Breath

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More Alive, Surprising, and the Key to Lung Expansion (and a long life)

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Reading Time: 1 min 30 sec

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


4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing Pattern and Mental Status

“Mental status (anxious versus calm) is reflected by breathing pattern and it is believed that conscious regulation is key to achieving control over mind/mental status.”

- Shreya Ghiya, Int. J. Res. Med. Sci. (2017)

Here is an excellent reminder that to regulate our mental states, we must first start by learning to consciously regulate our breathing 🙏

2. Surprisingly, It’s Not During Meditation

“Surprisingly, it is not during meditation that you make progress in meditation; it is during the rest of the day. What you do in meditation is get the power, install the dynamo; the actual work is done after you open your eyes, get up, and go out into the world.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Passage Meditation

What a great reminder that, ultimately, we make progress in meditation (and breathing) by bringing the results into the world. So here’s to carrying the calm, attentive, and joyful state we achieve during practice into our everyday life so we can truly advance 🙏

3. Key to Lung Expansion and a Long Life

“What Stough had discovered…was that the most important aspect of breathing wasn’t just to take in air through the nose. Inhaling was the easy part. The key to breathing, lung expansion, and the long life that came with it was on the other end of respiration. It was in the transformative power of a full exhalation.”

– James Nestor, Breath

What a great reminder of the power of a full exhale. By pushing more air out, we can get more in, improving lung capacity and (hopefully) lengthening life span 👏

4. It Will Lead You Where You Need to Go

“Follow the breath. Lean into it. The breath goes everywhere, and it will lead you where you need to go.”

- Wim Hof, The Wim Hof Method

That sounds like perfect advice to follow this week 🙏

1 Quote

“You’re more alive when body and breath are permeated with the energy of awareness.””
— Larry Rosenberg

1 Answer

Category: The Nose

Answer: Research has suggested that stress hormones oscillate between the left and right sides of the body in connection with this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the nasal cycle?

In good breath,

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

P.S. my worst fear too

Imagine Feeling that Way Every Day

If reading one of this week’s thoughts or quotes lightened your day in any way, imagine starting every day that way. That’s what the Breath Learning Center provides.

Each morning, you’re greeted by a brief, 30-second email with inspiring wisdom on breathing, meditation, and mindful living. Reading it is virtually guaranteed to start your day off right 🙏

Get started for as little as 16 cents a day.

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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Why Breath Control Matters, -148°F, and Engaging Fully in Life

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4 THOUGHTS

1. A Remarkable Fact About the Upper Airways (-148°F)

“…the upper respiratory tract is able to warm and saturate inspired air so that in climates as cold as minus 100°C [-148°F] air entering the alveoli has attained body temperature and is saturated with water vapor.” 

- Walker and Wells (1961)

My brain can’t fully grasp how remarkable that is over such a short distance…

Our airways are incredible.

2. Oral Posture and Nasal Breathing

“Try it for yourself: Open your mouth and place your tongue on your upper palate. Now try to breathe through your mouth. While it is possible to draw a wisp of air into the lungs, it will not feel right. It follows therefore that the tongue of a mouth breather will tend to rest on the floor of the mouth or suspended midway.”

– Patrick McKeown, The Oxygen Advantage

Patrick’s explanation here is perhaps the most commonsense reason for maintaining optimal oral posture: It promotes nasal breathing simply because breathing through your mouth is awkward when the tongue is against the roof of the mouth. 👏

3. Why Voluntary Breath Control Matters

“We can hold our breath, or breathe faster, or breathe slower, at any time, by choice. Why does this control matter? It matters because breathing is the link between our inner and outer experiences … It is also the link between the physical and emotional reactions we have to those experiences. In other words, what is happening within our bodies and minds is channeled through our breathing.”

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

I have nothing to add except a few of these 🤯 🤯 🤯

4. A Neat Study on Slow Yogic Breathing and Vagal Stimulation

“These findings raise the possibility that mind-body techniques that use slow breathing at rest exert their breathing-related relaxation effects through vagal mechanisms.”

- Vagal Mediation of Low-Frequency Heart Rate Variability During Slow Yogic Breathing

This ingenious study separately blocked the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems and then measured HRV during slow yogic breathing. By doing this, they conclusively found that increases in HRV were primarily due to increased vagal activity.

In other words, slow breathing is vagus nerve stimulation 👏

***

P.S. You get the full Science 411 on this paper when you sign up for the Breath is Life Learning Center.

Breath is Life Learning Center

The Largest Collection of Breathing Wisdom and Science on the Web

Join Today.

1 Quote

“Mindful Breathing is a useful practice in its own right. … However, I’d like you to think of it as a versatile training tool to help you engage fully in every meaningful task in your life.””
— Russ Harris

1 Answer

Category: Diagnostic Breath Exercise

Answer: This physiological exercise is basically a forced exhale against a closed glottis, mouth, and nose.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the Valsalva maneuver?

In good breath,

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


P.S. literally me 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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Good Stress, Self Love, and Breathing for Happiness and Wisdom

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4 Thoughts




1. On & Off: The Stress-Reducing Effects of Fast Breathing


“Breathing really fast and heavy on purpose flips the vagal response the other way, shoving us into a stressed state. It teaches us to consciously access the autonomic nervous system and control it, to turn on heavy stress specifically so that we can turn it off and spend the rest of our days and nights relaxing and restoring, feeding and breeding.”

- James Nestor, Breath


Although I talk about slow breathing 99.9% of the time, this is an excellent description of the benefits of occasionally practicing fast breathing: We consciously turn on stress so we can then turn it off. 👏

***

P.S. If you’re interested, I just released a Book 411 on Breath. Sign up for the Breath is Life Learning Center to get immediate access 🙏

Featured
The_Stress_Prescription.png
The Stress Prescription: Seven Days to More Joy and Ease

What You’ll Learn: 

1.    What Meditation Is & Its Overall Goal

2.    Well-Being, Telomerase, and Adaptive Functioning

3.    The Emotional Benefits of Meditation

4.    Brain Changes from Meditation 

1 Life-Changing Idea

How to End a Breathing, Meditation, Reading, or Really Any Contemplative Practice



2. Breathing for Happiness, Love, and Wisdom


Thought #1 reminded me of this amazing quote from Rick Hanson, Ph.D., in Buddha’s Brain:


“Happiness, love, and wisdom aren’t furthered by shutting down the SNS [sympathetic nervous system], but rather by keeping the autonomic nervous system as a whole in an optimal state of balance.”


So here’s to using our breath—our remote control to our nervous system—to achieve an optimal state of balance and find a little more happiness, love, and wisdom this week 🙏

***

P.S. We also have a Book 411 on this one in the Learning Center : )



3. The Breath of Life Influences Everything


“Chronic overbreathing leads to loss of health, poor fitness, and compromised performance and also contributes to many ailments including anxiety, asthma, fatigue, insomnia, heart problems, and even obesity. It may seem strange that such a disparate range of complaints can be caused by or worsened by overbreathing, but the breath of life influences literally every aspect of our health.”

– Patrick McKeown, The Oxygen Advantage

 

And fortunately, this is also why improving our breathing can help with so many issues—because “the breath of life influences literally every aspect of our health.” 👏



4. The Best Definition of a Breathing Practice is…


Self-love. It covers all benefits for the body, mind, and spirit.

So don’t forget to show yourself some, this week.



1 Quote

“Remember that every time you bring yourself back to full presence, you reap major rewards: you become more impactful, more memorable, and come across as more grounded. You’re laying the foundation for a charismatic presence.””
— Olivia Fox Cabane

1 Answer

Category: Blood Reservoir

Answer: At rest, these organs contain approximately 10% of the total circulating blood volume.

…

(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. sorry Jerry I was in a jam

* 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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Free OA App, 60 Seconds of Joy, and Breathing Improves Cognition

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4 Thoughts



1. Slow Breathing Improves Cognition: A 2022 Study

“Finally, at the applied level, these findings may have implications for individuals looking for a quick and easy method to alter their executive functions, for example, to better execute cognitively demanding tasks in their jobs.”

- J. Psychophysiology (2022)

This recent study found that 15-min of slow breathing:

  • Improved attention control

  • Improved working memory

  • Increased cognitive flexibility

Take-home: slow breathing helps you plan, monitor, and execute your goals.

***

P.S. If you’re interested, there’s a new Science 411 for this one that goes through all the details.

2. Meditation, Yoga, and the Healing Touch of Prayer

Here’s a memorable passage from Breath, where James Nestor offers an eloquent summary of the benefits of slow breathing:

“In many ways, this resonant breathing offered the same benefits as meditation for people who didn't want to meditate. Or yoga for people who didn't like to get off the couch. It offered the healing touch of prayer for people who weren't religious.”  

 

Sounds good to me 🙏

***

P.S. Note that the key words are “in many ways”; not “in all ways.”  Breathing isn’t a one-to-one replacement for these other powerful health practices.  But, it is a nice option that covers many bases.

3. Patrick McKeown & the New Free OA App

Patrick McKeown and the Oxygen Advantage® team released a new app. It’s got a TON of guided breathing exercises and educational videos—and it’s all free!

It’s an incredible gift from someone who, after 20+ years, still loves sharing breathing with as many people as possible 🙏

Go check out the app and enjoy all of the free OA exercises.

4. Sixty Seconds of Joy

For every minute you practice conscious breathing you gain sixty seconds of joy.

***

P.S. This is a play on an Emerson quote I saw on Insight Timer: “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”

1 Quote

“It is quite a striking example of evolutionary balance and beauty that the trees around us that give off oxygen and the trees in our lungs that absorb it share a similar structure.””
— Patrick McKeown

1 Answer

Category: Oxygen Carrying Capacity

Answer: Our kidneys produce this hormone to help us maintain a healthy level of red blood cells (breath holds can amplify this process to boost oxygen carrying capacity).

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is erythropoietin?

In good breath,

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


P.S. I’ve done this writing blogs, emails, etc.

* 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 Breathe To Live Longer, plus a New Take on "Breathe Light"

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading

 

Greetings,

Here are four thoughts, one quote, and one answer for this week.

I hope you enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. How To Breathe To Live Longer

Let’s synthesize some ideas on breathing for longevity and see how we can apply this knowledge in our own life today.

Part I: Breathe Through Your Nose

Here’s James Nestor describing how George Caitlin lived double the average life expectancy of his time:

“He credited his longevity to ‘the great secret of life’: to always breathe through the nose.” - Breath

Part II: Expand Your Lung Capacity

Next, here’s Nestor describing the Framingham Heart Study:

“They gathered two decades of data from 5,200 subjects, crunched the numbers, and discovered that the greatest indicator of life span ... was lung capacity … larger lungs equaled longer lives.” – Breath

Part III: Synthesis and Application

Part I is straightforward: breathe through your nose. But how do we expand lung capacity? Nestor provides a few different ways.

  1. Light to moderate exercise

  2. Lung expanding breathwork

  3. Long and complete exhales

Lung-expanding breathwork includes things like Wim Hof w/ “belly, chest, head,” the Yogic Complete Breath, and most breathing taught in freediving.

Long exhales also increase lung capacity by allowing “more air to get in” on the next breath. But, they have the added longevity benefit of activating the “relaxation response.”

Alright, so there we have it. To live longer, we should breathe through our noses all the time, increase our lung capacity, and practice extended exhales.

And for the ultimate expression of longevity, let’s not forget what Michael J Stephen, MD tells us in Breath Taking:

“Those of us who practice breathing exercises today may well pass on more disease resistant genes to our descendants tomorrow.”

Here’s to living longer, today. : )

***

Related Quote: “For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth.” - Sanskrit Proverb

P.S. Here’s how I implement this in my life:

  • Nasal breathing 24/7.

  • 15 min of slow breathing in the morning w/ extended exhales.

  • 5-10 min of slow breathing before bed w/ extended exhales.

  • Practice Wim Hof style breathing, ~5-10 min a day.

2. A New Definition of “Breathe Light”

You’ve probably heard of Patrick McKeown’s fantastic Breathe Light exercise. But, motivated by this excellent post, I decided to add another definition of “breathe light:”

Perform slow nasal breathing in the sunlight.

Nasal breathing releases nitric oxide into the airways and carries it into the lungs. Sunlight liberates nitrite from your skin and increases circulating levels of nitric oxide. When combined, you get better blood flow and oxygenation.

As Dr. Steven Lin says in the post,

Sunlight + Slow Breathing = Health + Happiness

***

Related: Insufficient Sun Exposure Has Become a Real Public Health Problem

Related: Sunlight May Be the Next Beet Juice

Related: Ultraviolet Radiation-Induced Production of Nitric Oxide:A multi-cell and multi-donor analysis

3. “Vision and Breathing May Be the Secrets to Surviving 2020”

“Stress, he says, is not just about the content of what we are reading or the images we are seeing. It is about how our eyes and breathing change in response to the world, as well as the cascades of events that follow.”

- Scientific American

I know, I know, it’s 2021. But I’m a slow reader : )

In any case, this is an excellent article from Scientific American. Breathing, stress, vision, and Andrew Huberman—it’s just all-around amazing.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, if you haven’t already read it…

***

P.S. Thanks to Ben Greenfield for sharing this article, which is how I found it.

4. The Most Important Part of Your Breathing Practice

Whether you’re breathing for longevity, energy, relaxation, or any other reason, here’s the most important part of the practice: to practice.

***

P.S. Inspired by Brian Johnson’s Notes on Creativity On Demand

 
 
 
 

1 Quote

“Life is too short to be lived in fast forward. Slow down. Breathe it in. Enjoy it.”

– Ryan Holiday

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Category: Sunlight and Respiration

Answer: Although sunlight helps humans produce nitric oxide, it provides plants with their energy through this process.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is photosynthesis?

In good breath,

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

P.S. I felt this on a spiritual level

 
 
 

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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.

 
 

How Breathing Improves HRV, Sleep, and “Keep Breathing. That’s the Key”

 
 

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Greetings,

I realized that last week marked one year of The Breathing 411—and 2.5 years of sending a weekly breathing newsletter. 🤯

Writing this newsletter is my favorite thing in the world to do, so thank you for reading, sharing, and practicing these ideas.

Alright, here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for this week.

Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. The Mechanisms of How Breathing Improves HRV

“Inhalation causes an immediate rise in heart rate, followed (∼5 s) by increased blood pressure and baroreceptor firing. Exhalation results in an immediate decrease in heart rate followed (∼5 s) by decreased blood pressure and baroreceptor firing.”

- A Practical Guide to Resonance Frequency Assessment for Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback,
Frontiers in Neuroscience

Have you watched the Huberman Lab video showing how breathing immediately impacts heart rate? Check it out. The above passage explains how that process goes on to improve HRV.

Specifically, it’s that ~5-second lag between the rise and heart rate and rise in blood pressure that’s critical. And it’s this lag that makes breathing at a 5in/5out rhythm so beneficial (although it’s slightly different for everyone).

When we breathe like this, the messages from our breath and blood pressure synchronize, increasing their amplitude and increasing HRV.

Thus, there’s to magic behind how slow breathing improves HRV. It’s simply a harmony of body messages, which increases efficiency and, subsequently, improves resiliency and overall health.

***

Related: #2 Why Trampolines Are More Useful Than Science To Explain Slow Breathing

Related Quote: “The optimum breathing rate is about 5.5 breaths per minute. That’s 5.5-second inhales and 5.5-second exhales. This is the perfect breath.” - James Nestor, Breath

2. Breathing’s Version of Powered In, Unplugged, and System Restarts

  • Nasal breathing is like having your computer plugged in. You’re getting a constant supply of energy via your power chord (nose and nasal airways).

  • Mouth breathing is like unplugging from the charger. Sometimes it’s needed, and you can make it for some time, but eventually you’ll run out of juice.

But suppose you keep your computer plugged in 24/7, even at night when you close your laptop (via mouth tape).

What happens in that case? Well, even then, you’ll eventually have too many things running. You’ll need a restart.

Methods like Wim Hof/SKY/Tummo serve as this restart for your nervous system. They clean out all the junk, allowing you to return to your baseline.

Here’s to using our breathing to optimize our energy and meet whatever demands our systems have.

3. “Can Breathwork Help You Sleep? An Expert Explains”

“If you want to engage in breathwork for sleep, don’t get too hung up on the details. The key is to slow down your breath and really direct it to your belly using your diaphragm.”

- Can Breathwork Help You Sleep? An Expert Explains

In this article, Molly Atwood, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University, explains why deep breathing is so helpful for sleep. It’s super quick and practical—I loved it.

It was especially refreshing that there was nothing fancy or complex: “It’s not a super complicated thing to practice,” she says. “I think it would be hard to find something that would steer you completely wrong.” Amen, and enjoy!

***

Related: Self-Regulation of Breathing as an Adjunctive Treatment of Insomnia in Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2019

Related: Mindfulness training helps kids sleep better, Stanford Medicine study finds (July 6, 2021)

4. Turning Breathing Knowledge into Breathing Wisdom

“But not until that moment…did that knowledge become wisdom, that is, become how I felt.”

- Alex Lickerman, MD, The Undefeated Mind

What a perfect distinction for when knowledge becomes wisdom: It’s that moment when something you know becomes how you feel.

Here’s to turning breathing knowledge into breathing wisdom through continuous learning, practice, and insights.

***

P.S. Dr. Lickerman also describes an insight as “that most mysterious of experiences in which knowledge takes root in a person’s psyche and alters what he believes and therefore how he behaves.” Love it.

Related Quote: “Only knowledge that is used sticks in your mind.” - Dale Carnegie

 
 
 
 

1 Quote

“Keep breathing. That’s the key. Breathe.”

- Gimli, Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (link to video)

P.S. Thanks E.S. for that quote. Along with sending me ridiculously good science articles, he also hits me with gems like this : )

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Category: Nasal Breathing and the Brain

Answer: Nasal airflow is encoded in this part of the brain, which then is projected onto emotional regions of the brain.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the olfactory bulb?

In good breath,

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

P.S. My entire personality for the next 3 weeks

 
 
 

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.

 
 

Nerdy Warriors of the Breath, Investing, and a Useful Look at HRV

 
 

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Greetings,

Here are four thoughts, one quote, and one answer for this week.

Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. A Practical Look at HRV and Resiliency

“Resilience is the ability to return to normalcy, according to Jen Baker, director of athletics and recreation at John Hopkins University, a graduate of the US Naval Academy. It's your ability to bounce back and thrive, replace worry with objective things, to navigate and take steps forward.”

- Belisa Vranich & Brian Sabin, Breathing for Warriors

Slow breathing significantly increases heart rate variability (HRV) and, subsequently, increases resiliency. This has been shown time and time again. But, from a practical perspective, what does it mean to “increase resiliency?”

Does it mean you’ll never experience stress or anxiety again? No, certainly not. What it means is that the stressors won’t feel as severe and, as Jen Baker says, that you’ll bounce back faster. The stress is the same. You’re different.

So here’s to not trying to escape the world and its stressors, but instead having the tools—one being slow breathing—to bounce back to normalcy faster.

***

Related Quote: “To say that learning breath control is the most important component to forging mental toughness would not be an overstatement.” -Mark Divine, Retired U.S. Navy SEAL Commander

Related Quote: “By modulating the stress response via vagal stimulation from conscious breathing exercises, people can bolster their resilience to all forms of negative stressors; diabetes is no exception.” - Evan Soroka, Yoga Therapy for Diabetes

2. Where Are You Investing Your Breathing: GameStop or Real Estate?

Slow breathing methods can be “life-changing,” according to James Nestor. But, “they can also take a while, especially for those with…chronic conditions.” On the other end of the spectrum, he says methods like Tummo restore balance with a “violent shove,” which can also be helpful for some.

So how do you know which is right for you?

I liken it to investing. Slow, nasal breathing is like putting your money in real estate or an index fund. It’s pretty safe. There will be fewer ups and downs, and you’re almost guaranteed a positive return.

The “violent shove” techniques, on the other hand, are like investing in GameStop or crypto. You might see some incredible benefits in just one day. But, you also risk a significant loss the next if you're not diligent with it.

So the question is: Are you looking for short-term gains or long-term compounding? Are you timing the market or playing the long game? Maybe you want to have a “diversified portfolio” : ) There’s no right or wrong answer. Only you know which approach is right for you.

3. “'Email Apnea' Is a Real Thing-Here's How to Stop Holding Your Breath While Working (and Feel Less Stressed)”

“Learning (and really practicing) basic breathing techniques can also help reverse the effects of email apnea; it'll help you improve awareness of your own breath and breathing habits and teach you how to breathe more easily during times of stress.”

- Real Simple, ‘Email Apnea’ is a Real Thing

This article provides an excellent summary of email apnea and some practical things you can do to reduce how often it occurs. Or, at the very least, to help reverse some of its harmful effects.

As someone who still (after years of a daily breathing practice) occasionally experiences this, I thoroughly enjoyed the read. I hope you do too!

4. Nerdy Warriors of the Breath

“The old-school philosophers knew it was really hard to live in integrity with our highest ideals. They told us we needed to be WARRIORS of the mind, not mere librarians of the mind.”

- Brian Johnson

Meaning we have to live our philosophy, not simply recite it to other people. The same is true with breathing. But, with breathing, both are critical.

We have to be warriors of the breath. We have to live it and practice it, in easy and difficult circumstances. But, we also need to be librarians of the breath.

We need to have the science ready in our back pocket. We need to intrigue people with the experience, then back it up with the science, or vice-versa.

So here’s to being nerdy warriors of the breath, accomplishing great things with our practice, and then explaining the physiology of how it worked : )

***

Related: Breathing Science Library

Related: Rucking 100 Miles for Breathing

Extra Thought: Breathing I’m Exploring

I try my best to be a breathing warrior, and I practice every single day. I don’t share too much about it because everyone’s practice is their own. But, here are a couple of new things I’ve tried recently:

Breathwrk App: I’ve been having fun doing 1-3 min of each breath they offer. I use it sporadically throughout the day just to try something different. My three favorite breaths so far are:

  1. No Worries

  2. Clear Mind

  3. Calm

Open: I’ve also taken a few on-demand breathwork classes through Open. I usually enjoy being in control, but I have genuinely loved these classes. Here are my two favorites (thanks Crussen!):

  • Heart Coherence (this one was truly incredible)

  • Symmetry (box breathing w/music—an excellent mix)

Here’s to never-ending growth, learning, and exploration of the breath.

 
 
 
 

1 Quote

“There is another side of Kanchenjunga and of every mountain—the side that has never been photographed and turned into postcards. That is the only side worth seeing.”

- Thomas Merton

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Category: Breathing in Libraries

Answer: One of the first mentions of nasal breathing in a medical text occurred in this year and document.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 1500 BCE, in the Ebers Papyrus?

P.S. I found this in Breath.

In good breath,

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

P.S. “NO GAME SCHEDULED”

 
 
 

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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

 
 

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

 
 

Listen to this post:

 

Hey,

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

I hope you enjoy reading!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. Breathing Gives Us What Babies Want

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


2. The Upside of Diabetes

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

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

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

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

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

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

…

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

…

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

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

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

- Sam Harris

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

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

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

…

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

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


 
 
 
 

1 Quote

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

- James Nestor, Breath

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

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

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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is its heart?

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

In good breath,

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

P.S. bet u just loooove school

 
 
 

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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

 
 

Smiling and the Warren Buffets of Breathing

 

Greetings,

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

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing is the Only True Compounding Health Benefit

"Growth is driven by compounding, which always takes time."

- Morgan Housel, The Psychology of Money

Many investors are better than Warren Buffet. But did you know he bought his first stock when he was 11 years old? It’s not as exciting to talk about, but a large portion of his success is simply due to how long he’s been investing.

This is because compounding always takes time. And, just as importantly, it always takes consistency. If Buffet jumped in and out of stocks or randomly took time off, he might not have achieved his success. It took time and consistency.

These factors are also why breathing is the only real compounding health benefit. Most of us won’t stick to one health routine as long as Buffet has stuck with investing. It’s natural to try new workouts, start a new diet, and on and on.

But we’ll always be breathing. If we invest in simple changes like nose breathing 24/7, the benefits will compound (literally) for the rest of our life. Time becomes our friend. Since we will always be breathing, we will always be compounding.

2. Nasal Breathing, Smiling, and The Power of Compounding

"All these methods trained children to breathe through their noses, all day, every day. It was a habit they would carry with them the rest of their lives."

- James Nestor, Breath

In Breath, James Nestor describes tribal people with perfectly straight teeth, free of chronic illnesses, and who rarely got sick. Their secret? Nasal breathing.

This was not just any nasal breathing, though. It was a lifetime of nasal breathing. Nestor tells us that mothers would stand over their sleeping babies and close their mouths if needed. They even resisted smiling (!?!) with their mouths open.

This was compounding at its best. Nose breathing was in their genes, and it was passed down from generation to generation for millennia. The result, as Nestor recounts, was seemingly "superhuman physical characteristics" and perfect health. These tribal people were the Warren Buffets of nose breathing.

3. Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises and Your Vagus Nerve

"When it comes to effective vagal maneuvers, any type of deep, slow diaphragmatic breathing…is going to stimulate your vagus nerve, activate your parasympathetic nervous system, and improve your HRV."

- Psychology Today
Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises and Your Vagus Nerve

I basically highlighted this entire article : ) But what I appreciated most was the author sharing how he uses diaphragmatic breathing in a practical and straightforward way.

Enjoy stimulating your vagus nerve more today!

4. Become A Breathing Genius

"A genius is the man who can do the average thing when everyone else around him is losing his mind." – Napoleon

If you want to be a breathing genius, breathe averagely—nasal, slow, low—in stressful situations. Or David Bidler says, we don’t need more complicated breathing techniques; we need to apply simple ones to harder challenges. 

Give it a shot today when you inevitably find yourself in a stressful situation.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Those of us who practice breathing exercises today may well pass on more disease resistant genes to our descendants tomorrow."

- Michael J. Stephen MD, Breath Taking

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This fish can breathe through its gills in water and through its skin and mouth lining on land.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is a mudskipper?

 
 

More Breathing in Less Time

 

Greetings,

This week’s 411 is brought to you by espresso, curiosity, my appreciation for your readership, and espresso. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Use Breathing Instead of Thinking

"Social psychologists now know that the truth lies in the opposite direction. People need to change their actions and their minds will follow." – Sean D Young, Stick With It

Experts tell us it’s hard to think our way out of thinking. We need to act and let the mind follow. I believe this is what makes breathing so powerful. It gives you an action you can perform anytime to trick your mind into following.

If you’re anxious, you can breathe slowly, which will calm your nervous system and lead to calmer thoughts. If you’re tired, you can breathe rapidly and stimulate your nervous system, increasing your heart rate and alertness.

There are many ways to use actions to control your emotions and thoughts. But breathing is free and easy. Stop thinking, begin breathing.

2. Post-Meal Breathing for Better Blood Sugars & Digestion

Relaxing breathing methods have been shown to reduce blood sugar spikes associated with meals and glucose tolerance tests. In Breath (pg 43), James Nestor also tells us that right nostril breathing heats up the body and aids in digestion. Together, it seems like a post-meal breathing practice might be a good idea.

I have been testing this in a simple and practical way. Specifically, I’ve been spending ~3 to 5 minutes performing either alternate nostril or diaphragmatic breathing (or their combination) after lunch.

The results have been quite noticeable. My sugars are much better (and even get low sometimes) in the hour following the meal. And these short minutes are especially helpful midday to focus my mind and get me back to work quickly.

Science + Practicality = Better Living

Even if you don’t have diabetes, adding this tiny habit after eating might help with digestion and improve energy levels. Not bad for just a few minutes.

3. More Breathing in Less Time

Brian Johnson is my favorite teacher. Long-time readers are probably sick of me talking about him : ) His motto: More wisdom in less time. In that spirit, here are a few excellent summaries Brian has made of some of the best breathing books:

Enjoy!

Thanks to new 411 reader W.G. for inspiring this thought.

4. The Best Advice You Can Give Someone Interested in Breathing

"Start now. Optimize later. Imperfect starts can always be improved." - James Clear

The Oxygen Advantage, Wim Hof, The Art of Breath, Buteyko, Breatheology, SKY, ujjayi, and on and on. They are all phenomenal for different reasons.

But the most important thing is to choose one and start—experience for yourself how simple and powerful these practices are. You can optimize later.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

In my own experience, a deep breath is always a good first reaction to a first report. Try to let the potato cool a bit before you pick it up.

— General Colin Powell, It Worked For Me

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This "nasal nerve" is the first one emerging from the brain.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the olfactory nerve?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Preach

 
 

Use it or Lose it + Eating and Breathing

 

Happy Monday! I hope you all have a great week ahead.

Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for you to consider this week.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. The Nose: Use it or Lose it

"Machines: use it and lose it; organisms: use it or lose it."

- Frano Barovic, Antifragile

I had to get a new computer recently. My Macbook Pro gave me 7 great years, but it was time to move on. I decided to switch to a Macbook Air. I thought, "air is my favorite subject; I should get a computer called an Air." I’m that weird : )

So when I was recently re-reading Antifragile, the quote above (buried in a footnote) popped off the page. We expect machines like my computer to break over time: use it and lose it. But with our body, it’s the opposite: use it or lose it.

This is especially true for one particular organ, the nose. Here’s how James Nestor puts it:

"For noses clogged, you need to find a way of unclogging it. You can do that by breathing more through your nose because it's really a use-it-or-lose-it organ. The more you breathe through it, the more you're going to be able to breathe through it." - NPR Interview

We learned some tricks for unblocking your nose a couple weeks ago. But the ultimate nose-unblocking exercise is to simply use it or lose it.

2. Thinkr Review of Breath

"Though it seems as simple as inhaling and exhaling, the act of breathing is an overlooked artform that can do much more than just sustain life." - Thinkr Review of Breath

Speaking of James Nestor, here’s an excellent summary of his book Breath that I recently came across. It requires an email to sign-up, but you can unsubscribe afterward…although I’ve actually enjoyed the emails they’ve sent since.

If you haven’t read Breath or just need a refresher, this is a nice summary from a company with no vested interest in "breathing."

3. Using Breathing Science to Change the World

Changing our breathing is one of the simplest thing we can do to improve our health. Tiny changes, like switching to nose breathing 24/7, can dramatically impact our health and wellness. That’s why it is great to see researchers using breathing in practical ways that could really change the world.

For example, imagine having a web browser add-on that, without you knowing it, alters your breathing to be more relaxed and rhythmic (rather than e-mail-apnea). That’s what "Breathing Edges" aims to do:

Toward Breathing Edges: A Prototype Respiration Entrainment System for Browser-based Computing Tasks

Or how about audio tracks that slow down your breathing while driving:

Just Breathe: In-Car Interventions for Guided Slow Breathing

Or audio tracks that speed up your breathing to keep you awake when you’re driving late at night:

Breath Booster!: Exploring In-Car, Fast-Paced Breathing Interventions to Enhance Driver Arousal State

It’s awesome to see things like this being developed, and it’ll be exciting to see what the next few years of research and application bring.

4. Can Eating Affect Your Breathing?

"One is able to compare the different fuel sources in this regard by examining the respiratory quotient (RQ), the ratio of carbon dioxide produced per unit of oxygen consumed in the production of energy…The RQ for carbohydrate is 1.0; for fats, it is 0.7; and for protein, it is 0.8." - Respiratory Physiology, A Clinical Approach

The "respiratory quotient" shows how much CO2 is produced per unit of oxygen consumed for energy production. For example, 30% less CO2 is generated when fat is used for energy compared to carbohydrates.

Thus, what you eat might affect how you breathe.

This might help explain why some endurance athletes prefer fueling with fat vs. carbs. Or why we can often hold our breath longer in the morning when we are fasted and using fat for energy. Less CO2 production means less breathlessness and extended breath holds.

This also explains why I start breathing heavily when I splurge on cheesecake : )

We often think about how breathing can help with digestion and post-meal blood sugar spikes. But I guess we should not forget the relationship goes both ways.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Since we cannot know all that there is to be known about anything, we ought to know a little about everything."

- Blaise Pascal

Thanks to new 411 reader T. V. for inspiring this quote.

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

This section of the newsletter was inspired by my favorite TV show of all time, Jeopardy! With the passing of Alex Trebek yesterday morning, it feels impossible to make an answer about breathing this week. Instead, let’s honor the legacy of this great man.

Answer: From 1984 to 2020, Alex Trebek hosted more than this many episodes of Jeopardy!, earning him spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 8,200?

We love you, Alex.