Joy On Demand

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How to Walk Farther, Mind Roots, and Breath & Gratitude

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Listen Instead of Reading

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Reading Time: 1 min 41 sec

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


4 THOUGHTS

1. The Roots of Training the Mind

“Relaxation is the basic competency in meditation that enables all the others. Mind training without relaxation is like a tree without strong roots—it is not sustainable. The skillful trainee establishes relaxation first and then builds on top of it.”

– Chade-Meng Tan, Joy On Demand

And what’s the fastest way to establish relaxation? Slow breathing, of course 😊. Thus, a quick 5-minute slow breathing practice before meditation can act as the roots of our mind-training program.

2. Walk Farther Without Feeling Exhausted

“Efficient breathing allows our bodies to be properly oxygenated, enabling us to walk farther without feeling exhausted. Many of us don’t breathe properly as we exercise, gulping rapidly at air through our mouths rather than matching our (full, nasal) inhalations to our stride. When we walk to the rhythm of our breath—or even breathe to the rhythm of our feet—we slow and lengthen our breathing. In combination with good posture, paced rhythmic breathing means that demanding mountain ascents and lengthy treks feel less tiring.”

– Annabel Streets, 52 Ways to Walk

👏👏👏

3. Three Thoughts on Breathing and Gratitude

1. The best practice for breath appreciation is getting a stuffy nose.

2. Physiological gratitude occurs 20,000 times a day in the space where an exhale ends and an inhale begins.

3. Take a few breaths and say, “This is great! I have an abundance of the most valuable resource known to our species, and I don't even have to work that hard to get it!”

4. How to Have Happiness Immediately

And to wrap-up, here’s a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, who has a knack for making some of the more “woo-woo” and idyllic ideas of meditation concrete and actionable:

“Breathing and walking with awareness generates the energy of mindfulness. This energy brings our mind back to our body so that we’re really here in the present moment, so we can be in touch with the wonders of life that are there inside us and around us. If we can recognize these wonders, we have happiness immediately.”

1 Quote

“Repeating simple tasks with a clear intention can reprogram unconscious mental processes. This can completely transform who you are as a person.””
— John Yates, Ph.D., Matthew Immergut, Ph.D.

1 Answer

Category: Breath Coupling

Answer: This entrainment is the name given to our ability to coordinate breathing and vocalization.

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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is respiratory-phonation coordination?

In good breath,

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

P.S. another day, another reason to…

There Is No Path

“Traveler, there is no path. The path is made by walking.” – Antonio Machado

Your breath, your mind, and your awareness are your most powerful tools for living a fulfilled life. Don’t limit yourself to one method or feel guilty about your varied interests—these are what make you, you. Embrace your curiosity and explore different teachings, understand their core principles, and forge your own path. Learn more.

The Breathing App for Diabetes

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

Learn more here.

Amazon Associate Disclosure

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

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

 
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HIIB?, a Trick for Being Present, and Becoming More Joyous

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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. High-Intensity Interval…Breathing?

Here’s why we should add intensity of intention to mindful breathing:

“[T]he more intensely you are attending to the present moment, the more temporary freedom you gain from regrets about the past and worries about the future. Furthermore, the more intensely you practice, the longer the benefits linger after the practice.”

- Chade-Meng Tan, Joy On Demand

So, the more intensely you focus on the breath, the greater joy you experience, and the longer the benefits linger. Sounds good to me.

Practically, one way of doing this is through what we might jokingly call High-Intensity Interval Breathing: Instead of a continuous 20-minute mindful breathing session, break it into four “intense” 4-minute sessions, with a 1-minute break between each.

Give it a try and see if you like it 🙏

2. Make a Good First Impression

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

– Will Rogers

Each morning, when we wake up, we meet a new day. We can make a good first impression by doing our breathing practice first thing.

The day will like you more (and treat you kinder).

***

P.S. Aim for consistency: Each day you meet is different, and today doesn’t remember yesterday’s introduction 😊

3. Picturing Trampolines: A Trick for Staying Present

Here’s a trick the staff psychologist for British Rowing offered in the 2003 World Championships to help the rowers focus on the process instead of the outcome:

“The rowers were instructed to picture a trampoline at the finish line, tipped onto its side so that any thought of theirs that jumped ahead to the outcome would bounce back to the present moment. They bought into it and it worked.”

– Matt Fitzgerald, The Comeback Quotient

That seems like it would be a helpful visualization in all of life 👏

4. Becoming More Present, Joyous, and Warm-Hearted

“The benefits of quieting the mind include becoming more calm and clear. But resting in pure awareness goes a step beyond this sense of quiet. Richard Davidson, who studied the brains of highly advanced yogis who had attained this level, tells me that he had never met any group of people so present, joyous, and warm-hearted.”

- Daniel Goleman, Why We Meditate

In my opinion, that last sentence answers the book title: We meditate (or do breathing, yoga, etc.) to become more present, joyous, and warm-hearted.

1 Quote

“I can only meditate when I am walking, when I stop I cease to think; my mind only works with my legs.””
— Jean-Jacques Rousseau

1 Answer

Category: Stress Hormones

Answer: This “breathing exercise” has been shown to significantly reduce cortisol, one of the primary stress hormones.

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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is laughter?

Don’t forget to get your dose today : )

In good breath,

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


P.S. Meditation in a nutshell

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If you’d like to try them, use the code NICK20 to get 20% off 🙏

Get the iCalm Relaxation Shot

 
 

* 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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Slow Gratitude, Breath Pole Vaulting, and Two Ways It Calms the Mind

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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. The Gratitude of Breathing

Slow breathing is to meditation what gratitude is to journaling.

2. A Benefit of Meditation: Slower Everyday Breathing

“Comparing each to a nonmeditator of the same age and sex, the meditators were breathing an average 1.6 breaths more slowly. And this was while they were just sitting still, waiting for a cognitive test to start.

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As practice continues and breathing becomes progressively slower, the body adjusts its physiological set point for its respiratory rate accordingly. That’s a good thing. While chronic rapid breathing signifies ongoing anxiety, a slower breath rate indicates reduced autonomic activity, better mood, and salutary health.”

– Daniel Goleman, Ph.D. & Richard Davidson, Ph.D., Altered Traits

 

The more you meditate, the less you breathe, and the better mood and health you acquire 👏

P.S. A voluntary slow breathing practice by itself (which is a form of meditation, in my opinion 😊) can give similar results.

3. Two Ways Attending to the Breath Calms the Mind

“Physiologically, attending to the breath makes it slower and deeper and thereby stimulates the vagus nerve, which then launches the relaxation response. Psychologically, attending to the breath intensely brings the mind to the present, away from past and future, and so temporarily frees the mind from regret about the past and worry about the future.”*

- Chade-Meng Tan, Joy on Demand

That is all 👏

4. The Breathing Pole Vaulter: Letting Go at a Great Height

“Listening to them, one image that came to mind was that of the polevaulter. At first, the athlete needs a pole to propel him or herself to a great height. At a certain point, the athlete has to release the pole and just jump.”

– Larry Rosenberg, Three Steps to Awakening

 

This is an excellent analogy for any breath-focused contemplative practice (breathwork, meditation, yoga, etc.)

The breath is like the pole, boosting us to a great height where we can “let go” and discover our full potential.

A 9-Minute Podcast

I was honored to have a discussion with Tina Gilbertson, creator of the Reconnection Club and just an all-around amazing person. She condensed our conversation into a short & sweet 9-minute podcast.

I hope you enjoy it: Episode 146: Breathe

1 Quote

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

1 Answer

Category: The Nostrils

Answer: Measurements reveal that the left-nostril breathing makes this branch of the autonomic nervous system more active, benefiting overall cardiovascular and autonomic health.

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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is the parasympathetic branch?

In good breath,

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


P.S. how I said “here”

The Garlic Breath of the Week

Here is the most-liked post this past week.

* 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.