Today, we have a special 411 full of good books I’ve read in the past year or so. I hope you find a few you like!

P.S. If you want to support my work, you can use the Amazon affiliate links below for any that you purchase. Thanks!

Reading Time: 2 min 14 sec

I hope the next 27’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.

4 THOUGHTS

1. Books on Breathing and Mindfulness

Healing Through Breathing (by Eddie Stern): One of my favorite breath books in recent past. It’s only available on Audible.

Mindfulness in Plain English (by Bhante Gunaratana): I reread this for the third (!) time recently, and it finally clicked just how incredible it is. It’s a testament to needing to read books at the right time in your life.

The Mind Illuminated (by John Yates PhD and Matthew Immergut PhD): Changed everything about how I approach meditation.

The Mindfulness Solution (by Ronald Siegel, Psy.D.): Amazing blend of science, traditional wisdom, and personal experience.

2. Books on Movement

Move (by Caroline Williams): This one is so good. It also has an incredible chapter on breathing that I can’t recommend enough.

Do Walk (by Libby DeLana): Instantly became my favorite book on walking. Quick and fun to read.

52 Ways to Walk (by Annabel Streets): Also incredibly good on walking, plus a couple of chapters on breathing and walking.

3. Books on Better Living in General

Awareness (by Anthony de Mello): This one is so good. You have to get the audible version to hear him speak it and feel his wisdom and humor. I laughed out loud many times, while also having my mind blown by his insights. It’s one of my new all-time favorites.

Falling Upward (by Richard Rohr): Few authors write with genuine wisdom you can feel through their words. Rohr is one of them. This is a truly life-changing book.

Take Your Time (by Eknath Easwaran): Easwaran is my favorite teacher, and I’ve now read 7 of his books. Although they’re all phenomenal, this one is probably still my favorite.

4. Recency Bias: What I’ve Been Reading Lately

Here are my last five books from most recent backward:

Sovereign (by Emma Seppala): Just started this one and loving it so far. Thanks to C.L. for the recommendation!

Do Walk (by Libby DeLana): See above. My new favorite book on walking.

Science of Breath (by Yogi Ramacharaka): A classic I recently reread. (I’ve been told that some of this isn’t legit pranayama, but it’s a good read nonetheless.)

Concentration (by Kam Knight): Super practical, no-fluff book on how to concentrate better.

The Heroic Heart (by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo): How could I not buy this book based on the title? lol. It was an amazing outlook on compassion, and on using adversity to fuel our growth. Loved it.

P.S.

If some of these sound interesting but you don’t have time to read them, you can check out the Breath Learning Center for short, practical reviews on most of them!

1 Quote

“We read books to find out who we are.””

— Ursula K. Le Guin

1 Answer

Category: Books and Breathing

Answer: Although not usually called one, this common activity with a book could be considered a powerful breathing exercise.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is reading aloud?

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!

P.S. on their way to Samadhi

Smarter Coaching. Stronger Practice. Lasting Impact.

Being a great coach or practitioner isn’t just about knowing more, it’s about being a Mixed Mindful Artist: applying the right knowledge in the right way.

The Breath Learning Center gives you concise, practical, and powerful tools to do this, deepening your understanding, strengthening your coaching, and transforming your practice—without fluff or overwhelm.

Get Started Today.

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.

🎧 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:

“Ability to orient and bring attention toward the person in need.
Ability to engage socially with others in times of stress.
Ability to feel safe while engaging with others.
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?