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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:
Slow breathing before sleep can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Mouth tape at night can help you sleep deeper and reduce the number of trips you take to the bathroom at night.
A regular slow breathing practice can improve cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and raising HRV, boosting your resiliency to the adverse effects of the change.
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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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.