Eknath Easwaran

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


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Reading Time: 1 min 32 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. A Miniature Model of Life

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

– Bhante Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English

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

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

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

Neuroscience Bulletin (2023)

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

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

3. Three Random Breathing Thoughts

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

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

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

4. Few Persons Realize

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

– James J. Walsh, MD, PhD

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


1 Quote

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

1 Answer

Category: Breath Connection

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

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is the brain?


In good breath,

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

P.S. like I get it

Reminder: A Good New Year Begins Now

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

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.


 

How to Not Get Upset, Robust Science, and the Great Synchrony


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Reading Time: 1 min 42 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. The Great Synchrony Between Breath, Heart, and Brain

“We term this phenomenon the great 10 second synchrony between breath, heart and the brain.”

The Brain's Resonance with Breathing

This 2019 study found that slow breathing, particularly at 6 breaths a minute (a 10-second cycle), rapidly synchronizes breath, heart, and brain rhythms, providing insight into how slow breathing exercises may enhance mental and emotional well-being 👏

***

P.S. As always, if you want to nerd out on the full review, check out the Breath Learning Center. We now have reviews of 51 papers, 45 books, and 552 daily messages to help you live better as a mixed mindful artist (and we’re just getting started 😊). We currently have 86 active members…I’d love for you to join us.

2. Get the Best of the Mind: Now Enough Robust Science

“There is now enough robust science to show that mastering the simple movements needed to control the rate, depth and route by which you get air into your body can become a handy tool to steer thoughts and feelings in useful ways. Mastering this range of bodily movements can allow us to dial into the workings of the brain and the rest of the body, change the settings of both and get the very best out of the mind.

– Caroline Williams, Move

👏 👏 👏

3. Three Random Thoughts on Breathing

1. All life needs to move, and the lungs and airways are perfectly designed to optimize air motion in support of life.

2. A breath practice is a tool—but not a requirement—for a good life.

3. The most common mistake in breathing is using the nose, lungs, and diaphragm, but not the heart.

4. How to Not Get Upset when a Real Trial Comes

“Simply by maintaining a sense of humor and humility, we can teach the mind not to get upset even when a real trial comes.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Conquest of Mind

This one certainly passes the real-life test for me 😊. Give it a try this week and see how it goes.


1 Quote

Joy seems to be the ‘natural’ state of a unified mind, and the more unified a mind is, the more joyful it is.”
— John Yates, Ph.D., and Matthew Immergut, Ph.D.

1 Answer

Category: Brain Rhythms

Answer: These are brain electrical signals directly related to mental effort and brain excitability, which can become synchronized with respiration during slow breathing.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What are slow cortical potentials (SCPs)?


In good breath,

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

P.S. I was born to be Finnish

Our Only Guide is Homesickness

“We have no one to guide us. Our only guide is our homesickness.”

– Herman Hesse

This perfectly captures the essence of becoming a Mixed Mindful Artist. We don’t focus on one method that worked for someone else; instead, we let our homesickness—our own intuition—guide us while using wisdom from great teachers and scientists to support that journey. If you’re ready to find your way home, get started today.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.


 

Nasal Breathing, Belly Laughing, and My Favorite Signs of Progress


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Reading Time: 2 min 4 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. My New Favorite Signs of Progress

I look for changes in character and conduct. How selfless can you be? Can you restrain your senses when necessary? Can you go against your self-will when it benefits those around you? How long is your span of attention? These are the signs of progress in meditation.

– Eknath Easwaran, Passage Meditation

Of course, there are many different signs of progress in meditation (and breathing and mindfulness), but these are my new favorites 😊. They offer a simple yet powerful way to assess whether these practices are truly changing our lives.

2. Majoring in the Minor

“That’s when I learned that people have a habit of looking for the next big thing when they haven’t spent any time mastering the simple thing in front of them….A lot of you are missing the forest for the trees. You’re majoring in the minor. You’re getting in the weeds.”

– Arnold Schwarzenegger

Got any areas of your practice where you’re “majoring in the minor?” (Guilty here 🤚) Let’s use this as a reminder to master the simple tools in front of us—things like slow breathing, meditation, and mindfulness—before we go looking for the next big thing.

3. Three Reminders to Breathe Nasally

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

2. “Nasal stimulation represents the fundamental link between slow breathing techniques, brain and autonomic activities and psychological/behavioral outputs.” - Frontiers (2018)

3. “Obsessed with notions of health, he was fascinated by his breathing. In fact, Kant developed a technique of breathing solely through his nose—250 years before scientists recognized the role of nasal breathing for good health. Kant was so determined to breathe only through his nose that he refused to walk with a companion, fearful that conversation might inadvertently make him inhale through his mouth. Kant lived to just short of his eightieth birthday, a phenomenal age in 1804.” - Annabel Streets

4. Belly Laughing as Good as Crunches

“Break into a full belly laugh and you hit two pillars of stress control in one go. A recent study found that laughing really hard provides a better core workout than crunches.

– Caroline Williams, Move

We already know that laughter significantly reduces cortisol, but here we learn it might be as effective—or even better—than crunches for our core. Let’s use that as our friendly reminder to laugh this week to support both our physical and mental health 😊


1 Quote

Breathing is not only critical to sustaining life, but done correctly and consciously, it can be a valuable tool for getting the most out of every human endeavor, from the most demanding physical challenges to the pursuit of understanding life’s deepest spiritual mysteries.”
— Al Lee and Don Campbell

1 Answer

Category: Nasal Breathing and the Brain

Answer: Slow nasal breathing increases these slow brainwaves often associated with sleep, creativity, and relaxation more than slow mouth breathing does.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What are theta brainwaves?


In good breath,

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

P.S. Celery with anxiety

Elevate Yourself

Embrace a more thoughtful approach to a happier and fulfilling life: become a Mixed Mindful Artist. Instead of trying to fit into a single method, you can integrate the principles of breathing, meditation, and mindfulness to find a balanced and adaptable practice that supports your well-being in every stage of your life. Learn more.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.


 

It's Possible, Movement for Mindfulness, and Breath is Life


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Reading Time: 1 min 39 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. Remarkably, It’s Possible

“Remarkably, it’s possible to use your breath to train your body to react more healthily to stress, both in the moment and over the longer term, by virtue of the way that it changes the level of activity along the vagus nerve. Over time, practicing slow breathing can change your baseline level of stress reactivity to a point where you freak out less often and recover more quickly when you do.

– Caroline Williams, Move

👏 👏 👏

2. Movement Aids a Mindful Life

“Without a balance between physical activity and meditation, for instance, we may become irritable or restless. Exercise—jogging, swimming, climbing, hard work, and so forth for young people, and walking for just about everybody—can help to solve some of the problems that come as you descend in consciousness.”

- Eknath Easwaran, Passage Meditation

Here, Easwaran reminds us that a mindful life doesn’t require sitting still all day; in fact, it’s the opposite. Physical activity reduces restlessness and eases the mind, helping us “solve some of the problems that come” when we do sit still to practice 🙏

3. Three Reminders that Breath is Life

1. “The fact is that when we focus on the breath, we are focusing on the life force…To contemplate breathing is to contemplate life itself.” - Larry Rosenberg

2. “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

3. “Without the breath, what is there? It’s where you and I and everyone else began. It’s where all life begins.- Wim Hof

4. This Breathing Exercise Is in Fact Good Medicine

“In conclusion, our results support the ancient knowledge that spontaneous laughter is in fact good medicine (preventive or therapeutic) being associated with greater reduction in cortisol levels as compared with usual activities.”

- PLOS ONE (2023)

Modern science and ancient wisdom agree: laughter is good medicine. Make sure you’re enjoying this most enjoyable of “breathing exercises” this week 😊


1 Quote

While we cannot control life, we can learn to shape our response to it; conscious breathing is a valuable tool to support that.”
— Eddie Stern

1 Answer

Category: Breathing and the Core

Answer: This core muscle connects the spine to the femur and plays a role in breathing through its link to the diaphragm.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is the psoas?


In good breath,

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

P.S. the emotional diurnal cycle

A Path to Lasting Change

The Breath Learning Center integrates ancient wisdom with modern science to help us make lasting change.

You enjoy daily wisdom meditations, science and book reviews, workshops, and guided practices, all at your own pace.

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.


 

Breath and Wine, Simplest Movement, and 4 Reminders on Connection


Announcement

I am excited to be giving a 1-hr virtual workshop tomorrow, August 27th, at 5:30 p.m. Eastern for the nonprofit BeWell in School. It’s donation-based, and all proceeds go to support their mission. They are truly and incredible organization, and I am honored whenever I get to support them. Get signed up here.

On to the newsletter…


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Reading Time: 2 min 0 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. Simplest and Most Unobtrusive of Movements

“Despite centuries of reports from followers of Eastern traditions that slow breathing can improve focus, bring a sense of calm when we might otherwise lose it and even whisk us away to an altered state of consciousness, most of us still don’t take time out from our busy lives to prioritize this simplest and most unobtrusive of body movements.”

– Caroline Williams, Move

If you feel “moved” by this, here is an excellent reminder to take time this week to prioritize the simplest and most unobtrusive movement of all: slow breathing 👏

2. The Only Practice that Matters

“The only practice that matters is the one you consistently do, not the practice of any other artist.”

– Rick Rubin, The Creative Act

A perfect reminder (which also applies to breathing) to follow what’s right for you, not what’s right for someone else. It brings to mind another wonderful quote attributed to Zen Shin: “A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.”

3. Four Reminders that Breath is Connection

1. “To breathe is to absorb ourselves in what surrounds us, to take in little bits of life, understand them, and give pieces of ourselves back out. Respiration is, at its core, reciprocation.- James Nestor

2. “Living beings differ in appearance and behavior…But all living beings breathe…When we focus on the breath, we become mindful of the universal nature of all beings.– Bhante Gunaratana

3. “The air I inhale enters my body and becomes part of me. The air that 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

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

4. The Best of Both Worlds

“The breathing will seamlessly bring you back to the natural mental and emotional flexibility you had as a child, but with the direction and purpose you have as an adult.”

— Richard Brown, MD, and Patricia Gerbarg, MD

Here’s to using our breath to develop child-like mental flexibility alongside adult-like purpose a little more this week 🙏


1 Quote

Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore, may the relief of laughter rinse through your soul.”
— John O’Donohue

1 Answer

Category: Breath, Brain, and Wine

Answer: The cluster of neurons that generate breathing rhythm is named this after a German bottle of wine.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is the pre-Bötzinger Complex?


Wiser than Before Podcast

I was recently a guest on the Wiser than Before Podcast. It was an awesome chat with Josh. If you love breathing, I think you’ll love the show!

Listen: Spotify or Apple,

Watch: YouTube


In good breath,

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

P.S. the ultimate out of body experience

A Path to Lasting Change

The Breath Learning Center integrates ancient wisdom with modern science to help us make lasting change.

You enjoy daily wisdom meditations, science and book reviews, workshops, and guided practices, all at your own pace.

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.


 

Flourishing, Four (more) Reminders, and Get More Brain Power


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Reading Time: 1 min 47 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing for a Generous and Purposeful Life

“Life is movement, and our breath keeps us going every minute of the day…To bring awareness to that, and to begin to harness that power of movement towards understanding who we are, why we are here, and what we should be doing to live a purposeful, generous, grateful life, is all part of the practice of pranayama.”

– Eddie Stern, Healing Through Breathing

How good is that? Here’s to bringing awareness to the life-giving gift of breathing so we can direct it toward “understanding who we are, why we are here, and what we should be doing to live a purposeful, generous, grateful life.” 🙏

2. Flourishing Under Stress

“But as stress researchers realize, full health is more than just the absence of disease. It means a dynamic harmony of body and mind which allows us to live at our full physical, emotional, and spiritual potential. ... Instead of trying simply to survive stress, we should aim at flourishing under it, making use of anything life brings.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Original Goodness

And happily, this is precisely what breathing and meditation do: help build our resilience so we can flourish under stress and make use of anything life brings 🙏

3. Four Reminders of the Breath’s Power for the Heart

1. “You know that our breathing is the inhaling and exhaling of air. The organ which serves for this is the lungs which lie round the heart. Thus breathing is a natural way to the heart.” - Nicephorus the Solitary

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

3. “Happiness lies in your own heart. You only need to practice mindful breathing for a few seconds, and you'll be happy right away.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

4. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart, which is, of course, my diaphragm.” - Jill Miller

4. Increase Brain Power with this “Breathing Exercise”

“You can increase your brain power three to fivefold simply by laughing and having fun before working on a problem.”

– Doug Hall

👏👏👏


1 Quote

Breath is the beginning, the end, and the tether between us all…It’s the wiring between all living organisms that proves we’re not separated or disconnected, but rather that we are being routed through the same network.”
— Finnian Kelly

1 Answer

Category: Ancient Breathing

Answer: This, a combination of two words, refers to the lengthening, expanding, or directing of the vital life force via controlled respiration.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is pranayama?


In good breath,

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

P.S. imagine all the people 🎵

A Path to Lasting Change

The Breath Learning Center integrates ancient wisdom with modern science to help us make lasting change.

You enjoy daily wisdom meditations, science and book reviews, workshops, and guided practices, all at your own pace.

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.


 

Four Reminders, Alternate Nostril, and Tapping into the Life Force


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Reading Time: 1 min 45 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. Tapping into the Life Force

“The most universal practice for tapping into the Life Force is really a number of practices—mediation, prayer, reading, journal writing, exercise—that make up the morning rituals that so many people swear by. Rather than preparing you for a single event, like a game, a play, or a public address, the rituals prepare you for the entire day to come.

- Barry Michels and Phil Stutz, Coming Alive

How good is that? (Well, except that they left off breathing, ha!)

It’s a nice reminder that all our practices help us tap into our Life Force as holistic preparation for “the entire day to come.” 🙏

2. The Benefits of Alternate Nostril Breathing

“This technique provides high level evidence for positive outcomes for the autonomic nervous and cardiopulmonary systems. There is also high level of evidence regarding improvement in cognitive functioning with regular practice of alternate nostril breathing.”

Ghiya (2017)

This review found that ANB improved nervous system and heart health, lung function, and cognitive ability, suggesting that it is an effective technique for boosting overall health & wellness 🙏

***

P.S. I just released a new Science 411 on this paper in the Breath Learning Center. Sign up for as little as $5 to read or listen now.

3. Four Reminders of the Breath’s Power for the Brain and Mind

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

2. “In other words, by changing the breath pattern one can induce a chosen state of mind.” — Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati

3. “Just as your mind influences the breath, you can influence the state of your mind through the breath as well.” –Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

4. “Messages from the respiratory system have rapid, powerful effects on major brain centers involved in thought, emotion, and behavior.” –Patricia Gerbarg, MD and Richard Brown, MD

4. Wash the Brain with this “Subtle Fluid”

“There seems to be a subtle fluid from humor and fun which penetrates the entire being, bathes all the mental faculties, and washes out the brain-ash and debris from exhausted cerebrum and muscles.”

– Orison Swett Marden, The Joys of Living


1 Quote

The real meaning of simplicity is singling out what is worth living for, and then shaping our lives around what matters and letting go of everything else.”
— Eknath Easwaran

1 Answer

Category: The Brain

Answer: Between its more than 86 billion neurons, the human brain has over this many connections.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is 100 trillion connections?


In good breath,

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

P.S. next time you want to spread some love

A Path to Lasting Change

The Breath Learning Center integrates ancient wisdom with modern science to help us make lasting change.

You enjoy daily wisdom meditations, science and book reviews, workshops, and guided practices, all at your own pace.

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.


 

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

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The Breathing App for Diabetes

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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.


 

Going Inward, a New Practice, and Remembering Oneself


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Reading Time: 1 min 48 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. Going Inward to Bring it Outward

“But none of this is the final destination of spinal breathing. We are going in so we can come back out and enjoy our inner qualities in the outside world of our everyday living. So spinal breathing is a practical technique. It is not something we do to escape. It is something we do to arrive completely in the presence of who and what we are. Then we are in a position to live life to the fullest.”

- Yogani, Spinal Breathing Pranayama

Although this is about “spinal breathing pranayama,” it applies perfectly to all contemplative practices. We go in “so we can come back out and enjoy our inner qualities in the outside world of our everyday living.” 🙏🙏🙏

2. Patience Means Slow, Deep Breathing

“Patience means slow, deep breathing; impatience means poor lungs and irregular breathing. … When you are patient, all the vital processes work smoothly.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Passage Meditation

And let’s not forget that it’s a two-way street: When we practice slow, deep breathing, we create conditions that support us being more patient. This will not only help our breathing and lung health, but also help us live more easily in our overly-rushed world.

3. Remembering to Key an Eye on Oneself

“First used in an English translation of a Buddhist text in 1881 at the height of the British colonization of South Asia, the term ‘mindfulness’ came into general acceptance in the Western world thereafter. But the term is a Western invention. The original word in the language of the Buddha’s time was sati. Sati means remembering. Right Mindfulness—or Right Sati—means remembering to keep an eye on oneself.

– Mark Epstein, MD, Advice Not Given

“Remembering to keep an eye on oneself.” That’s an awesome (and super practical) definition of mindfulness.

So here’s to using our breath and daily reading as a way of “keeping an eye on ourselves” so we can continue to cultivate a well-lived life 🙏

4. Laughfulness

If mindfulness means “remembering to keep an eye on oneself” (see Thought #3), then I propose a new practice:

Laughfulness: remembering to laugh at oneself.

It may be the best contemplative approach to mastering the art of living 😊


1 Quote

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.”
— Redd Foxx

1 Answer

Category: Breathing and the Brain

Answer: This gas is critical to breathing but also has a direct impact on brain blood flow, with some studies suggesting that brain blood flow reduces 2-3% for every 1 mmHG reduction in it.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is carbon dioxide?


In good breath,

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

P.S. Get your priorities straight science.

Breathing, Reading, and Meditation for a Well-Lived Life

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.

Start Today.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.


 

Become More You, Deep Changes, and Benefiting Those We Encounter


Listen Instead of Reading

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



Reading Time: 1 min 39 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. Become More and More You

“The film director David Lynch formulated it most compellingly when he told me ‘The thing about meditation is, you become more and more you.’ So you should not have the slightest concern about meditating in ways that suit you and are to your liking.”

- Steven Laureys, MD,
The No-Nonsense Meditation Book

That’s so good, and it applies perfectly to breathing exercises, too.

With that in mind, we might ask, ‘How could I tailor my breathing or meditation practice to better suit my unique self?’ Remember: it’s about becoming more of who we are, not more of someone else 🙏

2. Getting Deep Physical and Psychological Changes

“As the breath is the link between the body and mind, it can intervene in the activities of either level. With increased awareness and control of the subtle aspects of breathing, these interventions can affect deep physical and psychological changes.”

-John Clarke, MD, Science of Breath

“As the breath is the link between the body and mind, it can intervene in the activities of either level.” That’s a potent reminder of why the breath is so powerful. Be sure to use it wisely, today 🙏

3. Immediate Influence of the Divine

“Taken more spiritually, inspiration means to breathe life into. An ancient interpretation defines it as the immediate influence of the divine.”

- Rick Rubin, The Creative Act

This is just a reminder that, at any moment, we can experience the “immediate influence of the divine” by bringing all our attention to the act of inhalation via mindfulness of breathing 🙏

4. Benefit Every Person We Encounter

“Breathing, the common, everyday act of inhaling and exhaling a breath, has the ability to be something that benefits not just me or you, it can benefit every person we encounter.”

– Rev Duffy Peet

This is an excellent reminder that our breathing and meditation practices go beyond just our personal wellness. Because these practices make us calmer, joyful, loving, and more attentive, they benefit every person we encounter 👏


1 Quote

So try to remember every day that you are participating in meditation even at breakfast, at work, at school, in the garden, everywhere.”
— Eknath Easwaran

1 Answer

Category: The Nose

Answer: Physiological reflexes that occur due to changes in body position (such as going from sitting-to-lying or lying on one side) can impact this, and hence nasal congestion.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is nasal airflow?


In good breath,

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

P.S. Me neither

Breathing, Reading, and Meditation for a Well-Lived Life

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.

Start Today.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.


 

Blue Mindfulness, Worry & Hurry, and a Natural Way to the Heart


Listen Instead of Reading

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



Reading Time: 1 min 49 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. Blue Mindfulness

“What science is also revealing is that there’s an additional simple, watery means to mindfulness. Indeed, think of it as Blue Mindfulness.”

– Wallace J Nichols, Blue Mind

This refers to the idea that being around water (and nature in general) can invoke mindfulness. And even if you can’t make it into nature, it turns out that just listening to the sound of water can elicit some of its benefits.

So, this is your nudge to get out into nature or put on some ocean noises during your next breathing or meditation practice to get a little extra “blue mindfulness” 😊

2. A Water Breathing Walk

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

- Annabel Streets, 52 Ways to Walk

I’ve shared this one before, but it felt right to re-share after the previous thought. Consider getting out and breathing some freshly cleaned air after the next rain—it’s an effortless “breathing exercise” 😊

3. Why Worry Goes With Hurry

“Worry goes with hurry because people in a hurry don’t have time to think clearly and make clear decisions, so they are always worried about results. … If you slow down enough to think clearly and act wisely, you have no need to worry because you know you are doing your best.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Original Goodness

One way to slow down enough to think clearly and act wisely? Slow, mindful breathing, which slows body and mind, thus reducing worry.

***

P.S. Of course, thinking clearly and acting wisely doesn’t mean we’ll make perfect decisions. It just means we won’t have to worry as much because we’ll know we’re doing our best with what we have 🙏

4. Some Advice to Follow (for the rest of our lives)

“Receive wisdom skillfully. Try it on for size and see how it fits. Incorporate what’s useful. Let go of the rest. And no matter how credible the source, test and tune in to yourself to discover what works for you.”

– Rick Rubin, The Creative Act

Ironically, that advice goes for this passage, too 😊


1 Quote

You know that our breathing is the inhaling and exhaling of air. The organ which serves for this is the lungs which lie round the heart. Thus breathing is a natural way to the heart.”
— Nicephorus the Solitary

1 Answer

Category: Synchronization

Answer: This refers to the measurement of the interaction between lungs and the heart during sleep.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is cardiopulmonary coupling?


In good breath,

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

P.S. We didn’t think everyone would bring a bag!

Breath Science & Wisdom Meditations for a Well-Lived Life

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.

Start Today.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.


 

Positive Stress, Open Heart, and a Poor Host for Disease


Listen Instead of Reading

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



Reading Time: 1 min 29 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. Slow Breathing as a Positive Stressor

“Slow breathing is, in fact, a type of positive stress in and of itself, because you are making an autonomic function of your body intentional…sometimes, as you might notice, your nervous system might resist a little to the changes you are suggesting, because it is not used to being told what to do.”

– Eddie Stern, Healing Through Breathing

I love this shift in perspective. It reminds us that when we teach or practice slow breathing, there might be resistance. That’s normal. But as Eddie also says, that tension “will melt away with time, practice, patience, and a gentle approach to slow breathing.” 👏

2. An Important Thing to Remember in Learning Breath Practices

“In learning breath practices the most important thing to remember is to relax. … Self-judgment adds another layer of stress. The less you judge yourself, the easier it will be to relax and experience the benefits … Try not to evaluate or judge what is happening. Just go with it.”

- Richard Brown, MD, and Patricia Gerbarg, MD

This reminds me of another gem from another MD—Herbert Benson—discussing the relaxation response: “The less you worry about the results, the better. Just let it happen.” 🙏

3. A Poor Host for Disease

“…this is one of the grandest secrets of health…Research evidence today suggests that emotional immunity to negative states of mind may well be linked to physical immunity, even resistance to disease. A person who is even minded, who doesn’t get shaken if people speak ill of him or excited when they praise her to the skies – such a person, I submit, is a poor host for disease.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Original Goodness

Of course, this doesn’t literally mean we’ll never get sick or that all our ailments will suddenly vanish if we’re even minded. But, I love this idea of training our minds to be steadier—through meditation and breathing—so we can at least become “a poor host for disease.” 🙏

4. An Open Heart to Have Open Eyes

“Ancient meditation texts describe compassion and mindfulness as two wings of a bird—emphasizing that we need an open heart to have open eyes.

- Ronald Siegel, Psy.D., The Mindfulness Solution


1 Quote

This is the deepest paradox in all of meditation: we want to get somewhere—we wouldn’t have taken up the practice if we didn’t—but the way to get there is just to be fully here.”
— Larry Rosenberg

1 Answer

Category: Contagious Breathing

Answer: One study found that our brains responds to the sound of this “breathing exercise” by preparing our facial muscles to join in.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is laughter?


In good breath,

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

P.S. me but at my breath memes

Breath Science & Wisdom Meditations for a Well-Lived Life

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.

Start Today.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.


 

Breathing Guidelines, Free Sci 411, and How to Make Tomorrow Good


Listen Instead of Reading

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


Enjoy These Posts?

Donate to support my research.


Reading Time: 1 min 31 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. Practical Breathing Guidelines and a Free Science 411

“This knowledge can and should provide a sense of freedom for individual practitioners and program developers alike in tailoring programs to meet their needs for stress reduction effectiveness.”

Bentley et al. (2023), Brain Sciences

That sentence came near the end of an incredible study led by HHPF that was published in Brain Sciences. It’s one of the most important breath studies published to date.

In fact, it’s so significant (especially if you’re a breath coach) that I have made my Science 411 of the paper free to everyone. Click here to read or listen to it. I hope you find it helpful 🙏

2. Can Only Add Value to Your Practice

Although not necessary, adding a deeper meaning to each breath—for example, cultivating awareness that air literally sustains all of life—can only add value to your practice.

3. Why Slow Breathing Naturally Cultivates Awareness

“The pace of our breathing influences many aspects of our lives including our bodily rhythms, emotions, and mood, and so a slow and deliberate breathing pattern can allow for a slower-paced and more aware lifestyle.”

- Eddie Stern, Healing Through Breathing

This is one reason why, even without trying, slow breathing naturally cultivates mindfulness. It slows our bodies, minds, and emotions, allowing us to more easily bring awareness into our daily living 🙏

4. How to Make Tomorrow Good

“If you live today completely in love—hating no one, hurting no one, serving all—then tomorrow has to be good, whatever comes.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Original Goodness

After reading this, a new goal I have is to use my breathing and wisdom practices to live like this daily daily (even if only for a few minutes at a time—baby steps, lol). I hope you’ll join me 🙏


1 Quote

When you blow a whistle or a bubble or a horn, it is followed by an echo or a pop or a song.

Listen.

For this is the ballad of your own breathing.”
— Rebecca Kai Dotlich

1 Answer

Category: Breathing and Movement

Answer: The synchronization of breathing with stepping that occurs in many vertebrates is referred to as this.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is locomotor-respiratory coupling (LRC)?


In good breath,

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

P.S. frankly that is none of my business

Nurture Your True Self

Everything you read in this newsletter comes from the Breath Learning Center. So, if you enjoy this newsletter, check it out. It’s cheap and full of life-changing wisdom and practices for discovering your true self. Start Today.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.


 

My Ghostwriter, Cost-Free, and the Best Gift We Can Give Others


Listen Instead of Reading

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


Enjoy These Posts?

Donate to support my research.


Reading Time: 1 min 32 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. Universally Accessible, Scalable, and Cost-Free

“Breathing practices, when used in isolation, have the advantage of being universally accessible, scalable, and cost-free. They are not limited by access to healthcare services nor burdened by side effects and put potential treatment tools in the hands of the individual.”

Bentley et al. (2023), Brain Sciences

That’s so good. I have nothing to add but a few of these 👏👏👏

2. Breathing, Mental States, and Longevity

“All creatures consume vital energy. In the ancient Hindu tradition, it is said that we come into life with a given supply of this energy, enough to power a certain number of breathing cycles. …

If this theory is true, it may help to explain why these ancient sages claim a close connection between mental states and longevity. Our breathing rhythm, the measure of how fast our reserves of vital energy are being consumed, is regulated in part by our state of mind. Security, compassion, patience, forgiveness – all these are accompanied, if you observe closely, by a relatively slow breathing rhythm and heart rate. Positive states of mind like these conserve energy and lengthen the life span, leaving a reserve of resilience and resistance for facing challenges.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Original Goodness

3. Ghostwriter

Breathing is the ghostwriter of our lives, subtly influencing our mental states, our energy and outlook, and our overall sense of connection and belonging in this world.

4. Now as I Understand Things Properly

“A Zen monk said, ‘Before I began to practice, mountains were mountains, and rivers were rivers. During many years of practice, mountains stopped being mountains and rivers stopped being rivers. Now as I understand things properly, mountains are mountains, and rivers are rivers.’”

- Thich Nhat Hanh


1 Quote

The only thing we have to bring to community is ourselves, so the contemplative process of recovering our true selves in solitude is never selfish. It is ultimately the best gift we can give to others.”
— Parker Palmer

1 Answer

Category: The Diaphragm

Answer: Several factors, including a small muscle fibre size and abundance of capillaries, make the diaphragm less susceptible to this, allowing it to work continuously.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is fatigue?


In good breath,

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

P.S. I had 33 open while writing this email

Nurture Your True Self

Everything you read in this newsletter comes from the Breath Learning Center. So, if you enjoy this newsletter, check it out. It’s cheap and full of life-changing wisdom and practices for discovering your true self. Start Today.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.


 

Movement, Heart and Lung Vacation, and My Teacher is Best


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


Enjoy These Posts?

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Reading Time: 1 min 34 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. The Most Empirically Supported Way

“The most empirically supported way that contemplative practices confer their psychological and physiological benefits is by lowering threat arousal through shifting the autonomic nervous system to parasympathetic dominance via slowed and/or regulated breathing.

- Crosswell et al. (2024), Psychological Review

Of course, contemplative practices go beyond breathing, drawing upon mind and body to uniquely benefit each person who practices.

But, this is a powerful scientific statement. It reminds us that because breath is both our spirit—the essence of our being—and our direct connection to the nervous system, it plays a key role (intentionally or unintentionally) in all contemplative practice 🙏

2. Give Your Heart and Lungs a Vacation by Practicing This

“In other words, patience is not only a mental virtue; it is an asset even for physical health. I’m sure you are aware of the way your heart races when you get impatient. Perhaps you have noticed, too, that your breathing becomes faster and more shallow. Doesn’t it seem reasonable that if you can strengthen your patience to such a degree that other people’s behavior never upsets you, your heart, lungs, and nervous system will be on vacation?”

– Eknath Easwaran, Original Goodness

That does seem reasonable : ) Here’s to cultivating a little more patience so that we may give our hearts, lungs, and nervous systems a vacation every day 🙏

3. Movement

Physical activity moves your body.

A breath practice moves your spirit.

And reading timeless wisdom moves your soul.

They all need movement to stay energized and robust.

4. My Teacher is the Best

“One Zen student said, ‘My teacher is the best. He can go days without eating.’

The second said, ‘My teacher has so much self-control, he can go days without sleeping.’

The third said, ‘My teacher is so wise that he eats when he’s hungry and sleeps when he’s tired.’”


1 Quote

When we begin to take up breathing practices, we temporarily make an involuntary, life-sustaining function voluntary, and in that can make dramatic shifts to our state of mind and the state of our nervous system.”
— Eddie Stern

1 Answer

Category: The Diaphragm

Answer: To facilitate communication of vital information, the diaphragm has three major ones of these.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What are three major openings?


In good breath,

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

P.S. worrying works!

Nurture Your True Self

“Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.”

– Miles Davis

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be. Start Today.

P.S. Along with the pay-what-you-can option, I also just added a 2-day pass to make it more accessible 🙏

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.


 

Soul Physiology, Laughter Heals, and a Great Zen Master


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


Enjoy These Posts?

Donate to support my research.


Reading Time: 1 min 41 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. Nurturing Our Body and Soul’s Physiology

1. The way we nurture our body’s physiology is through breathing.

2. The way we nurture our soul’s physiology is through love.

Thus, we can perform a breath practice followed by loving-kindness meditation as a simple yet deeply restoring way to start each day 🙏

2. A Technical (yet elegant) Reminder of the Power of the Breath

“The parasympathetic and sympathetic systems are tonically active, with efferent pathways extending from the brainstem and hypothalamus to all major peripheral organs and afferent nerves from the lungs, airways, and heart, projecting to the brainstem and to the hypothalamus and higher order neural regions. Because of this anatomical connectivity, changes in breathing rate are quickly signaled to the brain, allowing the brain to interpret that the body is in a relaxed, calm state, and safe state.”

- Crosswell et al. 2024

Be sure to take advantage of this “anatomical connectivity” this week 🙏

P.S. Don’t forget to check out the Science 411 on this one too.

3. There is No Hedonic Adaptation to This

“You might have thought that when we more often experience awe in the wonders of life, those wonders lose their power. This is known as the law of hedonic adaptation, that certain pleasures…diminish with their increased occurrence. Not so with awe. The more we practice awe, the richer it gets.”

– Dacher Keltner, Awe: The New Science of…

“The more we practice awe, the richer it gets.” This excellent idea explains why daily practices like breathing, meditation, time in nature, or reading timeless wisdom never lose their potency.

Each of these brings awe, connecting us closer to our true selves, and there is no hedonic adaptation to that 🙏

4. A Great Zen Master Was Once Asked

“A great Zen master renowned for his wisdom was once asked, ‘What’s the most remarkable thing you’ve learned in all of your years of meditation and study?’ He answered, ‘The most remarkable thing is that we’re all going to die but we live each day as though it weren’t so.’”

– Ronald Siegel, Psy.D., The Mindfulness Solution


1 Quote

Wholehearted, ready laughter heals, encourages, relaxes anyone within hearing distance.”
— Eugenia Price

1 Answer

Category: Heart-Brain Connection

Answer: The heart might be able to communicate with the brain through the vagus nerve via the firing of these, sometimes referred to as “the little brain of the heart.”

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What are intrinsic cardiac neurons?


In good breath,

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

P.S. Alright Sam has command of the board

Discover Your True Self

“Paradoxically, it takes time to become what we already are.”

– Rick Hanson, PhD

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be. Start Today.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.


 

See the World, Deep Rest, and a Simple Step for Profound Effects


Listen Instead of Reading

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


Enjoy These Posts?

Donate to support my research.


Reading Time: 1 min 48 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. A Lens Through Which We See the World

“How do emotions guide our actions?

The first is this: emotions transform how we perceive the world. … Each emotion is a lens through which we see the world.”

– Dacher Keltner, Awe: The New Science of…

“Each emotion is a lens through which we see the world.” This unintentionally yet beautifully explains the power of breathing. By giving us access to our emotions, breathing exercises can quite literally put a new lens on life, providing more clarity, focus, and joy.

Be sure to take advantage of this power this week 🙏

2. How All Contemplative Practices Work (deep rest)

“In conclusion, contemplative practices are a powerful tool for enhancing health. Routinely practicing a contemplative technique may reduce harmful stress-related threat arousal, promote cellular-level healing and restoration, and ultimately promote positive mental and physical health.”

- Deep Rest: An Integrative Model of How Contemplative Practices Combat Stress…

This paper could be the “science mascot” of my life 😂

It’s unique because it doesn’t favor one approach; instead, it offers a unifying framework—called deep rest—explaining the benefits of all contemplative practices (but slow breathing does play a crucial role).

If you feel so inspired, go give it a read. Or, read my 2 min 49 sec review (or listen to the podcast version) for as little as $5.

3. A Tiny Thought on Breathing Methods

Every method works when used correctly, but no method works for everybody.

4. Two Ideas to Contemplate on Breathing & Connection

“The heaven, the earth and I share one breath, but each manages it individually.” – Lao-Tzu

“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 Quote

The pace you set first thing in the morning is likely to stay with you through the day. If you get up early and set a calm, unhurried pace, it is much easier to resist getting speeded up later on as the pressures of the day close in on you. This simple step has profound effects.”
— Eknath Easwaran

1 Answer

Category: Emotions

Answer: Across different people, these show similar patterns for different emotions and may be one way to distinguish states of joy, anger, fear, and sadness.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What are breathing patterns?


In good breath,

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

P.S. how to send emails

Nurture Your True Self

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.

Start Today.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.


 

Connection, a Wordless Mantra, and 4 Thoughts on Nose Breathing


Listen Instead of Reading

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


Enjoy These Posts?

Donate to support my research.


Reading Time: 1 min 48 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. A Wordless Mantra

A wordless mantra you can always come back to is your breath.

2. We Are All Connected, not Just Figuratively but Literally

“The air I inhale enters my body and becomes part of me.

The air that 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…

I’ve shared this before, but it’s always worth revisiting timeless wisdom like this 🙏

3. You Can’t Live There: A Mountain Story to Consider

“I was once talking with the teacher Steve Armstrong, who had trained as a monk in Asia. I asked him if he could tell me about nibbana. He looked at me intently and then got a faraway look and said something I’ve thought about many times since: ‘It’s as if you live in a deep valley surrounded by mountains. Then one day you’re standing on top of the highest peak. The perspective is amazing. Still, you can’t live there. And so you come back down to the valley. But what you’ve seen changes you forever.’”

- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Neurodharma

Of course, not many of us will reach nibbana (I even had to look it up to make sure it was the same as “nirvana” 😂😂).

But, this story is an excellent reminder that we can’t prolong peak experiences forever, whether they’re from meditation, surfing, running, yoga, etc. “You can’t live there…But what you’ve seen changes you forever.”

4. Four Tiny Thoughts on Nasal Breathing

Slow, nasal breathing is like driving a Tesla; fast, mouth breathing is like driving a Hummer.

Most of the time: the nose is part of the respiratory system; the mouth is part of the digestive system.

Nasal breathing doesn’t make you feel better: It makes you feel how you’re supposed to feel.

“There’s the saying that sometimes when we go looking all over the world for answers to our life questions, that the answers were there, right under our nose, the whole time. In the case of breathing, it’s literally true.” - Eddie Stern


1 Quote

Laughter is the language of the young at heart and the antidote to what ails us. No drugstore prescription is required; laughter is available to anyone at any time.”
— Barbara Johnson

1 Answer

Category: Brain Function

Answer: Slow breathing has consistently been found to improve this functioning of the brain, allows us to better plan, monitor, and execute our goals.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is executive functioning?


In good breath,

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

P.S. me haggling:

Nurture Yourself: Breath Science & Wisdom Meditations for a Better Life

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.

Get started today.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.


 

Breathing Heals, Memory, and 4 Thoughts on Gratitude and Love


Listen Instead of Reading

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


Enjoy These Posts?

Donate to support my research.


Reading Time: 1 min 31 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. One Way Breathing Heals (…is that it doesn’t)

“In sum, an incredible amount of cellular energy is spent navigating states of moderate threat arousal, energy that could otherwise be used for other health-promoting biological processes such as cellular restoration.”

- Crosswell et al. (2024)

Here’s one way slow breathing heals. By reducing stress, it allows energy that would be used on stress processes to be redirected toward healing processes.

Thus, we might say: Slow breathing isn’t healing; it allows healing.

2. A Heuristic for How Slow Breathing Helps Memory

“The degree of slowness is directly proportional to the intensity of memory; the degree of speed is directly proportional to the intensity of forgetting.”

– Milan Kundera

Although Kundera isn’t discussing breathing, that’s a perfect heuristic for understanding how slow breathing helps cognitive function: Slowing down intensifies memory; speeding up intensifies forgetting.

3. Only You Know the True Scientific Results

“On the one hand, researchers mainly take a third-person approach—they study the states of the brain using various techniques—and a second-person approach—they use a questionnaire about what participants in the experiment have experienced. Yet only the meditator themselves is in a position to offer true interpretations of the scientific data from their first-person perspective.”

- Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist monk and scientist

Although understanding the science is paramount (and just plain fun), this is an excellent reminder that only you can interpret what it means for you through your first-person experience 🙏

4. Four Tiny Thoughts on Breath, Gratitude, and Love

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

A daily breathing practice is self-love, preparing your heart and mind to love others.

Slow breathing is air appreciation.

“It is enough to be grateful for the next breath.” - Brother David


1 Quote

We can take a wonderful vacation in spirit, even though we are obliged to stay at home, if we will only drop our burdens from our minds for a while.”
— Laura Ingalls Wilder

1 Answer

Category: Emotions

Answer: Experiencing this emotion is associated with “elevated vagal tone, reduced sympathetic arousal, increased oxytocin release, and reduced inflammation—all processes known to benefit mental and physical health.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is awe?


In good breath,

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

P.S. productivity hack

Breath Science & Wisdom Meditations for a Better Life

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.

Get started today.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.


 

Living Better, Loving-Kindness, and 4 Reminders to Laugh


Listen Instead of Reading

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


Enjoy These Posts?

Donate to support my research.


Reading Time: 1 min 37 sec

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



4 THOUGHTS

1. Why Slow Breathing Helps Us Live Better

Slow breathing is like creating healthy soil in your body.

With it, latent seeds, which are common to every human—those of kindness, goodwill, forgiveness, and confidence—begin growing.

And new seeds of wisdom you encounter are met with fertile ground, allowing them to flourish in your daily living.

2. Switching Channels in Your Mind

“You train your mind to do this by switching your attention just as you change the channel on your TV set. There are many injurious channels in the mind, negative channels like anger, greed, arrogance, fear, and malice. But for every negative emotion there is a positive emotion, and you can learn to change channels.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Take Your Time

Of course, negative emotions are okay and part of being human. But when we do want to change channels, breathing can be helpful. By slowing our breath, we can slow our minds, which can help us change emotional channels more effectively 🙏

3. The Power of Loving-Kindness Meditation

“The research of Barbara Fredrickson, for example, has shown that practicing Loving-Kindness meditation improves heart rate variability, baroreceptor sensitivity, and vagal tone, leading to an ‘upward spiral’ of positive emotions. Simply by having loving thoughts, directed at various people, you can improve your heart health. The positive thoughts release a cascade of electrical and chemical reactions in your nervous and endocrine system that are associated with healing and cellular repair.”

- Eddie Stern, Healing Through Breathing

Controlling our breath is usually easier than controlling our minds. But when we do put aside time to deliberately have loving thoughts, the benefits for body and mind are profound ❤️🙏

4. Four Reminders to Laugh (it’s the most healing breathing exercise)

“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.” ― Mark Twain

“I don't trust anyone who doesn’t laugh.” ― Maya Angelou

“I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person.” ― Audrey Hepburn

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


1 Quote

When the heart is at ease, the body is healthy.”
— Chinese Proverb

1 Answer

Category: Cell Energy

Answer: Breathing supplies oxygen to the mitochondria, which produce this substance, creating energy that sustains life.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is adenosine triphosphate (ATP)?


In good breath,

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

P.S. tax day

Breath Science & Wisdom Meditations for a Better Life

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.

Get started today.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!

Learn more here.


Amazon Associate Disclosure

I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.