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4 Thoughts
1. Here is the Fastest Way to Achieve Well-Being
“So what is the fastest way to achieve well-being? It is so close to you that it can easily be overlooked. Your breath. A rapid and reliable pathway into your nervous system, dedicated to helping you regain your optimal state.”
- Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., The Happiness Track
This is beautifully and perfectly said. Nothing to add here 🙏
2. On Sailboats, HRV, and Developing Your Inner Resources
“Developing inner resources is like deepening the keel of a sailboat so that you're more able to deal with the worldly winds—gain and loss, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, fame and slander—without getting tipped over into the reactive mode. Or at least you can recover more quickly.”
- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Neurodharma
Although Dr. Hanson is talking about inner resources in general, this is an excellent analogy for why improving HRV via slow deep breathing is so helpful: it’s like deepening the keel of your physiological sailboat.
You will still be hit by life’s storms, but with higher HRV, you’ll remain steadier and recover quicker. We could say, then, that deep breathing = deep keel.
3. Slow Breathing for Better Blood Flow
“When [the small] blood vessels are relaxed, more blood can flow freely through them. When they become constricted, the same amount of blood flows through a narrower space, increasing your blood pressure.”
- Inna Khazan, Ph.D., Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Slow breathing activates the calming parasympathetic nervous system, which relaxes the small blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and improves blood flow.
This is a vital benefit of slow breathing because better blood flow is necessary for, well, just about everything (especially if you have diabetes).
So if you feel so inspired, give it a shot. Sit and breathe at 5-6 breaths/min for 2 min. Feel for yourself the rapid boost in blood flow to your hands and/or feet.
***
P.S. I’ve had cold hands & feet for as long as I can remember (thanks, diabetes). Although it’s improved considerably, one of my favorite things about slow breathing is the warmth I feel in them during and after my practice.
4. Control, and How to Focus on a Fuller Life
“Even if you don't have control over the outcome of the stressful situation, you may be able to exert some control over its impact…You can't always control what you feel or think, but you can control what you do. Focus on living a full life even though you don’t have [fill in your issue]…”
- Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D., The Stress-Proof Brain
When nothing seems to work, my blood sugars still go crazy, my insulin sensitivity is off, or I don’t sleep well, I always have the breath. I have something I can control, that gives me control.
It helps me focus on living a fuller life, and I hope it does for you too 🙏
1 QUOTE
“When you own your breath, nobody can steal your peace.”
- Unknown
P.S. Like a lot of what I share, this one is a reminder to myself : ) And it’s advice I haven’t been following that well lately (facepalm).
1 ANSWER
Category: Blood Flow
Answer: Although hemoglobin is best-known for releasing oxygen, it also releases this gas, which enhances blood flow and helps the oxygen actually get where it is needed most.
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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
…
Question: What is nitric oxide?
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
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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.