hope you’ll join me 🙏

1 QUOTE

“By breathing less frequently, we begin to achieve elemental harmony.”
— Anyen Rinpoche & Allison Choying Zangmo
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing Mechanics

Answer: The contraction of the diaphragm is controlled by this nerve.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the phrenic nerve?

Extra: Ways to Decide if Breathwork Is Right for You

I wrote another guest blog post for ResBiotic titled Ways to Decide if Breathwork is Right for You.

It’s a 5-min read to help you pick which type of breathwork is right for you.

Enjoy!

In good breath,

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

P.S. welcome to the team

P.P.S. Slower, deeper, quieter, and more regular

Breathing for Diabetes Online Course ($99):

If you love learning about breathing, want to live a healthier life, or just want to support my work, 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.

 
 
,

Nose or Mouth, 23 Years Ago, and How to Make Spiritual Progress

,
 

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4 Thoughts



1. How to Make Spiritual Progress

“[B]reath is the animated, nonphysical aspect of your being. So that when you look in the direction of breath, when you focus your attention on your breath, you are really looking at your spiritual self.”*

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

This is why Dr. Weil also says that “if you do nothing other than pay attention to your breath today, for a few seconds more than you did yesterday, you have increased your spiritual awareness. You have made spiritual progress.”*

Sounds good to me 🙏

P.S. My New #1 (and 23 Years Ago)

This tape, Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing (released 23 years ago!), will now be my #1 recommendation for anyone beginning with breathing.

It’s not “perfect,” but it’s less than 2 hrs and has basically everything we need to start a breath practice. It was one of my favorite listens in a really long time 🙏

2. Should We Exhale through Our Nose our Mouth?

This is one of the most common questions I receive. There’s no perfect answer, but here are my rules of thumb, which you might find helpful:

  • Nasal exhales: This should be the default breathing we use most of the time.

  • Mouth exhales: This can be used for (1) deeper relaxation during slow breathing, (2) learning to extend your exhales, and (3) during exercise.

3. Strengthen the Inflammatory Reflex with Slow Breathing

“It was proof that as well as slowing the heart, the vagus nerve can act as a powerful brake on inflammation. Tracey called this the ‘inflammatory reflex.’ … If the brain detects a signal via the vagus nerve that inflammation has been activated in the body, it swiftly fires a return signal to calm it down again.”

- Jo Marchant, Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body

Here’s another reason why a regular slow breathing practice, which increases vagal tone, is so powerful: it might strengthen our “inflammatory reflex.”

Here’s to using our breath to put the brakes on inflammation, today : )

4. Two Breaths at Once

You can’t breathe two breaths at once.

So focus on this one.

And watch your mindfulness and spiritual awareness grow.

1 QUOTE

“Of all the techniques that I have investigated for reducing stress and increasing relaxation, it is breathwork that I have found to be the most time-efficient, the most cost-efficient, and the one that most promotes increased wellness and optimal health.”
— Andrew Weil, MD
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing-Related Reflexes

Answer: Another critical reflex that is modified by our breathing rate is this, which keeps blood pressure within safe limits.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the baroreflex?

In good breath,

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

P.S. I think I’ve got her on the ropes

Breathing for Diabetes Online Course ($99):

If you love learning about breathing, want to live a healthier life, or just want to support my work, 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.

 
 
,

Therapeutic Mouth Breathing, Focus, and My Favorite Breathing Parable

,
 

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4 Thoughts



1. How Breathing Gets You Focused: The Noradrenaline Sweet Spot

“Noradrenaline is also released, though in different amounts, during times of intense focus, curiosity, or passion, promoting the growth of new connections in the brain. Researchers…found that slow, controlled, deep breathing helps the brain nail the noradrenaline “sweet spot,” heightening attention and getting people laser focused.”

- Leah Lagos, Psy.D., Heart Breath Mind

Next time we need to get laser focused, let’s breathe slowly and deeply to hit our “noradrenaline sweet spot.” Simple and highly effective 🙏

***

Related: Why Breathing Gets You Focused (and 5 ways to do it)

2. The Best (and most therapeutic) Form of Mouth Breathing Is…

Laughter.

Lately, I’ve been spending 10-20 min/day listening to comedy. It’s my new favorite “breathing exercise” 😊

Give it a try, and enjoy a little more laughter therapy this week.

3. Why Slow Breathing Helps Reduce Blood Pressure

“The connection between stress and blood pressure is the autonomic nervous system, which regulates the tone of the smooth (involuntary) muscle that lines the walls of arteries. The sympathetic branch of that system constricts arteries, increasing blood pressure, while the parasympathetic branch relaxes them, lowering pressure.”

- Andrew Weil, MD, Mind Over Meds

Slow breathing activates the parasympathetic branch of our nervous system. As we learn here, this relaxes our arteries and lowers blood pressure.

And with regular practice, we increase the tone of the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to long-term reductions in blood pressure.

4. My Favorite Breathing Parable

From Larry Rosenberg in Breath by Breath:

“An ancient teaching from India points to this truth. There was a conference of all the human faculties, all the senses, which in the Indian tradition are six. The five senses plus the mind. As at many meetings, they first had to decide who would be in charge. Sight popped up and put in its bid, creating beautiful images that had everyone enraptured. Smell arose and created powerful and haunting aromas that left everyone tingling with anticipation. But taste could top that with astounding and delectable flavors from all the world's cuisines. Hearing created exquisite harmonies that brought everyone to tears, and the body brought on physical sensation that had everyone in ecstasy. And the mind spun out intellectual theories that took on beauty by the depths of the truth they expressed. Along came the breath, not even one of the senses, and said it wanted to be in charge. All it could present was the simple in and out breath. Not terribly impressive in the face of everything else. No one even noticed it. The other senses got into a tremendous argument about which one of them would be chosen. The breath, in its disappointment, began walking away. And the images began to fade. The tastes lost their savor. The sounds diminished. “Wait!” the senses called out. “Come back! You can lead, we need you.” And the breath came back and took its proper place.”*


1 QUOTE

“The soul is the child of the breath, and breath is the mother of the soul. Soul and breath follow each other just as form and shadow do.”
— The Primordial Breath
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breath & Biology

Answer: Breathing is part of a larger biological idea called this, which broadly represents our ability to adapt for optimal functioning within a defined biological system.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is symmorphosis?

Extra: How to Easily & Effectively Build Breathing Exercises Into Your Daily Routine

Here’s another guest blog I wrote for ResBiotic. If you’re looking for some simple ways to include breathing into your day, I think you’ll find it helpful. Enjoy!

How to Easily & Effectively Build Breathing Exercises Into Your Daily Routine

In good breath,

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

P.S. Me neither…

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.

 
 
,

Learned Hope, Suffering vs. Peace, and a Perfect Quote on Breathwork

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4 Thoughts



1. A Perfect Quote on Breathing from Dr. Andrew Weil

“Breath work—learning how to change breathing habits and practicing specific breathing techniques—has remarkable effects on physiology. It cannot cause harm, requires no equipment, and costs nothing. It can correct some cardiac arrhythmias and gastrointestinal problems, for example, and is the most effective treatment I know for anxiety, as well as the simplest method of stress reduction.”

- Andrew Weil, MD, Mind Over Meds

That is all 🤯

2. One Key Reason Breathing is So Powerful Actually Has Nothing to do with Breathing

Have you heard of learned helplessness? When we’re subjected to adversity we can’t control, we give up. Then later on, we give up in situations we can control.

However, I recently learned in Transcend that helplessness isn’t actually “learned” per se; it’s actually our default reaction to prolonged adversity.

To overcome that default, we need what Kaufman calls “learned hope:”

“the perception that [we] can control and harness the unpredictability in [our] environment.”

In my opinion, this is why breathing is so powerful. It’s not that there’s some magical breathing method out there. It’s that once we see our ability to control our body and emotions through the breath, we develop learned hope.

We believe we can retake control again. And then we do.

3. Who’s Breath Are You Focusing On? Suffering vs. Peace

When you first learn about breathing, it’s natural to notice how poorly everyone else does it. And it’s natural to want to fix them.

But let’s remember that trying to change others will lead to suffering.

Focusing on what you can control—your breath—will lead to peace.

***

P.S. This was inspired by this excellent Optimize +1.

4. What to Do If You Don’t have a Teacher

“In absence of a teacher, one is to rely on a thorough, repeated study of as many texts as available and on constant self-observation and introspection.”

- Michael Wurmbrand, The Primordial Breath, Volume II

Although there’s no substitute for a teacher, I hope this newsletter helps you in one of these three areas with your breath 🙏


1 QUOTE

“[B]reath understood as metonym for life itself, rather than as a discrete physiological process, has often acted as a philosophical first principle.”
— Arthur Rose
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Diaphragm

Answer: According to one review, the diaphragm is completely made out of this type of tissue.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is fascia?

In good breath,

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

P.S. alone time in the mornings

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.

 
 
,

Breath is Medicine, Slow Breathing in 223 Studies, and "Yes, This Is It"

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4 Thoughts



1. Voluntary Slow Breathing Improves Cardio-autonomic Function in 223 Studies

“By considering the importance of the PNS for health-related issues, … these results encourage the implementation of voluntary slow breathing exercises in health-related contexts, given the low-tech and low-cost techniques they require.” (my emphasis)

-Laborde et al. (2022), Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

That was a concluding remark of a recent 2022 meta-analysis looking at 223 studies on voluntary slow breathing and cardio-autonomic function.

The improvements across all 223 studies were by no means Earth-shattering. But they were significant, with virtually no side effects. Sounds good to me 👏

2. Breath is Medicine

“Medicine and medication both derive from an ancient Indo-Iranian root meaning something like ‘thoughtful action to establish order’; the same root gives us the words measure and meditate.”

- Andrew Weil, MD, Mind Over Meds

If “medicine” means “thoughtful action,” then mindful breathing is medicine.

Let’s not forget to take our dose, today : )

3. Maybe We Should Stop Worrying About Our Feelings?

“Feelings are natural phenomena, like clouds in the sky. Or rain. There are some feelings we like, and some feelings we don’t like. Just like we talk about good and bad weather. But there's nothing we can do about them. And there's nothing that needs to be done about them. Of course, you don't ignore the weather. You don't pretend that it's not raining when it's raining. You take it into consideration, but you don't try to fix it.”*

- David Reynolds, Constructive Living

That passage blew my mind and actually changed how I live.

We often hear about letting our thoughts float by: just watch them, then come back to the breath.

Perhaps sometimes we should do the same with our feelings, too?

4. “Yes, This Is It”

“A few years ago, I was leading a meditation retreat. … At one point, a woman raised her hand and asked: “Is this it? This being with the breath thing? Isn't there something more we can do?”

[Lodro’s response was:] “Yes, this is it.”*

- Lodro Rinzler, Walk Like a Buddha

I have a problem where I’m always searching for “the next thing.” Maybe you do too? But it really just comes down to this “being with the breath thing.”

“Yes, this is it.”


1 QUOTE

“The body’s function of breathing has been regarded by most ancient esoteric religious teachings as the very handle to be used to get hold of, or obtain the control of one’s mind and body.”
— Michael Wurmbrand
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Autonomic Nervous System

Answer: Because this branch of the nervous system innervates almost every organ, any action that reduces its activity will have widespread calming benefits throughout the body.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) nervous system?

In good breath,

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

P.S. “the worst they can say is no”

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.

 
 

Treadmills, Metronomes, and Breathing Graffiti on 28 Famous Quotes & Idioms

 
 

Listen to this post:

 

Hello fellow breathing nerds,

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

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. The Satisfaction Treadmill, and Why We Forget How Good Breathing Makes Us Feel

“In addition to being aware of the hedonic treadmill, we should also be wary of the satisfaction treadmill. This is the double whammy of adaptation. Not only do we adapt to a given experience so that it feels less good overtime, but we can also adapt to a given level of feeling good so that it stops feeling good enough.”

- Barry Schwartz, The Paradox of Choice

I thought treadmills couldn’t get any worse, but alas: the satisfaction treadmill.

It’s the reason you still enjoy your breathing or meditation practice, but aren’t sure why it doesn’t feel as good as it used to. It’s why you eat healthily, but still get excited about the latest “superfood” or supplement.

You have adapted to your new level of feeling good, which means it’s not good enough anymore. I say this confidently because I do it all the time—just ask my wife : )

This is, of course, not the best way to live, with breathing or anything else. And things like gratitude and prayer are clearly invaluable. But, in my experience, just having an awareness of the satisfaction treadmill is helpful.

Having awareness gives you space. You can decide if something really isn’t working anymore, or if you’ve simply adjusted to a new level of feeling good.

Here’s to slowing down (or even stepping off) the treadmill today.

2. Breathing as a Metronome for Centering Yourself

“Now consider your breathing like a metronome, consistently and rhythmically connecting you to your own source, and providing you with a regular mechanism for re-centering yourself.”

- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete

Building on last week’s trampoline thought, here’s another way of looking at slow breathing. You can consider your breathing to be like a metronome, setting the tempo for many rhythms in the body.

Slow down the metronome, and you slow down and synchronize these other rhythms.

And the best part about it? You are the conductor, and the breath is always available, “providing you with a regular mechanism for re-centering yourself.”

***

P.S. I listened to this book, so my apologies to George Mumford if my transcription has punctuation errors.

3. Babies Do It. So Do Fitness Trainers. Now Scientists Say It Might Even Improve Memory.

“The results showed that when the participants breathed through their noses between the time of learning and recognition, they remembered the smells better.”

- Forbes, Babies Do It. So Do Fitness Trainers…

Here’s an excellent article from Forbes. It starts out discussing memory and nasal breathing, but then goes into many other aspects of the nose.

They also provide 3 breathing exercises recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil. Of course, we all know 4-7-8, but the “Breath Counting” one was neat too.

Enjoy the great read.

***

Related: Nasal breathing synchronizes brain wave activity and improves cognitive function

Related Quote: “In other words, mouth breathing can create fragility while nasal breathing can create resiliency.” - Tim Anderson in The Breathing Cure

4. Breathing Graffiti on 28 Famous Quotes, Sayings, and Idioms

“To breathe, or not to breathe: that is the question.”

“Don’t put all your breaths in one basket.”

- No One Ever

When I wake up low at night, I sometimes use breathing to help me fall back asleep (after eating glucose, of course). Other times, I accept that I won’t be sleeping for a while, and I just let my mind wander and laugh at my thoughts.

This thought came on one such night, Thursday, March 11th, to be specific. It seemed especially cheesy, so I decided to go with it : ) Some of them I actually found pretty funny, others I had to stretch a bit…

Here are 28 Popular Sayings with “Breathing Graffiti”

Shoot me an email if you have any good ones I didn’t think of so I can add them in.

P.S. #11 is my favorite.

***

Related: 21 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas

Related: 20 One-Sentence Thoughts on the Wim Hof Method

Related: 18 Excellent Statements from Scientific Articles

 
 
 
 

1 Quote

“What I wear is pants. What I do is live. How I pray is breathe.”

—Thomas Merton

Thanks to great friend E.S. for this one. Absolutely love it.

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Category: Nasal Airways

Answer: These tiny hair-like structures oscillate at rates as high as 16 beats per minute.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are cilia?

P.S. I learned this in Ch. 3 (pg. 45) of Breath.

In good breath,

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

P.S. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves

 
 
 

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