January 3, 2022

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An Unexpected Truth, 22 One-Sentence Ideas, and the Best Part of Breathing

January 3, 2022

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4 Thoughts

1. 22 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas for 2022

1. Demonstrations of breathing are small compared with the great thing that is hidden behind them.
2. Breathing doesn’t heal you; it gives your body the environment it needs to heal itself.
Keep going…

Let’s continue the tradition this year. Here are 22 one-sentence breathing ideas to kick off 2022. Enjoy!

***

2. A Unexpected Truth: Use Your Heart to be More Objective

“I feel like I process information more objectively. If there's a bad call, or a player does something unexpected on the court, I can inhibit my reaction and quickly determine what needs to happen next with less effort.”
- Client of Leah Lagos, excerpt from Heart Breath Mind

This was the result of heart rate variability (HRV) training via slow breathing. As counterintuitive as it might sound, current science tells us that the more we train our hearts, the more objective we become.

It’s actually our pesky (albeit valuable, lol) brains that trick us into excess emotional reactivity, anxiety, stress, rumination, and on & on.

So to be more rational, use your heart, not your head : )

***

3. Why You Should Practice Abdominal Nose Breathing

“However, when we breathe through the nostrils and into the abdomen, not only do we breathe less frequently, but our exhalations are prolonged. What this means is that abdominal nose breathing not only makes more oxygen available to our bodies in a more efficient manner, but it also stimulates the sympathetic nervous system less frequently.”
- The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

That is all : )

4. The Best Part about Breathing

The best part about breathing is that we can satisfy our craving to read and learn while also applying that wisdom in our lives. There’s no abstraction. It’s as easy as “sit down and breathe like this for a few minutes and see how you feel.”

Sure, I write to try to make it fun and philosophical. But when it comes down to it, you just sit there and breathe. No one can take it away from you, and you don’t need any special training. You just do it.

1 QUOTE

"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

1 ANSWER

Category: The Airways and Ancient Yoga

Answer: The trachea, a key component of breathing, is also referred to as this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the windpipe?

P.S. Yantra Yoga techniques were called “Wind Energy Training,” which sounds kind of woo-woo. But let’s not forget modern science refers to our main breathing tube as the “windpipe” : )

In good breath,

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

P.S. a workplace revolutionary tbh

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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.

Nicholas Heath

December 27, 2021

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"Promising Prospects in Chronic Diseases," plus My Top 3 Books of 2021

Nicholas Heath

December 27, 2021

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4 Thoughts

1. A First Goal of Pranayama is This

“Hence, through pranayama, one attempts to do away with the effort of respiration; rhythmic breathing must become something so automatic that the yogin can forget it.”
- Mircea Eliade, Yoga: Immortality and Freedom

An excellent reminder that we train our breathing, consistently and deliberately, so we can forget about it. Effort leads to effortlessness. Ancient yogis agree.

2. Slow Breathing Offers “Promising Prospects in Chronic Diseases Management”

A 2021 review of heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB; aka slow breathing) for chronic illness examined 29 studies with over 1100 patients, concluding:

“Given the reported positive effects of HRVB on psychophysiological outcomes in various patient profiles, it is clear that HRVB offers promising prospects in chronic diseases management.”
- Heart rate variability biofeedback in chronic disease management: A systematic review

It looks like, once again, I’m not as crazy as I sometimes feel with this breathing stuff (and neither were those slow, rhythmic-breathing ancient yogis 😁).

***

P.S. A quick rant on HRVB vs. slow breathing for the nerds like me 🤓

3. How to Be Warm-Hearted: Slow Breathing and The 4 Elements of Compassion

In one of my new favorite books, Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life, Dr. Inna Khazan tells us that compassion requires 4 physiological elements:

“Ability to orient and bring attention toward the person in need.
Ability to engage socially with others in times of stress.
Ability to feel safe while engaging with others.
Ability to regulate our own physiology.”

Critically, these traits tie back to our hearts, specifically HRV:

“What all four of these points tell us is that HRV is central to the physiological foundations of compassion and self-compassion.”

And, most critically, HRV can be quickly and sustainably increased with slow breathing, helping you become more compassionate:

“doing the structured, straightforward, and easily accessible HRV training will help you in developing and nurturing your ability to express and act with compassion toward others and self-compassion for yourself.”

Sounds good to me : )

4. Remember this Emotional Toil for 2022

“As far as I can tell, the only thing more difficult than the emotional toil of pursuing true excellence is the emotional toil of not pursuing true excellence.”
- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

Breathing certainly isn’t everything. But, it is the starting point for pursuing true excellence in all aspects of our lives. And we wouldn’t want to live with the emotional toil of not doing that : )

Bonus Thought: My Favorite Books of 2021

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

I read 56 books this year, a new record for me. Here’s a list of them, plus my Top 3 for: Overall, Breathing, and Better Living/Philosophy.

I hope the nuggets of wisdom I have shared from some of these have helped your 2021 be better in some way 🙏

1 QUOTE

“We are all journeying through the night with plans, breathing in and out this mysterious life.”
– Tara Brach

1 ANSWER

Category: The Airways

Answer: These are the narrowest passageways air goes through before reaching the alveoli.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are bronchioles?

In good breath,

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

P.S. & won’t be caught slipping again

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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.

Nicholas Heath

December 20, 2021

Blog

18 "Inspiring" Quotes on Breath as Life & Spirit

Nicholas Heath

December 20, 2021

Blog

Here are 18 interesting quotes referring to the breath as life or spirit. It’s by no means comprehensive—just some that have stuck out to me over the years.

Enjoy!

1. “Man was created of the Earth, and lives by virtue of the air; for there is in the air a secret food of life…whose invisible congealed spirit is better than the whole earth.”

- Michael Sendivogius

2. “Of course, the word spirit itself, despite all of its incorporeal and non-sensuous connotations, is directly related to the very bodily term respiration through their common root in the Latin word “spiritus”, which signified both breath and wind.”

– David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous

3. “My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. The spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

– Job 33:3-4

4. “The fact is that when we focus on the breath, we are focusing on the life force. Life begins with our first breath and will end after our last. To contemplate breathing is to contemplate life itself.”

– Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

5. “Among the Creek Indians of the southwest, for instance, the creator God, the only divinity equal to or exceeding the Earth and the sun in its power, is called the Master of Breath.”

–David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous

6. “Interestingly, the Greek word psyche, which we often use to indicate our mind or the emotional state of our mind, actually means soul or spirit, or most tellingly, the breath of life.”

– Eddie Stern, One Simple Thing

7. “That oxygen, life, and lungs all came into our world in relatively close succession is no coincidence. Only with oxygen and some means of extracting it are all things possible—thinking, moving, eating, speaking, and loving. Life and the breath are synonymous.”

- Michael J. Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

8. “Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”

– Genesis 2:7

9. “The air I inhale enters my body and becomes part of me. The air I exhale moves into someone else and becomes part of her. Just by looking at how the air moves, we realize we are all connected to one another, not just figuratively, but also literally.”

– Haemin Sunim, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down

10. “For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth.”

- Sanskrit Proverb

11. “Thus spirit = breath = life, the aliveness and power of your life, and to speak of your spirit (or soul) is to speak of the power of life that is in you.”

- Frederick Buechner

12. “Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.”

– Thich Nhat Hanh

13. "Ancient Egyptian cultures also recognized the importance of the breath, the evidence of which we see today in the many ancient statues that had their noses broken off but otherwise were left untouched. This defacement was no accident, but a deliberate act by conquering groups to take the life, in this case the breath of life, away from these icons."

- Michael J. Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

14. “Thus a great many terms that now refer to the air as a purely passive and insensate medium are clearly derived from words that once identified the air with life and awareness. And words that now seemed to designate a strictly immaterial mind or spirit are derived from terms that once named the breath as the very substance of that mystery.”

–David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous

15. “Zen Master Hogan said that the whole universe is in the breath. If you really pay attention to it, it takes you to its immaculate source.”

– Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

16. “Arise! the breath, the life, again hath reached us: darkness hath passed away and light approacheth.”

– Rig Veda 1:113:16

17. “The breath of life is in the sunlight and the hand of life is in the wind.”

– Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

18. “Life and respiration are complementary. There is nothing living which does not breathe nor anything breathing which does not live.”

- William Harvey, 1653, Lectures on the Whole of Anatomy

Nicholas Heath

December 20, 2021

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Breath as Spirit, Body and Mind, and 2 Opposing Views on Overbreathing

Nicholas Heath

December 20, 2021

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4 Thoughts

1. 18 “Inspiring” Quotes on Breath as Spirit and Life

“Man was created of the Earth, and lives by virtue of the air; for there is in the air a secret food of life…whose invisible congealed spirit is better than the whole earth.”
- Michael Sendivogius, 17th Century

In this post, I share 18 excellent quotes referring to the breath as life or spirit. It’s by no means comprehensive—just a few that have stuck out to me.

Enjoy!

2. Overbreathing Causes Electrolyte Imbalance

“In addition, overbreathing and the resulting pH dysregulation also lead to electrolyte imbalances … When your pH becomes too alkaline, electrolytes migrate into muscle and brain cells instead of staying in the fluid outside of those cells. As a result, you may experience muscle spasms, weakness, and fatigue.”
- Inna Khazan, Ph.D., Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life (this book is 🤯good)

I knew that overbreathing could dehydrate us, but this one was news to me. And since it’s hard to tell if you’re overbreathing without a capnometer, I think the most practical safeguard here is to simply breathe nasally, even during exercise.

3. A Different Take on Overbreathing

“Sometimes students get confused about using the breath throughout the day. They give it an inordinate amount of attention … That isn't the idea at all. The breath is a gateway into the present moment, making our attention to it greater, not less.”
- Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

I’m an overbreather in a different way: I focus on my breathing too much. So, here’s a friendly reminder to all of us that breathing is just a tool. Let’s not give it “an inordinate amount of attention.” Just enough to make our lives richer and fuller. For most people, that’s as little as 10-20 min/day.

4. Breathing Translations—Go to the Source Yourself

You can read my thoughts on breathing (thank you 🙏). You can read what Wim Hof, Patrick McKeown, and others say. But these are just a few translations. The best thing to do is go to the original source for yourself.

And luckily, you don’t need training in any ancient languages to do your own translations. You just need the universal language of living: the breath of life.

1 QUOTE

“The good news is that through working with the breath, we actually hold the key to helping ourselves bring body and mind into balance.”
- The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing 101

Answer: This is the amount of air that moves into and out of the lungs with each breath.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is tidal volume?

In good breath,

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

P.S. try for a new high score

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.

Nicholas Heath

December 13, 2021

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Breathing & Love, Rising Above the Clouds, and 4 Years in 4 Points

Nicholas Heath

December 13, 2021

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4 Thoughts

1. Demonstrations of Breathing & Love

“Demonstrations of love are small, compared with the great thing that is hidden behind them.”
- Khalil Gibran

Call it what you’d like, prana, qi, & so on, but the same is true: Demonstrations of breathing are small compared with the great thing that is hidden behind them.

2. Breathing for Diabetes: 4 Years in 4 Bullet Points

Based on about 4 years of research and self-practice, the 4 key ways that regular breathing practices help diabetes are by:

**3. Breathing for (non) Diabetics: “Raising Our Heads Above the Clouds”**

“But many of the same interventions that can help us get our heads above water can just as effectively be devoted to raising our heads above the clouds.”
- Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal, Stealing Fire

This is unquestionably true for breathing. Although everything I read, practice, and share is focused on keeping my “head above the water” as a diabetic, they can also “raise your head above the clouds” if you’re not diabetic.

Interesting side note: it’s typically broken people that find supplemental modalities like breathing—I guess because we need them the most : ) But if you’re not broken, all the benefits of breathing will be even more helpful.

So here’s to using our breathing to stay afloat, or rise above the clouds, today.

4. The Buddha, 20 Years after Enlightenment

Did you know that the Buddha was still meditating 20 years after his enlightenment? (I guess it never ends, folks 😄)

What kind of meditation, you might wonder? “Mindfulness of breathing.”

Extra Thought: Take High Altitude Yoga Alongside Me One Last Time

My wife is moving on to a new yoga adventure 🎉. But, she’ll be teaching the High Altitude Yoga class we designed together one last time.

The class incorporates slow breathing, breath holds, and yoga into a challenging but fun 45-min flow.

It’s $8 and happening tomorrow morning (Tuesday, Dec 14) at 6:15 a.m. EST. I’ll be there, and I hope you’ll join me in taking it!

Take High Altitude Yoga One Last Time

1 QUOTE

“Relaxing the breath, breathe in. Relaxing the breath, breathe out. Then joy arises naturally.”
- Bhante Gunarantana
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English

1 ANSWER

Category: The Diaphragm

Answer: This organ rests on the top of the diaphragm.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the heart?

P.S. This was inspired by Jill Miller’s amazing line: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Which is of course, my diaphragm.” (Makes me laugh every time.)

In good breath,

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

P.S. and I’ve never respected anything more

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.

Nicholas Heath

December 6, 2021

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Effortless Inhales, Deepak on Smiling, and Maybe Loud Breathing is OK?

Nicholas Heath

December 6, 2021

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4 Thoughts

1. The Breath Should Enter Very Subtly

“‘Very subtly’ means that when the nose draws in the outside air, it should draw it very subtly so that the ear should not hear it. Being subtle and fine is the gate to life. … The inhalation should, therefore, be done in a subtle and fine way.”
- The Primordial Breath, Volume I

This is always my #1 tip for breathing: make it quiet and subtle. Remember, “Being subtle and fine is the gate to life…”

***

Related: How Breathing Boosts Creativity, Why We Sigh, and Where Rumi’s Soul Lives (see #4 and the 1 quote)

2. Effort Leads to Effortless

“It takes a lot of effort for our fitness to appear natural and effortless. But just because it appears effortless does not mean that no effort was made.”
- Haemin Sunim, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down

The same is true for breathing. To breathe in a “subtle and fine way” takes deliberate practice and effort. I’m still working on it. I hope you are too : )

3. Maybe Loud Breathing is OK in Modern Yoga Classes?

I’m clearly a big fan of quiet breathing : ) Traditional yoga practices are too.

However, if you go to a modern group yoga class, you’ll hear a lot of loud breathing. Physiologically, I’ve always thought it was wrong…

But maybe there’s more to that loud breathing than just physiology?

In The Joy of Movement, Kelly McGonigal tells us that loud breathing during yoga is a critical component of social bonding and group flow:

“Studies show that yoga, like dancing, can create social bonds. … The breath becomes the beat that drives the flow of poses, and the sound of the group inhaling and exhaling in unison provides a satisfying sensory feedback.”

Of course, you’re not going to hear me breathing loudly in class now (I’m an introvert, anyways 😂). But let’s not overlook the social and emotional bonding that it might bring. Perhaps they are most critical in today’s world.

***

P.S. Maybe we even naturally began loud breathing during group yoga classes out of a deep yearning for more social connection? Just a thought…

4. Smiling and Breathing, Part II

“Stop. Take three deep breaths and smile everywhere in your body, observing what’s happening in your body. Proceed now with kindness and understanding.”
- Deepak Chopra

To complement last week’s thought on smiling, I was searching for info on the Buddha’s half-smile, when I stumbled across this quote.

At first, it might seem cliché. But, like most great teachers, Deepak simply distilled the science of smiling and breathing into a practical exercise.

Remember what we learned last week:

The act of smiling makes you happier.

Slow deep breathing makes you happier.

So set your breathing timer, put a slight smile on your face (Buddha-style), and “proceed with kindness and understanding.”

1 QUOTE

“Can it really be so simple? Just breathing deeply? Is that it? The answer, friends, is yes.”
- Wim Hof

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing 101

Answer: This is the volume of air remaining in the lungs after a maximum forceful exhale.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is residual volume?

In good breath,

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

P.S. which I’m about to elaborate on

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.

Nicholas Heath

November 29, 2021

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Alternate Nostril Breathing, 70% Exhales, and How to be "Happy Right Away"

Nicholas Heath

November 29, 2021

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4 Thoughts

1. A Friendly Reminder to Exhale More than 70%

In Heart Breath Mind, Leah Lagos discusses a fascinating study where a group of people were instructed to only exhale about 70% of their air with each breath.

Here’s what happened:

“After just 30 seconds of this subpar breathing, almost every subject reported a climb in unpleasant symptoms, including anxiety, dizziness, lightheadedness, and neck and shoulder tension.”

The fix? Slow breathing with full exhalations. Give it a try and see for yourself.

2. An Ancient Breath and the Door to Heaven

“By relying on the ‘door and the window’ (is meant) the nose as the door of heaven, and the mouth as the window of the earth. It follows, then normally that the nose inhales and the mouth (should) exhale, and (this is) beneficial to breathing. ”
- The Primordial Breath, Volume I

This ancient approach was way ahead of science.

In fact, although the translation reads a bit choppy, we now know this method of nose-in/mouth-out can increase whole-body oxygenation by more than 10%.

Just don’t forget to exhale fully : )

***

P.S. “The nose as the door of heaven”…I felt compelled to re-emphasize that 😊

3. Two Yogic Breathing Experts Describe the Balancing Act of Alternate Nostril Breathing

“Ultimately, in the hatha yoga tradition, the intention with these nostril-specific practices is to establish balance between the two sides of the nervous system, so neither is dominant.”
- Robin Rothenberg, Restoring Prāna

It sounds counterintuitive, but the reason we practice alternate nostril breathing (or ANB) is for balance, so neither side is dominant.

I love the analogy Eddie Stern uses: “You can think about breathing through alternate nostrils in the same way that we think about stretching both the right and the left sides of our bodies when we do yoga postures.”

With ANB, we’re “stretching” different sides of the nervous system (since the right nostril is sympathetic and the left is parasympathetic). But the goal is the same: we train each side separately so they function better as a whole.

4. How to be “Happy Right Away”

“The group that holds the pen between their teeth (which, you may notice, creates a sort of smile) are HAPPIER at the end of the experiment than people who hold the pen between their lips (which, you may notice, creates a sort-of frown).”
- Brian Johnson, +1 On Smiling

This passage summarized a study showing that the act of smiling, even without a reason, makes you happier. And I think the same is true for slow breathing.

As Thich Nhat Hahn says beautifully, “You only need to practice mindful breathing for a few seconds, and you'll be happy right away.”

So let’s smile and breathe mindfully to be a little happier, today : )

Extra Thought: Breathing for Diabetes

I’m giving a short 15-min presentation on Breathing for Diabetes at the MAPS Modern Wellness Summit this Saturday, December 4th. It’s a free virtual event with a ton of amazing speakers, so sign-up if you’re interested:

Learn More about the Free Modern Wellness Summit

1 QUOTE

“Our breathing is designed to help us release any tensions that have become so much a part of us that we no longer sense their presence.”
- Carla Melucci Ardito

1 ANSWER

Category: Dysfunctional Breathing

Answer: When the chest and abdomen move in during inhalation and out during exhalation, it’s called this type of breathing.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is paradoxical breathing?

In good breath,

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

P.S. This certainly became clearer with age…

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.

Nicholas Heath

November 22, 2021

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Yogic Wisdom, Start with the Breath, and Will Smith’s 60/40 Rule

Nicholas Heath

November 22, 2021

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4 Thoughts

1. Start with the Breath (scientists agree)

“They [breathing patterns] thereby constitute an easy but potent avenue to manipulate the whole physiological state of the organism.”
- Respiratory Feedback in the Generation of Emotion

Want to potently “manipulate the whole physiological state of the organism”? Scientists start with the breath. And that’s why, for overall health, we do too: It’s the quickest and most efficient way to positively impact every aspect of your life. It’s actually quite absurd not to start there, in my humble opinion 😊

2. The Montessori Breathing Method

“The Montessori method emphasizes both intrinsic motivation and learning through doing. In fact, for this latter reason, it’s often called “embodied education.” Don’t just read about organic farming—go out and plant a garden.”
- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

Let’s apply the same principles of Montessori education (aka embodied education<—absolutely love that) to our breathwork.

Read about the methods you’re interested in. Read about how breathing affects the whole physiological state of the organism. But then, most importantly, embody that education and learn through doing. As Confucius says, “What greater joy can there be than putting into practice what you have learned?”

3. Ancient Yogic Wisdom Wins (again)

“One of the things that the yogis really seemed to understand was that this circuitry didn’t just happen in the brain, it happened globally, with messages going in both directions: TOP DOWN (brain to body) and BOTTOM UP (body to brain). The intrinsic link between prāna and citta accounts for why the yogis insisted on breathing practices as the primary means to pacify the mind. …Breathing can effectively modulate the reactive loop, and restore us to a more coherent frame of mind.”
- Robin Rothenberg, Restoring Prāna

I have nothing to add, except for one of these 🤯 Oh, and to re-read Thought #1 on how modern science agrees with this global perspective on breathing…

4. How Breathing Makes You Prosper, Part II

“If man’s breath is prosperous, then the body prospers.”
- The Primordial Breath, Volume I

Pop quiz from last week: Do you remember what prosper literally means?

To go forward with hope.

So, if the breath is prosperous, then the body prospers (and I’ll add that the mind and spirit prosper, too). Thus, we could argue that “the whole physiological state of the organism” goes forward with hope. Sounds good to me : )

Bonus Thought: Will Smith’s 60/40 Rule with His Mom

“When I say silly stuff, it makes the world lighter for her. But she needs me to say smart stuff too. That makes her feel safe. She thinks that the only way I'll be able to survive is if I'm intelligent. She likes about a 60/40 ratio of smart to silly.”
- Will Smith, Will

This has nothing to do with breathing, but since I shared a 60/40 breathing rule last week, this passage jumped out at me. It’s an excellent approach to life : )

1 QUOTE

“Life begins with our first breath and will end after our last. To contemplate breathing is to contemplate life itself.”
- Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing 101

Answer: The matching of air and blood flow in the lungs is known as this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is ventilation-perfusion?

In good breath,

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

P.S. You think you can hurt my feelings?

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.

Nicholas Heath

November 15, 2021

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

Nicholas Heath

November 15, 2021

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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

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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.

Nicholas Heath

November 8, 2021

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The 5 Exhales, Spirit, and How One Word Makes Breath Holds Easier

Nicholas Heath

November 8, 2021

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4 Thoughts

1. The 5 Exhales of Slow Breathing

Here are 5 different exhales you can try during your slow breathing practice. Give them a shot and see which one brings you the most relaxation.

Nasal exhale
Audible pursed-lips (like blowing out birthday candles)
Barely audible pursed-lips (like blowing on hot soup)
Ujjayi
Humming

I do a mix of these depending on how I’m feeling, but my defaults are 1 and 3.

2. How Changing One Word Makes Breath Holds Easier

Instead of saying “hold” your breath, use (or think) the word “pause.”

Holding implies tension and effort. Pausing is natural and effortless.

It’s a subtle change, but it can make a significant difference.

***

P.S. This idea was inspired by Edd ie Stern’s Pranayama Week. He used the word “pause” instead of hold several times, and I found it brilliant.

3. Why Mindless Breathing is Good, Part II

“We now know that somewhere between 40% and 80% of what we do is done automatically … This is the exact strategy the brain uses to conserve energy, but especially if we've got the wrong habits, it can wreak havoc on our lives.”
- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

Coming back to last wee k’s thou ght on mindless breathing, here’s another way of looking at it: 40-80%(!) of what we do is automatic. And with breathing, it’s probably 96-99%, depending on how much you practice.

But this isn’t a bad thing—it’s actually a blessing we can put to good use.

If we’re diligent and consistent with our precious gift of breath control, a mindful 1-4% investment can pay dividends on the other unmindful 96+%.

Which comes back to the main point: The goal of mindful breathing is to improve our mindless breathing.

4. A Beautiful Message and NOSEvember

“Breathwork is life changing. Whether reducing stress, controlling or eliminating disease symptoms, improving sleep, or even being a better person at work and at home. I truly believe that the breath is the key to unlocking our bodies abilities to heal themselves and perform at optimal capacity.”
- Dr. Tanya Bentley, HHPF Co-Founder & CEO

A beautiful message from a beautiful human being. Check out NOSEv ember and consider supporting HHPF’s ph enomenal mission. 🙏

Extra Thought (minus the bi-annual rant)

We just had another time change. I’ll spare you my normal rant on how almost ever y sl eep scientist on the planet thinks it’s awful to change the time twice a year. But alas, we still do it : )

And if you’ve read this a while, you know I decided to igno re the time change when we “sprung forward” in March (be the change you want to see style). I loved it, and I plan on doing the same again with this one, if life allows…

1 QUOTE

“It means that breath is the root of the essence and of the soul, the life source and the ruler of the spirit.”
- The Primordial Breath, Volume I

1 ANSWER

Category: Exhalation and Nasal Nitric Oxide

Answer: This exhalation technique can increase nasal nitric oxide by as much as 15-fold.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: Wh at is humming?

In good breath,

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

P.S. The true te st of longe vity

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.

Nicholas Heath

November 1, 2021

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Why Mindless Breathing is Good, and a 5-10 sec Boost to Any Breathwork

Nicholas Heath

November 1, 2021

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4 Thoughts

1. A 5-10 Second Boost for Any Breathing Practice

Here’s a quick way to improve any breathing practice you do: Take 5-10 seconds to notice how you feel afterward.

Sounds pretty freakin obvious, right? But as someone who’s always in a rush to get to the “next thing,” this has truly worked wonders for me. Here’s what I do:

Slow breathing practice
5-10 seconds observing the effects
Celebration (see #2 last week)

Give it a try and see how you feel—pun intended : )

2. Why Mindless Breathing is a Good Thing

“The autonomic nervous system regulates our survival functions. These happen within us automatically without our having to think about them. … If not for this amazing system, we could not live.”
- Eddie Stern, On e Simple Thing

When we start talking about all of the amazing, automatic things our bodies do to keep us alive, I immediately think of mindless breathing.

In fact, I think the goal of breathwork is better mindless breathing.

We consciously use our nose, slow down our exhales, and so on so that it comes naturally when we’re not thinking about it. That’s when the magic happens.

So let’s use this gift of breath control and train ferociously so that we optimize the other 20,000+ unmindful breaths we take each day.

***

P.S. Speaking of breath training, last week I took 3 days of Eddie’s Pranayama Week. It was a nice blend of slow, fast, and alternate nostril breathing, along with breath holds. Highly recommend it.

3. Personality Doesn’t Scale, but Breathing Does

“Personality doesn’t scale. Biology, on the other hand, scales. It is the very thing designed by evolution to work for everyone.”
- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

This is why breathing helps everyone. Breathing is biology. It’s “the very thing designed by evolution to work for everyone.”

So don’t let personality (that is, individual methods) get in the way. Use prin cipl es, and do what breathing method is suitable for you, where you are.

Personality doesn’t scale. Breathing does.

***

Related Quote: “What we mean is, in the field of peak performance, too often, someone figures out what works for them and then assumes it will work for others. It rarely does. More often, it backfires.” - Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

4. How to Resist Old Age

“To resist the frigidity of old age one must combine the body, the mind and the heart - and to keep them in parallel vigor one must exercise, study and love.”
- Karl von Bonstetten

And breathe slow, sometimes fast : )

***

Related: How to Bre athe to Li ve Longer

1 QUOTE

“Be devoted to the breath and renounce everything else.”
- Eugene Cash, quote from Neurodharma

1 ANSWER

Category: The First Day of Nosevember

Answer: The roof of the mouth is actually the floor of this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the nasal cavity?

Extras and Free Breathing This Week

I haven’t had a bonus section in a while, so there’s lots to share : )

I. Free Breathwrk for 6 Months 🙏

The genuinely awesome people at Breathwrk are sharing 6 months of the Pro version of their app with 411 readers for free. I use the app habitually, so it’s crazy that they’re willing to give it away here 🤯

Here are the breaths I use regularly:

High Altitude - The 1:28 or 3:40 setting, and I do it walking.
No Worries - The 4:32 setting, post-lunch.
Deep Relaxation - The 5:00 setting, before bed.

If you don’t have a regular breathing practice, now you have no excuses : )

Get 6 Free Months of Breathwrk Here

II. Performance Through Health Podcast

Martin is an inspiration to me and a true mixed breathing artist (check out his shared case st udy a while ba ck). Honored to be a guest on his show.

Episode 54 – Talking Breathwork, Biohacking and Health Tracking Tools with The Breathing Diabetic

III. Unspoken Nutrition

Neeyaz and Sami are warm people you immediately bond with. I love Neeyaz’s holistic approach to wellness and I am honored they had me as a guest.

Respiratory Health & Importance of the Breath with Nicholas Heath

In good breath,

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

P.S. Literally my dream job … — no jokes with this one : )

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.

Nicholas Heath

October 25, 2021

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The Joy of Breathwork is _________, and The 3 Best Ways to be Consistent

Nicholas Heath

October 25, 2021

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4 Thoughts

1. The Joy of Breathwork is _________

If you’ve read any books on breathwork, or heard any podcasts, or taken any classes, you’ve inevitably heard some incredible stories of healing.

People use different breathing methods to help various health conditions under different settings. They all seem to work, and there’s no one-size-fits-all.

It highlights a simple yet profound truth: The joy of breathwork is breathing.

***

Quote that inspired this thought: “I realized: These were tears of joy, and the joy of movement is moving.” - Kelly McGonigal, PhD, The Joy of Movem ent

2. The 3 Best Ways to be Consistent with Your Breathing Practice

“A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.”
– Anthon y Trol lope

1. Start very tiny. Even if it's 1 breath or 30 seconds. Just pick something so small you can't fail.

2. Do it at the same time every day. Pick a consistent cue (e.g., brushing your teeth, etc.) that will trigger your tiny practice.

3. Celebrate. This is most important. Do something silly that you find rewarding (fist bump, etc.). Celebration releases dopamine, which will trick your brain into looking forward to your practice.

***

P.S. Here’s my celebration: “That’s like me to do another breathing session!”

P.P.S. These concepts come from the excellent book Tiny Habit s.

3. Marginal Gains: Why Being Consistent Matters

“It is so easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making small improvements on a daily basis. … Meanwhile, improving by 1 percent isn’t particularly notable—sometimes it isn’t even noticeable—but it can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run.”
- Jam es Clear

And there’s why being consistent is so important. Those tiny 1% gains are far more meaningful in the long run than they might at first seem. As my favorite teacher Bri an Johnson says, “when you aggregate and compound enough of those tiny little incremental optimizations MAGIC happens.” 🙏

***

Related Quote: “Any practice, whether spiritual, physical, or artistic, only begins to pay off when it is done with regularity and sincerity.” - Eddie Stern, One Simple Thi ng

4. The Pleiotropic Benefits of Breathing

“Eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, and managing stress will always be the foundational pillars of health and wellness. One reason for this is that these interventions are what scientists call pleiotropic—they provide a wide range of benefits that aren’t limited to a particular health condition.”
– Chris Kresser

Breathwork is also pleiotropic: it provides wide-ranging benefits, which aren’t limited to one health condition. (That’s also why it often seems like a panacea.)

Combining this idea with Thoughts 2 & 3, we see why breathing is the compound interest of health and wellness: When done consistently, the marginal gains from its wide-ranging, “pleiotropic” benefits aggregate into magic.

Sounds good to me : )

1 QUOTE

“The breath is something that is readily available to us simply because we are human beings. We do not need anything else to qualify. How marvelous!”
- The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

1 ANSWER

Category: Nasal Breathing

Answer: Nitric oxide, which is one of the most important benefits of nasal breathing, is produced in this region of the upper airways.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are the paranasal sinuses?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Nothing like cha nging your appea rance

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.

Nicholas Heath

October 18, 2021

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Fast Breathing, Positive Emotions, and the 3 Stages of Wim Hof

Nicholas Heath

October 18, 2021

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4 Thoughts

1. Feedforward vs. Feedback: How to Breathe Yourself into Being Happier

“Therefore, it is widely accepted that emotions arise within the brain, which provides feedforward signaling … [But] The emotional and neurological changes that arise during pranayama and meditation illustrate the effects that feedback from the body can have on emotions, the ANS, and neurological activity.”
- How Does the Body Aff ect the Mind? Role of Cardiorespiratory Coherence in the Spectrum of Emotions

I love this distinction, “feedforward” vs. “feedback.” Feedforward is when an emotion arises in the brain and “feeds” its signal to the rest of the body. Feedback is when your physiological state influences your feelings.

This paper hypothesizes that the feedbacks from slow breathing, namely the ones on the nervous system and brain, can elicit positive emotions.

That is, you might be able to breathe yourself into being happier.

I know I feel most joyful and optimistic after my morning breathing practice. It feels like magic, but I guess it’s just physiological feedback at its finest : )

***

Related Quote: “It's rarely a mysterious technique that drives us to the top, but rather a profound mastery of what may well be a basic skill set.” - Josh Waitzkin, Th e Art of Learning

2. Breathe Fast, but don’t Hyperventilate

You can breathe fast while staying present and in control. But when you chronically hyperventilate, it’s unmindful and unchecked.

When you’re breathing fast with control, it can be therapeutic. But chronic, unrestricted hyperventilation is illness in disguise.

So breathe fast, but don’t hyperventilate.

***

P.S. Of course, physiologically, fast breathing is hyperventilation, but the key distinction here is control. And I gotta be a little provocative now and then 😂.

P.P.S. This thought was inspired by James Cl ear’s re cent idea on moving fast vs. rushing. It’s an excellent analogy for breathing.

3. The Three Stages of Wim Hof, in Chronological Order

You love his charisma, and you think he’s a genius.
You realize he’s crazy and that his method makes no sense.
You love his charisma, and you think he’s a genius.

***

4. Breathing Haiku

“Haiku is about delivering powerful imagery in the fewest of words (usually between 11 and 17 syllables). Similarly, limiting breaths as you've mentioned leads to a more powerful, healthy life. It seems indeed, that the oft used adage in design "less is more" rings true here as well.”
- Benjamin C., 411 Reader

Absolutely beautiful.

I could go on and on about how perfect this analogy is. But instead, how about we fully express our poetic selves through a little breathing haiku, today.

1 QUOTE

“Or, more accurately, breathing should be returned to what was natural before we got stressed out by years of running around a hectic world and internalizing bad habits.”
- Josh Waitzkin, describing his Tai Chi instructor’s thoughts on breathing, The Art of Learning

1 ANSWER

Category: Vagus Nerve and Feedback

Answer: Approximately this percent of vagal nerve fibers are afferent, meaning they send information from the body back to the brain (aka feedback or bottom-up messaging).

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What i s 80%?

In good breath,

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

P.S. 99% of socia lizing as an adult

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.

Nicholas Heath

October 11, 2021

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How Breathing Helps You Get and Stay Frustrated (and why it’s a good thing)

Nicholas Heath

October 11, 2021

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4 Thoughts

1. Why You Need to be Frustrated, and How Breathing Can Help

“Long-haul creativity, Robinson believes, requires a low-level, near-constant sense of frustration. … It’s a constant, itchy dissatisfaction, a deep sense of what-if, and can-I-make-it-better, and the like.”
- Steven Kotler, The Ar t of Impossible

A consistent breathing practice will improve your m ental clarity and overall health. But it will also frustrate the hell out of you.

It’s so simple; why isn’t this taught everywhere? Wait, it’s free, and it literally helps everything?

Then, of course, your improved mental clarity will seep into everything you do, and you will get more frustrated with the world, in general. (Not that I’m speaking from personal experience or anything 😂)

But now we see it’s a good thing. We need a little frustration, a slight sense of dissatisfaction, a knowing that things could be better. It helps us sustain the creativity needed to deliver what the world needs.

And a regular breathing practice is the easiest way to get that itchy dissatisfaction.

So, please, go get a little more frustrated, and a little more creative, today : )

***

P.S. Kotler shares nine different ways for achieving long-haul creativity in the book. This was #5, but its unexpected nature made it stand out the most.

2. A Few Stand-Out Passages on the Importance of the Ancient Nose

“As a general note, the teachings on wind energy training and Yantra yoga emphasize breathing through the nostrils during the entire practice session. Unless we are given specific, personal instruction by a master on how and when to breathe through the mouth, we should always breathe through the nose.”
- The Tib etan Yo ga of Breath
“The nose is the heavenly door (while) the mouth is the earthly window. Therefore, inhale through your nose and use your mouth to exhale. Never do otherwise for breath would be in danger and illness would set in.”
- The Primordial Br eath, Volume I
"Ancient Egyptian cultures also recognized the importance of the breath, the evidence of which we see today in the many ancient statues that had their noses broken off but otherwise were left untouched. This defacement was no accident, but a deliberate act by conquering groups to take the life, in this case the breath of life, away from these icons."
- Michael J. Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

3. Walking After a Meal: The Simplest Habit for Stable Blood Sugar

“The most important takeaway is simple: Whenever possible, move your body after eating. Doing this helps mobilize post-meal glucose to fuel physical activity and curb the spike you might experience if you were inactive.”
- Levels, Walking after a meal: the si mplest habit for stable blood sugar

The folks at Levels put out some of the best blogs; they’re well-written and packed with practical information.

This one was so good it almost made me want to switch my post-meal breathing session for a walk. Who knows, maybe I’ll become The Wal king Di abetic : )

Enjoy!

***

4. A Little Bit of Tape goes a Long Way

“I guess it goes to show that a little bit of tape can go a long way.”
- 411 Reader

When you tape your mouth at night, you reap the benefits of nasal breathing for 7+ hours a night. This includes things like better oxygenation, optimal breathing volume, harnes sing n itric oxide, and brainwave synchron ization.

Ultimately, this leads to deeper and more restorative sleep.

And if you’re a diabetic, your improved sleep might lead to noticeably bett er i nsulin sensitivity, which happened for this reader.

“I guess it goes to show that a little bit of tape can go a long way.” Perfectly said. 🙏

1 QUOTE

“The air, we might say, is the soul of the visible landscape, the secret realm from which all things draw their nourishment.”
- David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous

P.S. Thanks to 411 reader Davis for sharing this book, and specifically the chapter on breathing, with me. So much goodness to explore. 🙏

1 Answer

Category: Brainwaves and Creativity

Answer: These brainwaves, which are between 8 and 12 Hz, are most associated with creative thinking.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are al pha brainwa ves?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Slipping t he bouncer a $20

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.

Nicholas Heath

October 4, 2021

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How Breathing Boosts Creativity, Why We Sigh, and Where Rumi’s Soul Lives

Nicholas Heath

October 4, 2021

weekly email

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Welcome back to another 411. Let’s jump straight in…

4 Thoughts

1. Breathing to Boost Creativity: Quieting the Amygdala, Pessimism, and 80%

“Unfortunately, to keep us safe, the amygdala is strongly biased toward negative information. …This crushes optimism and squelches creativity. When tuned toward the negative, we miss the novel.”
- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossi ble

When we meditate or practice slow breathing (~4-6 breaths/minute), activity in our amygdala is reduced. It’s hypothesized that this occurs through the “hyperpolarization” of neurons, which literally makes them harder to excite.

This turns down negative thinking and turns up creativity. It’s not magic; it’s membrane potential : )

Perhaps this is why, after interviewing the most creative people on the planet, Tim Ferriss discov ered that “More than 80% of the interviewees have some form of daily mindfulness or meditation practice.”

These practices naturally lead to cardiorespiratory coherence, quieting the pessimistic amygdala, allowing us to see the novelty all around us.

So how about we slow down our breath, quiet our amygdala, and cultivate a little more creativity, today.

***

Related Quote: “When Video Arts asked me if I’d like to talk about creativity I said ‘no problem!’ No problem! Because telling people how to be creative is easy, it’s only being it that’s difficult.” - John Cleese

2. Breathing To Live A Fuller Life

“It is life that is the real teacher. Practice should open us to a fuller life, not cut us off from it altogether.”
- Larry Rosenberg, Breath b y Breath

As much as I’m obsessed with my breath practice itself, this is perfect. We should use our practice to open us to a fuller life. To be more creative at work, to hik e up a mountain, to accomplish a new PR in the gym.

And this really applies to everything we do for better health. Let’s not make the practice our life. Instead, let’s use the practice to have a fuller life.

***

P.S. Like most of these thoughts, I’m talking to myself here : )

3. Why We Sigh

“But there may be more to sighing than just sustaining life. Research suggests that sighing also may relieve stress.”
- Jack L. Feldman, PhD and Ramani Durvasula, PhD
Wh y We Sigh

As if sustaining life wasn’t enough : )

Here’s another excellent article on sighing, this time from BottomLineInc. Be sure to read how you can “harness the sighing effect.” It’s doesn’t involve sighing at all…

Enjoy!

***

Related: Pair this with one of my favorite articles ever, which goes by the same name: Vice: Wh y We Sig h

4. The Easiest Way to Immediately Improve Your Breathing

“The inhalation should be extremely soft and continuous, whether sitting down or lying down. If you are walking or standing, you should be relaxed. What is forbidden is noise.”
- The Pri mordial Breath, Volume 1

The easiest thing you can do to instantly improve your breathing anytime, anywhere, is just make it quiet. “What is forbidden is noise.”

1 QUOTE

“The soul lives there in the silent breath.”
- Rumi

1 Answer

Category: Amygdala Etymology

Answer: Because of its shape, the amygdala got its name from the Greek word amygdale, meaning this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: W h at is almond?

In good breath,

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

P.S. take it from here good luck

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.

Nicholas Heath

September 27, 2021

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How Breathing Compounds, 2000+ Years, and a Remarkable Fact of Existence

Nicholas Heath

September 27, 2021

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A Breathing Gift This Week

Have you read the Holstee Manifesto? It’s amazing. This is my adaptation, The Breathing Manifesto. (I literally just copied their format. I’m not that creative, lol). Print it, hang it, and enjoy it!

Download the breathing manifesto

Alright, on to this week’s 411…

4 Thoughts

1. The Body is Complex, So We Should Listen To It

(Read Time: 32 seconds)

“Our bodies are complex interconnected systems of biological processes that interact differently under the influence of the unique genetic coding and environmental factors that we each experience.”
- Dr. Ellen Langer, Counterclockwise

That passage gets a “Wow!” 🤯x 100

So if anyone ever tells you one breathing method is best, or one diet, or one anything related to your health, remember this message from Harvard professor Ellen Langer. Our bodies are insanely complex. There’s no way of knowing what’s best for you without trying it and listening to your own body.

***

Related Quote: “What we mean is, in the field of peak performance, too often, someone figures out what works for them and then assumes it will work for others. It rarely does. More often, it backfires.” - Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

2. Will This Be Laughed at in 2000+ Years?

(Read Time: 43 seconds)

“I delved into the medical research … I was amazed by how the yogis of India and Tibet, prior to the invention of modern technology or research instruments, gained a thorough knowledge of the effect of the breath, proper and improper, on our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.”
- The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

Building off the previous thought, here’s a perfect example of the power of listening to the body. Without science, ancient yogis discovered the healing power of the breath, which modern science is only now starting to “validate.”

Of course, you know I’m obsessed with reading science papers : ) But in 2000+ years, do we really think any of them will still be meaningful? Or will they be laughed at? Probably the latter.

But results based on human experience, like those discovered by yogis millennia ago, are timeless.

***

P.S. This thought, and thought #1, are exactly why I’m obsessed with breathing : ) We can read the science, immediately apply it, and discard what doesn’t work for us.

3. How to Practice Mindfulness While You Walk

(Read Time: 31 seconds)

“Through breathwalking, I can access the same state of calm as people doing yoga and meditation but on my own terms” - James Nicolai, MD
- From Weight Watchers: How to Practice Mindfulness While you Walk

Yes, that’s right, Weight Watchers 🤦 Every single conscious and unconscious bias I have went into high gear when I saw it.

But this is the most succinct yet comprehensive article on breathwalking I’ve come across. It’s well worth the 3 min it’ll take you to read it. Enjoy!

4. Why Breathing is the Compound Interest of Health and Wellness

(Read Time: 37 seconds)

An obvious (yet overlooked) aspect of breathing is that we’re always doing it. This presents the opportunity for infinite compounding gains over time.

Compounding requires two ingredients, time and consistency, which are built into breathing. Other health interventions, such as new diets, also compound. But they are usually more sporadic, limiting their chances of endless growth.

But breathing is always there. It just takes tiny shifts, such as breathing only through our noses, for the compound interest to start accruing.

So here’s to watching our tiny 1% breathing investments compound into ridiculous growth over time.

***

Related Quote: “Peak performance works like compound interest. A little bit today, a little bit tomorrow, do this for weeks and months and years and the result won't just be a life that exceeds your expectations, it'll be one that exceeds your imagination.” - Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

1 Quote

“One of the most remarkable facts of existence is under our noses all of the time.”
- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Neurodharma

1 Answer

Category: The Complex Human Body

Answer: According to recent estimates, the human body has approximately this many cells.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 30-40 trillion?

In good breath,

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

P.S. One last look

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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.

Nicholas Heath

September 20, 2021

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Ujjayi isn’t Ocean, Well-Being, and Why You Should Teach “Brooklyn” Yoga

Nicholas Heath

September 20, 2021

weekly email

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This week, you’re going to learn:

That Ujjayi and Ocean breathing are different,
How to breathe for inflammation, and
A story I listened and laughed at more times than I’m proud to admit…

I hope you enjoy it!

4 Thoughts

1. Ujjayi vs. Ocean Breathing (turns out they’re different)

“Ujjayi pranayama, which is performed by lightly tightening the glottis and breathing with a whispering sound and then exhaling out of either the left or right nostril, stimulates the vagus through massaging the larynx and downregulating the sympathetic nervous system. … Ocean breath is sometimes used synonymously with ujjayi, but the two are separate practices.”
- Eddie Stern, One Simple Thing

I thought Ujjayi and Ocean breathing were the same thing. So, I found this passage fascinating (especially that Ujjayi uses an exhale through one nostril). I messaged Eddie about it, and he kindly responded with even more value.

He added that, for Ocean breathing, “the sound is made not so much by the tightening of the glottis, but by creating a continuum of pressure from the high nasal cavity, through the throat, into the thorax.”

That means there are two key differences between Ujjayi and Ocean breathing:

Ujjayi: sound comes from the glottis, and the exhale is through only one nostril.
Ocean: sound comes from the nose to thorax, and the exhale is through both nostrils.

My favorite part about breathing is continuously learning that I have so much more to learn : ) Thanks, Eddie!

***

Related: Hatha Yoga Pradipika (#51-53)

Related Quote: “The surest way to prevent yourself from learning a topic is to believe you already know it.” - James Clear

2. Slow Breathing for Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Diabetes and its associated blood sugar fluctuations lead to chronic oxidative stress and inflammation. What can slow deep breathing do?

JACM (2011): “Diaphragmatic breathing, likely through the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system…reduces reactive oxygen species production.”
Nature (2017): “…our results lead to the hypothesis that slow breathing may exert some antioxidant effect, possibly via parasympathetic stimulation.”
PLOS One (2013): “RR [relaxation response] practice…reduced expression of genes linked to inflammatory response and stress-related pathways.”

Taken together, these results suggest that slow breathing could be a simple and effective way to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in diabetes.

But you don’t need diabetes to benefit. These two complications are present in many acute and chronic conditions, so the above results will help everyone.

3. “Why Your Breath is Connected to Your Well-Being”

“As deep breaths slow your heart rate, for example, your vagus nerve recognizes the cues of safety and sends that information to parts of the body so they can turn off their defenses, such as those that arise from a sense of anxiety or threat.”
- Why Your Breath is Connected to Your Well-Being

This is an awesome little article on breathing and well-being, focusing mainly on the vagus nerve.

You will learn how vagal tone is connected with social situations, how compassion can increase respiratory sinus arrhythmia (a marker of vagal activity), and 4 simple ways to calm your whole body.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

4. Why You Should Start Teaching “Brooklyn” Yoga

“One new meditator kept coming to interviews with a chronic lament: ‘The breath is so boring!’
Finally, I asked him if he'd ever heard of Brooklyn yoga? He said no. I told him to close his mouth tight and close off both nostrils with his fingers. We sat that way for some time until finally he let go of his nose and gasped for air.
‘Was that breath boring?’, I said.”
- Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

I must have listened to this story about 10 times in a row and laughed more with each one. It brilliantly captures the importance of breathing—no science or technical jargon needed.

So if anyone tells you breathing is boring, doesn’t work, or is pseudo-science, teach them a little “Brooklyn” yoga—you might just change their mind : )

***

P.S. When I ran in and told my wife the story (yes, I was excited, lol), she didn’t get the “Brooklyn” part. Neither do I, but I think that’s the point : )

1 Quote

“If one wants longevity, one should let the spirit and the breath pour into each other.”
–Tao Tsang
Translation from The Primordial Breath

1 Answer

Category: Vagus Nerve Function

Answer: Activation of the vagus nerve releases this chemical, which stimulates muscle contractions in the parasympathetic nervous system and slows the heart rate.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is acetylcholine?

In good breath,

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

P.S. No I don’t “meditate”

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.

Nicholas Heath

September 13, 2021

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How I Trained for Altitude and Why We All Benefit from Breath Training

Nicholas Heath

September 13, 2021

weekly email

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Autonomic Neuroscience says slow breathing is for diabetes & hypertension.

Harvard Medical School says yogic breathing is for stress.

And Tibetan Yoga says breath training is for everyone.

Let’s see how…

4 Thoughts

1. How I Trained for High Altitude (it’s not what you might think)

I thought, “I’m The Breathing Diabetic. I better be able to handle some altitude.”
But I didn’t train how you might think. Of course, I initially started with more breath holds. But I realized that the issue at altitude is lower air pressure.
- How I Trained for High Altitude Blog Post

This one was slightly too long to fit in as a “Thought,” so I made it a really short blog post.

Give it a read to learn my somewhat odd training method for my recent hike up to 13,200 feet…and to see if it actually worked (pictures included).

Please respond to this email if you have any thoughts on my reasoning…it was my first time at altitude, so I’d appreciate any feedback or thoughts you have.

***

Related: How To Breathe To Live Longer

2. Slow Breathing for Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

“Even in already well controlled diabetic patients, guided breathing had beneficial influences on cardiovascular autonomic control and a measurable impact on BP control. It enriches available options for non-pharmacological blood pressure…reduction.”
- Effects Of Guided Breathing On Blood Pressure And Heart Rate Variability In Hypertensive Diabetic Patients

According to Johns Hopkins, approximately two-thirds of adult diabetics have high blood pressure or take medication for it. And people with diabetes and hypertension are 4x more likely to develop heart disease.

Fortunately, this study found that just 12 minutes a day of slow breathing (with no changes to medication) led to significantly lower blood pressure, increased heart rate variability, and a reduced spontaneous breathing rate (indicating reduced sympathetic arousal).

All of which led to this remarkable final statement: “If consistently used, guided breathing enhances restoration of physiological autonomic balance in patients with diabetes and hypertension.” Amen 🙏

Here’s to controlling our breath to control of our blood pressure, today.

3. Harvard Medical School: “Yogic Breathing Improved University Students' Response to Stress”

“When we anticipate a stressful situation, our breathing and heart rates naturally go up…but the yogic breathing group seemed to show protection against that type of stress. Their heart rate increased only slightly when they knew a stressful situation was coming.”
- Yogic breathing improved university students' response to stress

Enjoy this excellent and quick write-up showing that yogic SKY breathing can significantly reduce the stress response. It’s from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a world-class teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

The next thought builds off of this idea of “protection against stress”…

4. What Turbulence Can Teach Us About Breathing

When you’re flying and hit turbulence, you’re told to put on your seatbelt.

It’s reactive.

It’s similar to when turbulence hits in our lives. We react. We start eating healthy or meditating or exercising more.

But a regular breathing practice is proactive.

It helps you avoid turbulence altogether.

Or, if you can’t avoid the turbulence, it’s like your seatbelt. You’re already fastened in. You don’t need to rush back to your seat. You’re ready.

1 Quote

“Because the breath is such an excellent and abundant support for life and vitality for every being on the planet, everyone can benefit from training in the breath.”
– The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

1 Answer

Category: Hypoxia and Red Blood Cells

Answer: During hypoxia, this organ releases additional red blood cells to increase your oxygen carrying capacity.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the spleen?

In good breath,

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

P.S. “sorry, it’s my first day!”

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.

Nicholas Heath

September 13, 2021

Blog

How I Trained for Altitude (it's not what you might think)

Nicholas Heath

September 13, 2021

Blog

View of Mount Audubon from Mitchell Lake

“Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth.”
- Mike Tyson

I live in Florida, basically below sea level : ) So when my best friend invited me to hike up to 13,200 ft, I put a ton of pressure on myself to do it. I thought, “I’m The Breathing Diabetic. I better be able to handle some altitude.”

But I didn’t train how you might think. Of course, I initially started with more breath holds. But I realized that the issue at altitude is lower air pressure. To breathe, our lungs expand, the pressure decreases in our lungs, and air flows in from the atmosphere due to the pressure difference. However, at altitude, the lower air pressure will make that process harder.

If each breath is harder, your diaphragm and other breathing muscles will fatigue quicker, and you’ll feel out of breath. Maybe I’m wrong, but that seemed like the biggest issue when I considered everything I’ve learned.

So I decided to focus on lung capacity. With greater lung capacity, the lungs can expand more, pressure can decrease more, and breathing can be easier at altitude. Is this proven? I don’t know. But it made sense to me.

So I did a lot of Wim Hof breathing, a lot of work with the Oxygen Advantage Sports Mask, and a lot of extended exhalations. I also used ocean breathing during my morning breathing practice for added resistance.

Did it work? I’m not sure since I don’t have a control to compare against. But I made it. It was extremely challenging, and all of my plans went out the window once we hit about 11,000 ft. The winds were insane, my hands were freezing, and the continuous uphill was way more brutal than I expected.

To cope, I did some periodic breathwalking, and every few minutes, I took 10 massive Wim Hof style breaths. Going up, I was probably around 40% nasal, 60% mouth breathing (I went into it not caring which hole I used, as long as I made it). Going down was about 90% nasal and 10% mouth.

When I got to the summit, my oxygen saturation was steadily 81-85%. Crazily, my blood sugar was 404 mg/dL (!), which wasn’t helping the situation. But I made it. Mission accomplished.

If you have any thoughts about altitude or my training approach, please send me an email at nick@thebreathingdiabetic.com with the subject “High Altitude.” It was my first time, so I have no clue if what I’m saying makes sense : )

More Pictures

SpO2 was hovering around 81-85% right when we reached the summit. This was with normal nasal breathing.

“Strategically” giving my diaphragm a rest before we started one of the last pushes. I wasn’t tired, just meditating 😂😂😂

Me (left) and James (right) at the peak hiding from the insane winds. Gusts felt like they were over 60 mph.

Nicholas Heath

September 6, 2021

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How Modern Science Supports Ancient Yoga, plus Comfort in Breathwalking

Nicholas Heath

September 6, 2021

weekly email

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The way you breathe might affect your insulin sensitivity. And the way you walk definitely affects your ability to withstand discomfort.

Let’s find out how…

4 Thoughts

1. Longer Exhalations are Naturally Relaxing

“It's helpful to extend your exhalations because the ‘rest and digest’ parasympathetic nervous system handles exhaling while also slowing your heart rate. So, longer exhalations are naturally relaxing.”
- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Neurodharma

Just a friendly reminder that extending the exhalation is one of the fastest ways to naturally relax. That is all : )

***

2. How Breathing Might Help with Insulin Sensitivity

“These observations demonstrate that hypoxia rapidly regulated the inhibition of the insulin signaling pathway […] During reoxygenation, the ability of insulin to stimulate phosphorylation of insulin receptor and signaling proteins was restored after 45 min.”
– Hypoxia Decreases Insulin Signaling Pathways in Adipocytes

Insulin resistance is a critical factor in diabetes and overall metabolic health. In this paper, we learn that low tissue oxygen (hypoxia) can trigger insulin resistance. Encouragingly, however, reoxygenation restored it.

This is one reason why optimal breathing is so essential for metabolic health, especially for people with diabetes. By practicing slow nasal breathing, we increase our blood and tissue oxygenation. This could potentially maintain, or even restore, insulin sensitivity.

Of course, there is no research showing that slow nasal breathing does this—no one is going to fund that study : ) But, given what we know about slow breathing, tissue oxygenation, and blood flow, it seems reasonable to hypothesize that it would help. I know have certainly noticed a difference.

***

3. “Role of respiration in mind-body practices: concepts from contemporary science and traditional yoga texts”

“Traditional yoga texts also suggest a solution for the imbalance in prana, through slow, deep breathing. … The beneficial effects of deep breathing are supported by contemporary science.”
- Telles et al. (2014), Frontiers in Psychiatry

I’ve shared a quote from this paper before, but if you haven’t read the full thing, it’s well worth it. It describes how modern science supports ancient yogic breathing, for example, how “Conventional physiology has found benefits of deep breathing supporting the importance given to regulating the breath in yoga.”

Another interesting idea they mention is that breathing “acts as both a top-down and bottom-up mind-body practice.” It makes perfect sense, but I hadn’t thought about it that way.

Ancient Yogic Wisdom + Modern Science = A Fantastic Read

Enjoy!

4. Finding Comfort in Breathwalking

“To take my mind off the discomfort, I settle into a respiratory rhythm. I take one step as I breathe in, then two steps as I breathe out. One step breathing in, two steps breathing out. Over and over, focusing only on the breath.”
- Michael Easter, The Comfort Crisis

Easter spent more than a month in a remote region of Alaska. And this book that came out of it is incredible—a perfect blend of science and storytelling.

Of course, this part stood out to me : )

Easter is making a ridiculous walk back to camp with a ton of weight. He naturally settles into his breath, and this gives him comfort and endurance.

As he puts it, “There's science behind this. Brazilian researchers found that people who are able to detach from their emotions during exercise, for example, not thinking about or putting a negative valence on their burning legs and lungs, almost always perform better.”

So aside from the mechanics and oxygenation, here’s another way in which breathwalking can be beneficial. It helps you detach from your emotions. As Easter tells us, you’ll “almost always perform better.” Sounds good to me.

***

Related: Breathwalking with Gandhi

1 Quote

“He let me see that, because the breath is so unassuming, I had been undervaluing it. I was looking for a complicated path to enlightenment, when this simple one was right before me.”
- Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

1 Answer

Category: Hypoxia

Answer: A blood oxygen saturation below approximately this value is considered hypoxic.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 90%?

P.S. Different places give slightly different numbers…sometimes it’s 94%, sometimes 92%.

In good breath,

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

P.S. What if?

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.