HRVB

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

 
 

🎧 Listen Instead of Reading 🎧

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

 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. 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.

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.

 
 

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

 
 

🎧 Listen Instead of Reading 🎧

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

 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. 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.

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.

 
 

Wim Hof vs. Slow Breathing, and How to Start Something Meaningful

 
 

Get This In Your Inbox Every Monday

🎧 Listen Instead of Reading 🎧

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

 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. How to Start Something Meaningful (hint: exhale)

“If you watch anyone on the verge of starting something that matters, you'll see them settle into the moment by taking a deep breath in and exhaling….It's the body rolling up its metaphorical sleeves and saying, ‘Okay.  It’s time. Let’s do this thing.’”*

- Michael Bungay Stanier, How to Begin

Starting something meaningful this year? Or just sending an important email or text? Roll up those metaphorical sleeves by taking a deep and relaxed breath in, and a relaxed and slightly longer breath out. “Let’s do this thing.”

2. Build Your Best Breathwork Practice

“You don’t have to build the habits everyone tells you to build. Choose the habit that best suits you, not the one that is most popular.”

- James Clear, Atomic Habits

Similarly:

You don’t have to use a breathing technique everyone tells you to use. Choose a method that best suits you, not the one that is most popular.

***

P.S. The next thought shows you why—two different methods, similar results.

3. Wim Hof “vs.” Slow Breathing, Part I: Indirect Comparison for Chronic Inflammation

A 2019 study looked at the full Wim Hof Method (breathing, cold, and meditation) in people with axial spondyloarthritis. They found that it reduced chronic inflammation, concluding:

“…our results are indicative that voluntary modulation of the immune response may not only be possible in acute inflammatory response due to microbial stimulation but also in chronic inflammation related to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.”

A 2021 systematic review examined HRVB (aka slow breathing) in people with various chronic illnesses. They found evidence that there is an inverse relationship between inflammation and vagal nerve activity:

“…an increase in efferent vagal activity could suppress pro-inflammatory factors suggesting possible anti-inflammatory effects of HRVB.”

The point? Two wildly different approaches, two somewhat similar outcomes. It brings to mind the Chinese proverb, “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same.” Choose which path is right for you.

***

P.S. I put quotations around “vs” because there’s no competition in breathing 😊Also, the word “indirect” in the title is critical. I’m being simplistic here and comparing apples to oranges, but I think the overall message is still helpful.

4. Operationalize Your Breathing Practice

“To make operational. To make ready for ‘live’ or ‘kinetic’ action.”

- Steven Pressfield

That’s Pressfield’s definition of “operationalize,” and it’s exactly what we need to do with our breathing. Make it ready for live action—for real life.

Of course, let’s use our practice as an escape into calmness, but let’s also remember to operationalize it so it’s useful in our everyday lives.

***

P.S. Everyday examples of how I operationalize breathing in my life:

  • Slow breathing while walking the dog.

  • Various slow and fast methods when I’m out surfing.

  • Slow, long exhales when my daughter throws a tantrum.

  • I’m not always successful with these, especially the last one : )

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can only be done by projecting the ethic of love to the center of our lives.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Nose and Smell

Answer: Cells responsible for scent regenerate this frequently.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 30-60 days?

In good breath,

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

P.S. when your only friend is busy

 
 
 

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

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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

 
 

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

 
 

Get This In Your Inbox Every Monday

🎧 Listen Instead of Reading 🎧

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

 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. 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

 
 
 

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.

 
 

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

 
 

🎧 Listen Instead of Reading 🎧

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

 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. 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

 
 
 

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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

 
 

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

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading

 

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”

 
 
 

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.

 
 

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.