Og Mandino

The Breathing 411 - Before There Were Harvard Studies

 

Welcome to another edition of The Breathing 4.1.1.

Below, I do my best to provide you with 4 useful thoughts, 1 insightful quote, and 1 fun answer (like "Jeopardy") related to breathing. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing is the Ultimate Self-Improvement Tool

"Never has there been a map, however carefully executed to detail and scale, which carried its owner over even one inch of ground."

- Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World

Action is the cornerstone of all improvement. We can read and learn all we want, but that is only storing potential energy. Action converts that energy into something useful.

Breathing is the most primitive form of taking action. It gives you something you can do, that actually does something. Breathing induces physiological and neurological changes in your state that are truly useful in any real-life situation.

It’s no wonder all ancient traditions focused on the breath. Before the internet, before you could major in positive psychology, before life coaches and Harvard studies, there was the breath. Breathing is the ultimate self-improvement tool.

2. Insomnia Identified as New Risk Factor for Type-2 Diabetes

"Insomnia was identified as a novel risk factor, with people with insomnia being 17% more likely to develop T2D than those without."

- ScienceDaily, 8 Sep 2020

I guess this shouldn’t be surprising, given that even one night of sleep deprivation significantly increases insulin resistance. But is there anything we can do about it? You’ve probably guessed my answer by now : )

Of course, "breathing" isn’t the cure for everything, and it certainly isn’t a magic pill for insomnia. But it might help.

Slow breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, relaxing the body, preparing it for sleep. Once asleep, nose breathing helps you wake up less (see last week’s 411), maintain rhythmic breathing, and ultimately sleep deeper. All of this might help reduce stress hormones and increase insulin sensitivity.

Overall, a simple change to your breathing, compounded over time, might help reduce your risk of type-2 diabetes (or at least help you manage it better), even if only the tiniest little bit.

Thanks to 411 reader R.D. whose interest in breathing and type-2 diabetes inspired this thought.

3. CO2 Tolerance and Chemoreceptor Flexibility

"Today, chemoreceptor flexibility is part of what distinguishes good athletes from great ones. […] All these people have trained their chemoreceptors to withstand extreme fluctuations in carbon dioxide without panic."

James Nestor, Breath, pg. 170

We discuss carbon dioxide tolerance a lot. But I prefer James’ terminology, using chemoreceptor flexibility rather than CO2 tolerance. Flexibility implies variability. It also implies robustness.

Of course, I believe the most critical part of this flexibility is the ability to withstand higher CO2, that is, CO2 tolerance. But let’s not forget about robustness and adaptability. Tension and relaxation. Stretching in both directions, not just one.

4. 100 Miles or 10 Minutes: Which is Harder?

I rucked 100 miles. It took almost thirty-six hours straight.

I’ve never made it 10 minutes "breathing" without getting distracted.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"You can borrow knowledge, but not action."

- James Clear

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: The average number of alveoli in your lungs.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy music.)

…

Question: What is about 480 million?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Me Up at Night Worrying

 
 

Only Breathing Principles Endure

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The first time I heard that quote, I thought of Wim Hof. Although Wim’s charisma is what sets his method apart from others, the principles he teaches are timeless.

For example, in the classic book Science of Breath, the following advice is given to avoid catching a cold:

When chilled, breathe vigorously for a few minutes, and you will feel a glow all over your body. [1]

How about the Oxygen Advantage? Well, that originated with the Buteyko Method. And long before Buteyko, yogis were training themselves to “bottle up” as much CO2 as possible (my bold).

He had learned much about the basics of the transparent gas in medical school and quickly realized that yogic rituals worked to bottle it [CO2] up inside the body. The main technique of manipulation was pranayama… [2]

It is often said that history repeats itself. Breathing techniques are no exception. People relearn the same principles and add their own unique take on it. But the the principles remain.

That’s why for health and wellness, I focus on principles, not techniques. And from thousands of years of practice, and hundreds of years of research, the key principles are:

  1. Breathe Through Your Nose (24/7) - Unless you’re an elite athlete, you should be breathing through your nose all the time. This is especially true during sleep.

  2. Breathe Slowly - Almost every technique (and scientific study) has focused on breathing slowly, usually in the range of 4-6 breaths/min. Use any method you’d like to achieve this rate (equal inhale/exhale, extended exhale, box breathing, etc.).

  3. Hold Your Breath - Breath holds have amazing benefits, doing everything from improving immune function to increasing blood flow to the brain.

I’ve jumped on almost every breathing bandwagon there is. And every time, I discover that there is no “cure all.” There are only principles. And when they are practiced with patience, persistence, and diligence, the true magic begins.

In good breath,
Nick

[1] Science of Breath

[2] The Science of Yoga