breathing can calm us

How To Be a Straight-A Breathing Student, and Why Diabetics “Get It”

 
 

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Yesterday was 4-11.

Yesterday was World Breathing Day.

Yesterday was also my birthday.

It’s almost as if it was meant to be this week…

Alright, here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for the week. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts

1. How To Be a Straight-A Breathing Student

One of my favorite stories is the “50 lbs = A” parable. I even kept a post-it of that phrase on my monitor during my post-doc. As it goes, a professor found that grading ceramics students based on quantity—50 lbs gets you an A—led to better quality than grading them on one “masterpiece.”

The moral of the story: Quantity leads to quality.

Quality is obviously essential to breathing. We do take more than 20,000 breaths per day, as it is. But, perhaps what’s more important is just starting and sticking to a consistent breathing practice.

So for breathing, we might say: Focused quantity leads to quality.

You might not begin with perfect diaphragmatic breathing, proper tongue placement, or proper volume. But with a consistent practice, you’ll naturally start noticing and improving these things.

So how about we write our own parable, where 50 breaths = A.

Or maybe just 5 breaths or 5 minutes. Regardless, it’s the focused, consistent quantity that counts. Here’s to becoming straight-A breathing students today.

Related: “If you want to master a habit, the key is to start with repetition, not perfection […] You just need to practice it.” - James Clear, Atomic Habits

2. Why the Power of Breathing is Actually Easy to Explain to People with Diabetes

Ask a diabetic what affects their blood sugar. They’ll either start laughing, or immediately blurt out “everything!”

So then, when you tell them that breathing literally impacts almost every bodily function, they’ll get it:

Everything affects my blood sugar. Breathing affects everything.

It just makes common sense for us diabetics to optimize it.

Related: The Lesser-Known Benefits of Nasal Breathing, Designed for Diabetes

Related Quote: “Breathing isn’t everything. But, breathing impacts everything.” - David Bidler

3. This Breathing Exercise Can Calm You Down in a Few Minutes

“Many people find benefit, no one reports side effects, and it’s something that engages the patient in their recovery with actively doing something.”

- Cynthia Stonnington, Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ

Here is yet another excellent article from Vice: This Breathing Exercise Can Calm you Down in a Few Minutes. In it, we learn about the power of resonant breathing from Cynthia Stonnington (above) and gain invaluable insights from a pioneer in breath research, Patricia Gerbarg.

Enjoy the awesome read!

Related: Decrease stress by using your breath (Mayo Clinic)

4. The Universal Structure of the Respiratory System

“There is something transcendent in the very structure of our respiratory system…Other examples of this configuration in nature abound—streaks of lightning converging into a single bolt only to diverge again as they approach the ground;

the tributaries of a riverbed unifying into one main waterway; the human body itself, branching from its trunk to arms and legs, then fingers and toes.

The lungs tap into something universal in their structure, maximizing uptake of the life force that surrounds all of us.”

- Michael J Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

Here's another gem from Breath Taking's prologue, reminding us just how remarkable, yet universal, the structure of our respiratory system is.

 
 
 
 

1 Quote

“The daily use of breath practices can turn back the tide of stress, counteract disease progression, and improve overall quality of life.”

- Richard Brown & Patricia Gerbarg

The Healing Power of the Breath

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Answer: For every tooth you lose as an adult, your risk of this increases by 2%.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is obstructive sleep apnea?

(I learned this in Breath)

In good breath,

Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
Diabetes is Tiny. You are Mighty.

P.S. 100% me. (Looking at you Wibbs)

 
 
 

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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.

 
 

More Breathing in Less Time

 

Greetings,

This week’s 411 is brought to you by espresso, curiosity, my appreciation for your readership, and espresso. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Use Breathing Instead of Thinking

"Social psychologists now know that the truth lies in the opposite direction. People need to change their actions and their minds will follow." – Sean D Young, Stick With It

Experts tell us it’s hard to think our way out of thinking. We need to act and let the mind follow. I believe this is what makes breathing so powerful. It gives you an action you can perform anytime to trick your mind into following.

If you’re anxious, you can breathe slowly, which will calm your nervous system and lead to calmer thoughts. If you’re tired, you can breathe rapidly and stimulate your nervous system, increasing your heart rate and alertness.

There are many ways to use actions to control your emotions and thoughts. But breathing is free and easy. Stop thinking, begin breathing.

2. Post-Meal Breathing for Better Blood Sugars & Digestion

Relaxing breathing methods have been shown to reduce blood sugar spikes associated with meals and glucose tolerance tests. In Breath (pg 43), James Nestor also tells us that right nostril breathing heats up the body and aids in digestion. Together, it seems like a post-meal breathing practice might be a good idea.

I have been testing this in a simple and practical way. Specifically, I’ve been spending ~3 to 5 minutes performing either alternate nostril or diaphragmatic breathing (or their combination) after lunch.

The results have been quite noticeable. My sugars are much better (and even get low sometimes) in the hour following the meal. And these short minutes are especially helpful midday to focus my mind and get me back to work quickly.

Science + Practicality = Better Living

Even if you don’t have diabetes, adding this tiny habit after eating might help with digestion and improve energy levels. Not bad for just a few minutes.

3. More Breathing in Less Time

Brian Johnson is my favorite teacher. Long-time readers are probably sick of me talking about him : ) His motto: More wisdom in less time. In that spirit, here are a few excellent summaries Brian has made of some of the best breathing books:

Enjoy!

Thanks to new 411 reader W.G. for inspiring this thought.

4. The Best Advice You Can Give Someone Interested in Breathing

"Start now. Optimize later. Imperfect starts can always be improved." - James Clear

The Oxygen Advantage, Wim Hof, The Art of Breath, Buteyko, Breatheology, SKY, ujjayi, and on and on. They are all phenomenal for different reasons.

But the most important thing is to choose one and start—experience for yourself how simple and powerful these practices are. You can optimize later.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

In my own experience, a deep breath is always a good first reaction to a first report. Try to let the potato cool a bit before you pick it up.

— General Colin Powell, It Worked For Me

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This "nasal nerve" is the first one emerging from the brain.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the olfactory nerve?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Preach

 
 

Wim Hof in One Sentence, and A Calming Breath

 

Greetings everyone,

Here are four thoughts, one quote, and one answer for you to ponder this week.

Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. 20 One-Sentence Thoughts on the Wim Hof Method

"Wim Hof breathing doesn’t help with the cold; your belief that it helps with the cold is what helps with the cold."

The Wim Hof Method. For some, it’s easy to point out its flaws. For others, it’s hard to deny its power. But one thing is certain: it’s confusing as hell for just about everyone.

In this post, I share 20 one-sentence thoughts about the WHM. You might still be confused, but at least we can be confused together : )

2. Why Nose Breathing Might Be Especially Important for Diabetics

We have recently learned that inhaled NO is transported systemically throughout the body (a paradigm shift in breathing science). Specifically, we discovered that:

Both of these findings are particularly important for diabetes. For example, people with diabetes suffer from reduced endothelial-derived NO and reduced blood flow. Diabetics also have a tendency to store less NO as SNO-Hb.

Collectively, these papers suggest that inhaled NO might be essential for people with diabetes, providing support that diabetics should be breathing nasally 24/7.

Ultimately, it will require better blood sugars to fix the issues with NO metabolism in diabetes. But breathing might also help here, as it both improves glucose control and helps reverse the harmful effects of high blood sugars.

3. How Breathing Can Calm Us - A Perfect Read

"Instead of trying to think yourself out of feeling anxious, you can do something concrete — breathe slow or fast, in a particular rhythm, or through one nostril — and sometimes find immediate relief." - Feeling anxious? The way you breathe could be adding to it

This TED/UC Berkeley article is a gem. It will be my new go-to for people interested in the calming effects of breathing. Enjoy the excellent read.

4. Breathing is Practical Idealism

"Mahatma Gandhi called this “practical idealism,” which means that it can be practiced in every aspect of life. It doesn’t call so much for great acts of heroism as for a continuing, persistent effort to transform ill will into good will, self-interest into compassion.” – Your Life is Your Message

Breathing is a form of "practical idealism." It’s idyllic in that we can talk about how "breath is life" or how it’s our body’s most important function.

But it’s practical in that it can be used by anyone, anytime, anywhere. It doesn’t call for huge acts, just simple changes like using your nose, slowing down your breath, and extending your exhales.

And, quite literally, it can transform "ill will into good will, self-interest into compassion." Not in some woo-woo way, but in a concrete way, by stimulating the vagus nerve and shifting dominance to your parasympathetic (calming) system.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: Of the five senses, this is our oldest.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is smell?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. They just show up