Hatha Yoga

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

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading


 

This week, you’re going to learn:

  • That Ujjayi and Ocean breathing are different,

  • How to breathe for inflammation, and

  • A story I listened and laughed at more times than I’m proud to admit…

I hope you enjoy it!

 
 

 
 

4 Thoughts


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

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

- Eddie Stern, One Simple Thing

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

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

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

  • Ujjayi: sound comes from the glottis, and the exhale is through only one nostril.

  • Ocean: sound comes from the nose to thorax, and the exhale is through both nostrils.

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

***

Related: Hatha Yoga Pradipika (#51-53)

Related: My Conversation with Eddie on All Things Breathing

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

2. Slow Breathing for Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

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

  • JACM (2011):Diaphragmatic breathing, likely through the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system…reduces reactive oxygen species production.

  • Nature (2017):…our results lead to the hypothesis that slow breathing may exert some antioxidant effect, possibly via parasympathetic stimulation.

  • PLOS One (2013):RR [relaxation response] practice…reduced expression of genes linked to inflammatory response and stress-related pathways.

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

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

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

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

- Why Your Breath is Connected to Your Well-Being

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

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

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

4. Why You Should Start Teaching “Brooklyn” Yoga

One new meditator kept coming to interviews with a chronic lament: ‘The breath is so boring!’

Finally, I asked him if he'd ever heard of Brooklyn yoga? He said no. I told him to close his mouth tight and close off both nostrils with his fingers. We sat that way for some time until finally he let go of his nose and gasped for air.

‘Was that breath boring?’, I said.

- Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

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

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

***

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

Related: Is Breathing Woo-Woo? (Thought #4)

 
 

 
 

1 Quote

“If one wants longevity, one should let the spirit and the breath pour into each other.”

–Tao Tsang

Translation from The Primordial Breath

 
 

 
 

1 Answer

Category: Vagus Nerve Function

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

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is acetylcholine?


In good breath,

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

P.S. No I don’t “meditate”

 
 
 

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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

 
 

Phil Mickelson, and How Modern Science Helps Explain 2000-Year-Old Wisdom

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading


 

Hey,

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

 
 

 
 

4 Thoughts


1. The Real Lesson from Phil Mickelson: For Diabetes, and Life in General

Phil Mickelson used controlled breathing throughout the PGA Championship. So, when he won, it was an exciting moment for the breathing community.

But do you know what happened for the next tournament? He played poorly.

Of course, with sports, we accept that this is just part of the game. Even with his focused breathing, no one can win them all.

But do you apply this concept in your life, especially if you have diabetes?

Do you remember that life is more complex than sports? There’s no “one thing” that will ensure you always win.

But, and this is important, Phil still finished that next lousy round of golf. He didn’t just walk off the course because he wasn’t winning.

And that’s what we have to do. A high blood sugar doesn’t mean we should give up on our protocol. A poor night of sleep doesn’t mean this breathing stuff doesn’t work. Life is hard, and we all have off days. But, that’s precisely when we need our fundamentals the most.

Here’s to knowing we’ll have bad days and weeks, and finishing anyway, knowing we’ll eventually be on top again.

***

P.S. I know nothing about golf, so thanks to my dad for pointing out how bad Mickelson played when we hung out on Father’s Day, sparking this thought : )

2. Breathing is a Scalpel to Your Brain and Emotions

In 2017, a group of Stanford researchers discovered a small cluster of neurons that control your breathing—the breathing “pacemaker neurons.”

It turns out that these neurons extend to other parts of the brain that control emotions, and it’s a two-way street: The emotional areas can influence your breathing, but your breathing can also influence them.

On a recent RadioLab Podcast (aptly titled “Breath”), after learning this, Molly Webster likened her breathing to a scalpel to her brain and emotions:

I feel like, in a way, he almost gave me like a scalpel to get inside my own brain and control it…If I actually change my breathing, it will change this breath pacemaker region, and it will send an ‘I’m chill’ signal to the fight or flight directly, and it will calm down.

This brought a massive smile to my face. What a perfect analogy.

Practically and scientifically, you can know that when you take control of your breath, you take control of a small cluster of neurons that talk to other regions of your brain. So the scalpel is right there in your nose. Use it when needed.

***

P.S. Thanks to one of my best friends, Capt J.G., for sending me this podcast.

3. “Breathing Exercises for Better Metabolic Health”

Research shows that controlled breathing can positively impact our nervous system, reducing stress and maybe even improving glucose control.

- Levels, Breathing Exercises for Better Metabolic Health

This article is a perfect synthesis of research and practical advice on how breathing might help with blood sugars. It’s basically my entire website summarized into a 6-minute read…I feel rather long-winded now : )

Please read and share this one!

***

Related: My recent conversation with Evan Sorkoa, author of Yoga Therapy for Diabetes, on all things breathing, yoga, and diabetes.

Related: The Lesser-Known Benefits Of Nasal Breathing, Designed For Diabetes

Related: Why Slow Breathing is Beneficial for Diabetes

4. Moderate Breathing, in Moderation

“All breathing in moderation, including moderate breathing.”

A reader helped me add this one to the list of “Breathing Graffiti.” Thanks, M. Night Larry. It’s clever, and it has lots of practical wisdom too.

Remember that we take over 20,00 breaths a day. So Wim Hof is OK now and then. Breath holds are OK now and then. (If you’re in good health, of course.)

All breathing in moderation, even moderate breathing. That’s a simple and valuable principle to live by.

 
 

 
 

1 Quote

When the mental state is disturbed, the life energy (prana) gets unbalanced and this leads to irregular breath; hence to regulate the mental state the yoga practitioner should regulate the breath.

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, 300 A.D., from Role of respiration in mind-body practices: concepts from contemporary science and traditional yoga texts

***

P.S. This was from almost 2000 (!) years ago. The neurons controlling how this works (Thought #2) were only discovered in 2017. The paper linked above provides additional insight into the science behind this ancient wisdom.

 
 

 
 

1 Answer

Category: Breathing in History

Answer: The healing power of the breath was recognized this far back.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is 7000 BCE? (pg. 58)


In good breath,

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

P.S. You know. Like a book.

 
 
 

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.