HRV

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

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4 Thoughts



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

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

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

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

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

2. Breath is Medicine

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

- Andrew Weil, MD, Mind Over Meds

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

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

3. Maybe We Should Stop Worrying About Our Feelings?

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

- David Reynolds, Constructive Living

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

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

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

4. “Yes, This Is It”

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

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

- Lodro Rinzler, Walk Like a Buddha

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

“Yes, this is it.”


1 QUOTE

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

1 ANSWER

Category: Autonomic Nervous System

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

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

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

In good breath,

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

P.S. “the worst they can say is no”

Breathing for Diabetes:

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

 
 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

HRV is Reduced in Diabetes

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Sounds depressing, right?

 

 

Enter the Heart-Boosting Power of Slow Breathing

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

The 4 Key Benefits of Heart-Breath Synchronization for Diabetes

 

1. Improved Heart Rate Variability

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

2. Efficiency and Blood Flow

 

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

 

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

 

 

3. Reduced Blood Pressure

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Slow breathing provides one complementary therapy for doing just that.

 

 

4. Less Stress & Anxiety

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

Slow Breathing is a Superpower for Your Heart

 

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

 

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

 

  • Improved heart rate variability

  • Increased efficiency and blood flow

  • Lower blood pressure

  • Less stress and anxiety

 

For these reasons, the paper published in Nature concluded:

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

 

Simple and beneficial, indeed.

 

 

Start Improving Your Heart Health Today

 

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

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

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

Breathing for Diabetes Online workshop

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

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

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4 Thoughts



1. How to Age Successfully, in Just 5 Minutes

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

- Nature Scientific Reports 2021

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

The conclusion: Breathe slower, age better.

2. Why Slowing Down Leads to Better Attention

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

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

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

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

Slowness nurtures attention. Speed shatters it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


1 QUOTE

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

- Abraham Maslow

1 ANSWER

Category: Heart Rate Variability

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

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 1733?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Most people don’t realize this

 
 

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

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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.

 
 
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Values and Goals, Diverse Tactics, and 3 Shared Benefits of 15 Studies

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4 Thoughts



1. Presto, Instant Success: Breathing (and life) Values vs. Goals

“Values are ‘desired qualities of ongoing action.’ In other words, your values describe how you want to behave as a human being: how you want to act on an ongoing basis,

[…]

Goals are ‘desired outcomes.’ In other words, goals are what you want to get, complete, possess, or achieve. Goals are not ongoing. The moment you achieve a goal, you can tick it off the list;”

- Russ Harris, The Confidence Gap

This is a beautiful distinction between values and goals. And it highlights why we should focus on breathing values (nasal, quiet, deep, etc.) over goals.

Goals come and go, but values are always there. As Harris says, “in any moment, we can act on our values—yes, even if we’ve neglected them for years. Presto, instant success!”

Thus, anytime we act on our breathing values, no matter how long we’ve neglected them, we are instantly successful. So let’s do that, right now : )

2. Slow Breathing and Better Psychological Outcomes: 3 Shared Benefits of 15 Studies

After analyzing 15 studies, this systematic review found 3 common effects of slow breathing that were associated with positive mental outcomes:

  1. Improved heart rate variability

  2. Increased respiratory sinus arrhythmia

  3. Enhanced alpha and decreased theta brainwave activity

The Take-Home Message: Breathe slowly, enhance HRV & RSA, modify brainwave activity, and feel better.

3. Diverse Tactics: The Benefits of Learning Many Methods

“So why learn to breathe other ways? Well, imagine just strolling. You can get most places and enjoy the outdoors with that stroll. But what if you want to cover ground quickly? Then you run. Or you want to reach a high tree branch. Then you jump. … For special purposes we need to learn special patterns of breathing…that fit the challenge of the moment.” (my emphasis)

- Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D., and Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D.,

Breathwalk

We don’t need any fancy breathing to optimize our health (quiet & nasal will do most of the work). But, as we’re reminded here, there are many ways we can use our breath for various tasks and to reach different states.

Remember, “For special purposes we need to learn special patterns of breathing…that fit the challenge of the moment.”

So here’s to keeping an open mind and learning a diverse set of methods so we can always match our breath to our challenge, mixed-breathing artist style.

4. Two More Tiny (but hopefully useful) Thoughts on Methods

  1. If you know only one breathing method, then you really know none; if you understand one breathing method, then you really know them all.

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


1 QUOTE

“No one can build you the bridge on which you, and only you, must cross the river of life. … There is one path in the world that none can walk but you. Where does it lead? Don’t ask, walk!”

- Friedrich Nietzsche

1 ANSWER

Category: Evolution

Answer: These are our most recent structure evolutionarily, developing roughly 350-400 million years ago.

…

(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. & I think that’s where my anxiety started

 
 

* 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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Better Under Stress, Wim Hof’s Joy, and a Protocol based on 29 Studies

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4 Thoughts



1. Micro Breathing Moments—Cliché but True

“Try stopping, sitting down, and becoming aware of your breathing once in a while throughout the day. It can be for five minutes or even 5 seconds…Then, when you're ready to move, moving in the direction your heart tells you to go mindfully and with resolution.”

- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go There You Are

It’s that simple. Five seconds, 5 minutes, or anywhere in between. It’s always available if you need a quick reset and recovery.

2. Perform Better Under Stress: Another Reason to Practice Slow Breathing

“HRV is also strongly associated with our ability to perform at our best during times of increased stress or challenge. In fact, HRV is one of the best metrics of psychophysiological health and ability to perform we currently have.”

- Inna Khazan, Ph.D.

Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Research tells us that higher HRV is associated with better performance during stressful and challenging times <—sounds good to me 💪

And fortunately, training our HRV is as simple as doing some slow breathing for about 10-20 minutes a day (see next thought).

So let’s grab an app, set the pace to 4-6 breaths/min, and get started enhancing our “ability to perform at our best during times of increased stress,” today.

3. A Slow Breathing Protocol based on 29 Studies

Based on 29 studies, this systematic review gave the following guidelines for slow breathing and HRV biofeedback. You can apply these straightforward guidelines for slow breathing without biofeedback.

  • Best results: 4-12 supervised sessions plus daily home practice for ~20 min/day.

  • Minimum effective dose: One supervised practice followed by home practice for 10 min/day for 4 weeks.

  • During supervised practice, trainees should learn to breathe slowly without it causing stress.

  • Supervised practice should also include instructions to help people avoid overbreathing to compensate for the slower rate.

  • Use abdominal breathing with nasal inhales and pursed-lips exhales.

  • The breathing ratio should have a slightly longer exhale (I like the 40/60 approach: 40% inhaling, 60% exhaling).

Use them for yourself, your clients, or your loved ones 🙏

4. Two Paradoxical (but equally true) Breathing Statements

  1. Greater lung capacity is associated with a longer life.

  2. Taking big breaths is detrimental to your health.

Reminds me of this gem: “Almost every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it.” - George Santayana


1 QUOTE

“Life is absurd. But you can fill it with ideas. With enthusiasm. You can fill your life with joy.”

- Reinhold Messner

Speaking of Joy…

I wrote another guest blog for Resbiotic titled The Joy of Breathwork and 3 Super Easy Ways to Be Consistent. Enjoy the 3-minute read!

1 ANSWER

Category: Wim Hof’s Joy

Answer: Scientists hypothesize that Wim’s method activates regions of the brain that release these, partially explaining why it promotes a sense of euphoria and well-being.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are endogenous opiates/cannabinoids?

In good breath,

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

P.S. the secret to a long marriage

 
 

* 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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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.

 
 

Sit Up Straight, a Language of Energy, and Two Hours instead of One?

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. Mindful Low-and-Slow Breathing is “Almost Always Helpful”

“Mindful low-and-slow breathing (Chapter 2) activates the parasympathetic (relaxation) nervous system and is therefore almost always helpful in reducing physiological arousal, including bringing down skin conductance. Reducing skin conductance with low-and-slow breathing is particularly helpful for a quick recovery break, between meetings, or as a break from challenging activities of the day.”

- Inna Khazan, PhD, Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Mindful low-and-slow breathing is “almost always helpful in reducing physiological arousal.” <— sounds good to me.

Use it anytime, anywhere for a quick reset and recovery.

2. Sit Up Straight: Take a Full, Deep Breath

“Our thoracic curve affects lung function. When the thoracic curve become more pronounced (think hunchback), the lungs’ ability to expand decreases. Excessive thoracic curvature weakens respiratory muscles and restricts your ability to take a full, deep breath.”

- Pete Egoscue, Pain Free

We probably don’t need another reminder to sit up straight. We know good posture is essential for just about everything (especially breathing; and vice-versa, as good breathing can lead to better posture).

But, for some reason, it really stuck out here and has inspired me to make my posture a top priority. Maybe this passage will spark something for you too 🙏

3. Do This when Life Gets Complicated: Two Hours instead of One

“The non-negotiable part is key. When life gets complicated, these four practices are typically what we remove from our schedule, but the research shows this is the last choice we should make. When life gets complicated, lean into these practices, as they’re how you get the creativity needed to untangle the complicated.”

- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

Kotler is discussing four key practices for “sustained peak performance” (which he says are gratitude, mindfulness, exercise, and sleep).

But the idea applies to anything we do for better health (like breathing).

When life gets absurdly busy, lean into these practices. As Gandhi said, “I have so much to accomplish today that I must meditate for two hours instead of one.”

4. Sleep Better with Breathing

Car accidents and heart attacks will spike today due to the time change (which is why I haven’t participated in two years—be the change you want to see style.)

However, most of us can’t just ignore it due to life and work obligations. The next best thing is protecting ourselves. Here’s how breathing can help:

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Within the rhythms and structure of your breath is coded a language of energy that your nervous system, glands, and mind understand.”

- Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, PhD, and Yogi Bhajan, PhD

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Sleep

Answer: Before the invention of electric light, people used to sleep about this many hours.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is ten hours?

In good breath,

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

P.S. My favorite childhood memory

P.P.S. Thanks to Laura from the MAPS Institute for sharing that funny post.

 
 
 

* 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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Breathing for Diabetes Class, Mystics, and How to Reach the Ideal State

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. Calm & Energized: How to Achieve the Ideal Physiological State

“[Breathing] allows you to function at peak energy, yet without the physical and psychological costs of anxiety and adrenaline overload. In other words, being calm and energized is not only possible through the breath, but it is also the ideal state.”*

- Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., The Happiness Track

I’m a double espresso kind of person. I got through graduate school drinking 5-hour energies 🤦🏼‍♂️ But that’s not a sustainable way of living.

Enter the power of breathing practices. They optimally fuel your cells with energy (oxygen) and activate the calming parasympathetic nervous system.

Calm yet energized: “the ideal state.”

2. How to Enter Mystical Traditions w/o 20 Years

“Do you want to enter into the most mystical of traditions and gather their fruits?  Forget studying difficult languages and going into a cave for twenty years.  Just breathe on the sofa in the morning before breakfast.”

- Wim Hof, The Wim Hof Method

This made me laugh, but it’s also pretty accurate—not just for Wim’s method. It applies to slow breathing. To alternate nostril breathing. To all the techniques.

Breathing is a shortcut into mystical traditions. All you have to do is “breathe on the sofa in the morning before breakfast.” : )

3. A Renowned Scientist on Slow Breathing and HRV Biofeedback: Why isn’t Everyone Doing It?

“It’s a nondrug treatment with very powerful effects. It’s easy to learn. Why isn’t everyone doing it?”

- Paul Lehrer, Ph.D.

From Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind over Body

I often feel crazy talking about all the benefits of slow breathing. But, here’s a pioneer in slow breathing and HRVB research expressing the same sentiment.

It’s cheap, easy to learn, and has “very powerful effects.”

Indeed, why isn’t everyone doing it?

4. Thich Nhat Hanh on Finding the Best Practice for You

“Only by using your intelligence and putting the teachings into practice can they bring you happiness. Please base your practice on your own life and your own experiences, your successes and your failures.”*

- Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching

Although this passage is about applying the Buddha’s teachings, I think it’s perfect advice for breathing, too.

Of course, we have to learn from others. But no one recipe fits everyone. So it’s ultimately up to us to base our practice on our own lives and experiences. 🙏

Extra: Breathing for Diabetes Workshop

I’m hosting my first-ever Breathing for Diabetes Workshop. I’m super excited, as it distilled 4 years of research and application into about 2 hours of fun : )

It’s happening virtually on March 5, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. eastern, and it’s $99.

  • If you can’t make this time, no worries, you get full access to the recording plus audio downloads of everything after the workshop.

  • As a bonus, you also get immediate access to a pre-recorded 40-minute Wim Hof and Diabetes Mini Masterclass when you sign up now.

You can learn about everything you’ll get below. I hope to see you there!

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Bearing all this in mind, welcome present circumstances and accept the things whose time has arrived. Be happy when you find that doctrines you have learned and analyzed are being tested by real events.”

- Epictetus

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing Muscles

Answer: Humans are the only mammals to keep this parallel to the ground, even during walking and running.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the diaphragm?

In good breath,

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

P.S. LinkedIn contact requests be like

 
 
 

* 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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Heart and Breath, plus the Best Breathing (and life) Advice I’ve Read

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. The Best Breathing (and life) Advice I’ve Ever Read

After reviewing tons of scientific papers, reading books, taking classes, and on & on, here’s the best breathing advice I’ve ever read:

“All this is literary, over-simplified, but we breathe as best we can.” - Samuel Beckett

We’ll never fully understand it. They’ll be inconsistent results. New discoveries. Revised approaches. But it’s all “literary, over-simplified.”

So, we just “breathe as best we can” with what we know.

***

P.S. Want the best life advice? Replace “breathe” with “live.” 🙂

2. Happy Valentine’s Day: 14 Loving Quotes on the Breath-Heart Connection

1. “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

 

2. “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

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

- Kariba Ekken

Keep going…

3. Story Follows State: Change Your Breath to Change the Messages Sent to the Brain

“We live a story that originates in our on autonomic state, is sent through autonomic pathways from the body to the brain, and is then translated by the brain into the beliefs that guide our daily living. The mind narrates what the nervous system knows. Story follows state.”*

- Deb Dana, The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy

“The mind narrates what the nervous system knows.” <— 🤯

And the fastest way to access the nervous system? The breath.

Change your breath, change your state, change your mind, change your story.

4. What Does All of this Mean in Real Life?

“So what does this mean for us? We can use our breath whenever we experience a stressful event. […] It's the most accessible tool you have, and it's invisible. You can practice breathing for well-being no matter where you are without anyone noticing.”*

- Emma Seppälä, The Happiness Track

That’s a perfect description of what all this breathing education means in real life. Of course, it won’t fix everything, but it’s the most accessible tool we have.

Let’s make it our ally.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“The greatest thing, then, in all of education, is to make our nervous system our ally as opposed to our enemy.”

- William James

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing and the Heart

Answer: This is the fundamental link between heart and breath, signifying the increase in heart rate during inhalation and decrease during exhalation.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Really incredible what the human body is capable of

 
 
 

* 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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Breath & Heart: 14 Loving Quotes on the Heart-Breath Connection

 

1. “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

 

2. “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

 

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

- Kariba Ekken

 

4. “Recitation of the rosary, and also of yoga mantras, slowed respiration to almost exactly 6/min, and enhanced heart rate variability”

- Bernardi et al. 2001*

 

5. “when you inhale, your heart rate (the number of times your heart beats per minute) naturally rises; when you exhale, it slows down again. This is true for everyone.”

- Leah Lagos

 

6. “Exhales slow the heart rate; the longer we spend on the outbreath, the more the nervous systems relaxes.”

- Emma Seppälä

 

7. “Your respiratory and cardiovascular systems are designed to work in synchrony. […] Your breathing acts as a stimulus for the heart. In physics, this kind of relationship between your breathing and your heart rate is called resonance, a property of a system where two oscillating components interplay with each other, producing increases in oscillation amplitude.”

- Inna Khazan

 

8. “These waves seem to oscillate around 0.1 Hertz. When we inhale and exhale at that rate, our respiration has the potential to optimize the rhythm of various mechanisms and align them with our heart rate. ‘When you breathe at that same rate, it’s like pushing the swing at the perfect moment,’ Noble says.”

- Timothy Meinch

 

9. “If you found that your heart beats faster when you breathe in than when you breathe out, you are correct.  You have discovered that every breath you take affects your heart rate.”

– Drs Patricia Gerbarg and Richard Brown

 

10. “These practices demonstrate that the mind and the heart follow the lungs, not the other way around.”

- Michael J. Stephenson

 

11. “The heart itself rests on the dome of the diaphragm […] Each time the diaphragm moves, it tugs on the heart.  Imagine a game of balloon toss, with the heart gently bounced on this elastic trampoline, rocked with each breath, approximately 20,000 times a day.”

- Robin Rothenberg

 

12. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart, which is, of course, my diaphragm.”

- Jill Miller

 

13. “Slowing the breath down activates the prefrontal cortex and increases heart rate variability, which helps shift the brain and body from a state of stress to self-control mode. A few minutes of this technique will make you feel calm, in control, and capable of handling cravings or challenges.”

- Kelly McGonigal

 

14. “There is one way of breathing that is shameful and constricted. Then there’s another way; a breath of love that takes you all the way to infinity.”

- Rumi

Footnote:

Reference for #4: Bernardi L, Sleight P, Bandinelli G, Cencetti S, Fattorini L, Wdowczyc-Szulc J, Lagi A. Effect of rosary prayer and yoga mantras on autonomic cardiovascular rhythms: comparative study. BMJ. 2001 Dec 22-29;323(7327):1446-9. doi: 10.1136/bmj.323.7327.1446. PMID: 11751348; PMCID: PMC61046.

Wim Hof vs. Slow Breathing, Part 2: The Famous Endotoxin Challenge

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. Slow Breathing = Deep Meditation?

“When researchers at Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology scanned the brains of experienced meditators, they discovered increased thickness in regions of the brain's cortex, or grey matter, related to focus and attention…But what's intriguing about this study is that breathing rate was used to determine how deep in meditation the subjects were able to get. The slower the breathing rate, the deeper in meditation participants became. And, the more pronounced their increase in grey matter.” *

- Leah Lagos, Heart Breath Mind

That deserves a 🤯

If slower breathing rates are a byproduct (and measure) of deeper meditation, I wonder if we can reverse engineer it…

2. The Deep Breath Hypothesis

“The Deep Work Hypothesis: The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive.”

- Cal Newport, Deep Work

And similarly, this couldn’t be any truer:

The Deep Breath Hypothesis: The ability to perform deep breathing is becoming increasingly rare at precisely the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable to our physiology. Consequently, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their waking life, will thrive.

3. Wim Hof vs. Slow Breathing, Part 2: The Famous Endotoxin Challenge

I’ve called Wim Hof’s endotoxin study the “4-minute mile” of breathing.

So, you can only imagine my excitement when I found a study basically doing the exact same thing, but with slow breathing (it was perhaps the most excited I’ve ever been reading a paper, lol).

I produced an in-depth comparison of the studies here.

But, here are some of the take-home messages:

  • The WHM reduced fever and all other flu-like symptoms.

  • Slow breathing reduced headaches and eye sensitivity to light, but did not reduce fever or other flu-like symptoms (e.g., nausea and chills).

  • Slow breathing improved autonomic functioning as measured by HRV, suggesting participants had greater resiliency. HRV was not measured during the WHM experiment.

  • The WHM significantly reduced inflammatory cytokines. Slow breathing did not.

  • The WHM significantly increased anti-inflammatory cytokines (by up to 194%). Slow breathing did not.

There are many (many) caveats and differences between the studies, so if you’re interested, see the full write-up for more details and additional thoughts.

But based on these results, the WHM was decidedly more effective than slow breathing at reducing acute inflammation and fighting off flu-like symptoms.

4. How to Change Our Species (hint: breathe)

“And I would argue that we humans are most human when we’re improving ourselves. We, unlike any other animal, can consciously change ourselves, to improve ourselves in ways we choose. This distinguishes us from every other species alive today and, as far as we know, from every other species that has ever lived.” *

- Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool, Peak

We are the only species that can consciously change ourselves to improve in ways we choose. We’re also the only ones that can consciously change our breathing in ways we choose.

Maybe that’s a coincidence. But then again, maybe it’s not…

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“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

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing Rates

Answer: These aquatic mammals breathe around 1.5 - 2.5 breaths per minute at rest.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are bottlenose dolphins?

In good breath,

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

P.S. haha anyways what’s up

 
 
 

* 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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Inner Resources, Better Blood Flow, and How to Focus on a Fuller Life

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. Here is the Fastest Way to Achieve Well-Being

“So what is the fastest way to achieve well-being? It is so close to you that it can easily be overlooked. Your breath.  A rapid and reliable pathway into your nervous system, dedicated to helping you regain your optimal state.”

- Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., The Happiness Track

This is beautifully and perfectly said. Nothing to add here 🙏

2. On Sailboats, HRV, and Developing Your Inner Resources

“Developing inner resources is like deepening the keel of a sailboat so that you're more able to deal with the worldly winds—gain and loss, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, fame and slander—without getting tipped over into the reactive mode. Or at least you can recover more quickly.”

- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Neurodharma

Although Dr. Hanson is talking about inner resources in general, this is an excellent analogy for why improving HRV via slow deep breathing is so helpful: it’s like deepening the keel of your physiological sailboat.

You will still be hit by life’s storms, but with higher HRV, you’ll remain steadier and recover quicker. We could say, then, that deep breathing = deep keel.

3. Slow Breathing for Better Blood Flow

“When [the small] blood vessels are relaxed, more blood can flow freely through them. When they become constricted, the same amount of blood flows through a narrower space, increasing your blood pressure.”

- Inna Khazan, Ph.D., Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Slow breathing activates the calming parasympathetic nervous system, which relaxes the small blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and improves blood flow.

This is a vital benefit of slow breathing because better blood flow is necessary for, well, just about everything (especially if you have diabetes).

So if you feel so inspired, give it a shot. Sit and breathe at 5-6 breaths/min for 2 min. Feel for yourself the rapid boost in blood flow to your hands and/or feet.

***

P.S. I’ve had cold hands & feet for as long as I can remember (thanks, diabetes). Although it’s improved considerably, one of my favorite things about slow breathing is the warmth I feel in them during and after my practice.

4. Control, and How to Focus on a Fuller Life

“Even if you don't have control over the outcome of the stressful situation, you may be able to exert some control over its impact…You can't always control what you feel or think, but you can control what you do. Focus on living a full life even though you don’t have [fill in your issue]…”

- Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D., The Stress-Proof Brain

When nothing seems to work, my blood sugars still go crazy, my insulin sensitivity is off, or I don’t sleep well, I always have the breath. I have something I can control, that gives me control.

It helps me focus on living a fuller life, and I hope it does for you too 🙏

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“When you own your breath, nobody can steal your peace.”

- Unknown

P.S. Like a lot of what I share, this one is a reminder to myself : ) And it’s advice I haven’t been following that well lately (facepalm).

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Blood Flow

Answer: Although hemoglobin is best-known for releasing oxygen, it also releases this gas, which enhances blood flow and helps the oxygen actually get where it is needed most.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is nitric oxide?

In good breath,

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

P.S. hoppity hop, hop hop hop

 
 
 

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

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. 22 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas for 2022

1. Demonstrations of breathing are small compared with the great thing that is hidden behind them. 

2. Breathing doesn’t heal you; it gives your body the environment it needs to heal itself.

Keep going…

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

***

Related: 21 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas for 2021

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

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

- Client of Leah Lagos, excerpt from Heart Breath Mind

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

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

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

***

Related: This 2-Minute Breathing Exercise Can Help You Make Better Decisions, According to a New Study

3. Why You Should Practice Abdominal Nose Breathing

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

- The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

That is all : )

4. The Best Part about Breathing

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

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

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

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

- Wim Hof

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: The Airways and Ancient Yoga

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

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the windpipe?

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

In good breath,

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

P.S. a workplace revolutionary tbh

 
 
 

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

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. A First Goal of Pranayama is This

“Hence, through pranayama, one attempts to do away with the effort of respiration; rhythmic breathing must become something so automatic that the yogin can forget it.”

- Mircea Eliade, Yoga: Immortality and Freedom

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

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

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

“Given the reported positive effects of HRVB on psychophysiological outcomes in various patient profiles, it is clear that HRVB offers promising prospects in chronic diseases management.”

- Heart rate variability biofeedback in chronic disease management: A systematic review 

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

***

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

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

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

  1. “Ability to orient and bring attention toward the person in need.

  2. Ability to engage socially with others in times of stress.

  3. Ability to feel safe while engaging with others.

  4. Ability to regulate our own physiology.”

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

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

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

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

Sounds good to me : )

4. Remember this Emotional Toil for 2022

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

- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

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

Bonus Thought: My Favorite Books of 2021

“We read books to find out who we are.”

- Ursula K. Le Guin

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

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

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

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

– Tara Brach

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: The Airways

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

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are bronchioles?

In good breath,

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

P.S. & won’t be caught slipping again

 
 
 

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Breathing For Better Health, Easy Fixes, and How to Breathe with Stardust

 
 

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Hey,

Welcome back to another issue of The Breathing 411. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for this week.

I hope you enjoy it!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. Posture is Easier with the Breath

“Question: Do I start with breathing correctly or addressing my posture?

Answer: Breathing comes first. Aligning your body correctly will come more easily once you have your breathing down. Plus, most cues to help with posture end up making a person tighten more rather than relax on the inhale.”

- Belisa Vranich and Brian Sabin, Breathing for Warriors

I constantly struggle with my posture (but only all the time 😂). So, I loved this answer from two of the world’s leading experts on the topic.

Additionally, as we’ve all probably experienced, you can’t really get a good breath unless you have good posture, so they really go hand-in-hand. Good breathing leads to better posture, and good posture leads to better breathing.

So sit up straight, take a relaxing breath, and enjoy the rest of this post : )

***

Related Quote: “What the bodily form depends on is breath (chi) and what breath relies upon is form. When the breath is perfect, the form is perfect (too)…Consequently, breath and form must be accomplished together.” - Chinese adage from The Primordial Breath (but I found it in Breath)

2. Fixing Hyperventilation Easily with Slow Breathing

“The mechanism by which hyperventilation is targeted by HRVB has not been proven, although it is reasonable to hypothesize that it involves a combination of slow breathing, decreased emotional and autonomic reactivity, and attention to breathing mechanisms for controlling it.”

- Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (2020)

Because slow breathing increases HRV and improves autonomic and emotional reactivity, it naturally reduces your stress. It naturally improves your sensitivity to carbon dioxide. And it naturally optimizes gas exchange.

All of this helps you breathe calmer more often.

So to fix hyperventilation easily, maybe we don’t need to fix it at all? Perhaps we should just enjoy our slow breathing practice and, with time, let our improved physiological state naturally lead to optimal breathing volume.

This approach won’t be suitable for everyone, but if you struggle with overbreathing, this might be the best place to start.

***

P.S. Ironically, when people start a slow breathing practice, they often overcompensate for the slower rate by taking bigger breaths and end up mildly hyperventilating. For this reason, many researchers and coaches (myself included) suggest that slow breathing is not enough—we must also focus on breathing volume. However, as pointed out in this 2020 meta-analysis, slow breathing might self-correct with time.

3. Scientific American: “Proper Breathing Brings Better Health”

“Breathing is so central to life that it is no wonder humankind long ago noted its value not only to survival but to the functioning of the body and mind and began controlling it to improve well-being.”

- Scientific American

This is perhaps my favorite online article published about breathing. But, I realized I have somehow never shared it here.

I especially loved a part near the end. It’s almost as if the author is surprising himself with all the benefits of breathing as he’s researching and writing the article, and he can’t believe this stuff isn’t widely used:

“In fact, I am mystified that controlled breathing is not recommended and practiced more widely. Perhaps it is perceived as too simple, commonplace and obvious to be a remedy.”

Those were my exact feelings when I found “breathing.”

Enjoy the excellent read!

***

Related Quote: “Even more foolishly I had assumed that a universal awareness of the importance of breathing existed. Nothing could have been farther form the truth.” - Carl Stough (also found in Breath)

4. How to Breathe Stardust with Stardust

“Every atom in your body that is heavier than helium was made inside a star, usually as it was exploding.  Carbon, oxygen, iron, all of it. Take a breath, and breathe stardust with stardust. This body is billions of years old.”

- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Neurodharma

That is all. 🤯

 
 
 
 

1 Quote

“A single breath has more truth in it than all your thoughts about breathing will ever have.”

– Adyashanti

P.S. Thanks to great friend E.S. for sending this quote to me. It’s almost as if that quote is specifically calling me out on this newsletter 😂

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Category: Hyperventilation

Answer: It is suggested that adults with a respiratory rate greater than this number “should receive immediate medical review.”

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 27 breaths per minute?

In good breath,

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

P.S. “Guess we’ll head out too”

 
 
 

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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.

 
 

Lucid Breathing, Positive Feedback Loops, and Wim Hof’s Breath Mastery

 
 

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Hey,

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

I hope you enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. Why We Should (and Should Not) Care About HRV

“Over the years we've experimented with many different types of physiological and psychological measures. Heart rate variability (HRV) patterns… have consistently emerged as the most dynamic and reflective of our inner emotional states.”

- The Heartmath Solution

I’ve been on an HRV kick lately. And although I’m fascinated by the physiological implications of it—its correlation with disease and diabetes, its impact on stress, and so on—here’s another reason we should care: It’s the “most dynamic and reflective [measurement] of our inner emotional states.”

Of course, this makes perfect sense, as our emotional states impact our physiology, and vice-versa. HRV gives us an index for them all, which is why we should care about it.

But, we should also remember that high HRV isn’t the end goal. It’s the positive states associated with high HRV we’re after.

So here’s to using slow breathing to maximize HRV while (paradoxically) remembering that HRV is not the end goal.

***

Related Quote: “‘When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.’ Measurement is only useful when it guides you and adds context to a larger picture, not when it consumes you.” - James Clear, Atomic Habits

P.S. Huge thanks to Crussen for The Heartmath Solution. After taking his genuinely incredible Heart Coherence class, I contacted him, and he said Heartmath helped inspire it. I immediately grabbed the book and loved it.

2. The Positive Breathing-Relaxation Feedback Loop

“Slow breathing techniques with long exhalation will signal a state of relaxation by VN, resulting in more VN activity and further relaxation.”

- Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2018

Here’s a positive feedback loop we can celebrate: Slow breathing sends a message of relaxation via the vagus nerve, which increases vagal activity, further enhancing relaxation. Thank you, complicated physiology.

Practically, this is why when you start your slow breathing practice, you don’t feel much at first, but after a few minutes, you feel like a different person. You’re experiencing this positive breathing-relaxation feedback loop in action.

Complex science. Simple to experience.

Give it a shot today.

***

Related Quote: “Not only does VN control heart rate and slow deep breathing, slow respiration rates with extended exhalation could also activate the PNS by VN afferent function in the airways. This is a form of respiratory biofeedback.” - Same paper as above

Related: Longer Exhalations Are an Easy Way to Hack Your Vagus Nerve

3. A Wealth of Health | Breathing: Misconceptions and Tips (and Wim Hof’s Mastery)

“Taking control of the breath — consciously thinking about the unconscious respiratory mechanism — is the first step to improving a plethora of everyday struggles and habits.”

- The Breeze, Breathing: Misconceptions and tips

I picked that quote because it goes perfectly with Thought #4 below on Lucid Breathing. But the article is packed with information (and name drops, 😂). It covers a lot of ground, somewhat disjointedly, but I think you’ll enjoy it.

My favorite part was a reminder of something I often forget: That Wim Hof is a master of the breath (and marketing). Although his method frustrates many in the breathing community, James Nestor nailed it in this article:

“Everyone thinks that Wim Hof is breathing ‘Wim Hof breaths’ all the time,” Nestor said. “He’s not. He’s breathing like that for 20 minutes, and the rest of the time he’s breathing really slowly, and he’s humming.”

Enjoy!

***

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

4. Are Lucid Breathers the Future of Evolution?

“It seems to be only around 20 to 30% of the population are actually natural lucid dreamers…Maybe those 20 to 30% of people who do lucid dream are at the forefront of hominid evolution, and they are going to be the next species of preference. We just don't know.”

- Matthew Walker, Ph.D.

Maybe the same is true of lucid breathers? Interestingly, Nature made it difficult to control our dreams. It made it simple to control our breath—though most of us sleep right through it.

But control over our breath was not an accident. As Belisa Vranich and Brian Sabin tell us in Breathing for Warriors, “It's an invitation, an opportunity to take part in our own nature and evolution.”

So wake up in your breath. Use it to control this dream we call living.

 
 
 
 

1 Quote

“The quality of our breath expresses our inner feelings.”

- TKV Desikachar

P.S. I found that quote here.

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Category: Heart and Breath Pacemakers

Answer: Although our heartbeat is controlled by pacemakers in the heart, the breathing pacemakers are located here.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the brainstem?

In good breath,

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

P.S. My anxiety does not define me

 
 
 

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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”

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading

 

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

 
 
 

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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.

 
 

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

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading

 

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”

 
 
 

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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.

 
 

Applying Gandhi's Wisdom, The Science of Learning, and $100 to Your Breath

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading

 

Hey,

Welcome back to another issue of the The Breathing 411. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer that I hope you enjoy this week!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. Why Your Breathing Gains Get More Boring With Time

“Gaining the first $100 at the track feels much better than winning the second $100, which feels better than winning the third $100, and so on. Eventually, if things get good enough, there is almost no psychological benefit when they get even better. This relationship reflects what economists call diminishing marginal utility.”

- Barry Schwartz, The Paradox of Choice

Building off last week’s “Satisfaction Treadmill,” let’s not forget this passage when our breathing, or anything else we’re working on, starts feeling boring.

We’re still making gains. They just might not feel as dramatic, because we already feel so good.

***

Related: James Clear’s Plateau of Latent Potential

2. Applying Gandhi’s Wisdom and Scientific Research to Appreciate Your Favorite Breathing Practice

“Humans do not give greater credence to an objective record of a past event than to their subjective remembering of it.”

- Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

Translation: What you experience holds more weight than what you learn.

As the Make it Stick authors also tell us, research shows it’s “nearly impossible to avoid basing one's judgments on subjective experience.”

Some might say this is a flaw of being human—we base things on emotions instead of facts. I say it’s amazing, at least when it comes to breathing : )

Because with breathing, this means that whatever you experience is what’s true for you. Your practice is yours; no science or statistics needed.

Practically, it means that if your experience with Wim Hof was terrific, then you should keep doing it. Or, if slow breathing was life-changing, do that.

As Gandhi tells us, “As long as you derive inner help and comfort from anything, keep it.” This applies perfectly to breathing. And science agrees.

***

P.S. If you like mouth breathing 24/7, I’m sorry, that doesn’t count here 😂

Related: “What is the Right Breathwork Method For Me?” from Breathwork Alchemy (Excellent Instagram post—concise and packed with wisdom)

3. Mouth Tape: End Mouth Breathing for Better Sleep and a Healthier Mouth

“Becoming a nose breather is a process, but even repeated cycles of just a few minutes of nose breathing can effectively train your body to do it regularly.”

- Dr. Mark Burhenne, Mouth Tape: End Mouth Breathing for Better Sleep and a Healthier Mouth

Mouth taping is odd. It’s perhaps the most important thing we can do for our health, but it’s hard to recommend without sounding slightly crazy.

Fortunately, Dr. Mark Burhenne wrote this great article, which covers basically every aspect of taping up at night. It will now be my go-to for anyone interested in the topic.

Enjoy the great read, and enjoy sharing it with others.

***

Related: Mouth breathing during sleep significantly increases upper airway resistance and obstructive sleep apnea

4. To Take Care of Your Heart, Take Care of Your Breath

“In other words, the primary role of the heart is to distribute the oxygen brought into the lungs during inhalation, and to bring carbon dioxide back to the lungs where the excess can be breathed out.”

– Patrick McKeown, The Breathing Cure (pg. 237)

I’ve never thought of it this way: Your heart’s main job is to make your breathing useful to the rest of your body. So from this viewpoint, it’s obvious they must work together. And all the science we review makes perfect sense.

Of course breathing efficiently would make our hearts work more effectively. And of course we would see measurements like heart rate variability increase and blood pressure decrease.

That’s because the heart and breath can’t be separated. Thus, we might even say, to take better care of your heart, take better care of your breath.

***

Related Quote: “Although the lungs are clearly an essential element of the processes we associate with breathing, they alone do not provide the whole story.” - Respiratory Physiology: A Clinical Approach

 
 
 
 

1 Quote

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

- Michael J. Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Category: Nasal Airways

Answer: Although the effect is less commonly discussed, when this gas is released into the nasal airways, it helps warm incoming air.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is nitric oxide?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Except for what happens in my brain

 
 
 

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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.

 
 

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

 
 

Listen to this post:

 

Hey,

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

I hope you enjoy it!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

…

Related: Breathing is the Compound Interest of Health and Wellness

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



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

Just kidding. Well, kinda.

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

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

  • Anxiety

  • Distress

  • Autonomic function

  • Emotional regulation

  • Cardiovascular function

  • And on & on

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

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

…

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


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

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

- Breathing Exercises for Kids: Everything Parents Need to Know

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

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

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

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

Sounds good to me.

Enjoy the excellent read!

…

Related: Watch this in action.

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

4. Words Are Not Always Adequate, or Important

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

- Barry Schwartz, The Paradox of Choice

This is certainly true for breathing.

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

But are they what’s truly most important?

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

And I don’t have words for that.

 
 
 
 

1 Quote

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

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

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

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is type-1 diabetes?

In good breath,

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

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

 
 
 

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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

 
 

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

 
 

Listen to this post:

 

Thanks for clicking on another issue of The Breathing 411.

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

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts

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

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

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

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

It improves efficiency and conserves energy.

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

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

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

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

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

2. All Things Breathing and Diabetes

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

Watch the full interview on YouTube here.

I hope you enjoy watching and listening.

Related Links:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy the great read!

4. Maybe All Top Performers Focus on Their Breath?

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

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

- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete

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

Let’s use it wisely.

 
 
 
 

1 Quote


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

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

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

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

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 0.1 Hz?

In good breath,

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

P.S. …and the money will come

 
 
 

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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