breathing genes

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Purely for Joy, Physics, and How to Overcome Obstacles

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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 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 46 sec

I hope the next 22’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Tied into the Universe of Physics

“The lungs are tied into the universe of physics like no other organ, perfectly using the space allotted to maximize flow. And optimizing flow, and movement, is clearly one of the purposes of life from a biological perspective.”

– Michael J Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

👏 👏 👏

***

P.S. And as one of my favorite teachers, R.M., wisely pointed out in response to this quote: “Perhaps we could say the same for every organ in the body.”

2. An Intriguing Situation

“This is an intriguing situation when we stop to think about it, for if it is true that breath influences both body and mind, then the rhythm and the rate of the breath would reflect not only one’s physical condition, but would also help to create it.”

– Science of Breath

Here’s another powerful reminder that, although breathing reflects our current state, it also shapes it:

  • Fast, shallow breathing reflects being anxious…but it can also cause anxiety.

  • Slow, deep breathing reflects being calm…but it can also create relaxation.

This is the true power of breath control. When used sensibly and safely, it can help us “create the physical condition” we’re after 👏

3. Three Random Breathing Thoughts

1. What exercise is to the body, what meditation is to mind, breathing is to the soul.

2. In many ways, mindfulness means ignoring our minds and listening to our hearts.

3. Slow, mindful breathing helps you feel underwhelmed for a change.

***

P.S. Number 1 was inspired by this quote: “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” - Sir Richard Steele

4. How to Overcome Obstacles to Daily Practice

“Diligence helps start you on your way, but the real solution to these obstacles is learning to enjoy your practice…Too often, people approach meditation as though they were taking medicine—it tastes bad, but they grin and bear it because it’s supposed to be good for them. Instead, make meditation into a pleasurable activity.”

– The Mind Illuminated

With that in mind, we might ask, ‘How could I tailor my practice to bring me more joy?’ Remember: We’re not supposed to grin and bear it; we’re supposed to enjoy it 👏

1 Quote

“We have to keep having fun throughout our lives—it’s so important to do things purely for the joy of it.””
— Gladys McGarey, MD

1 Answer

Category: Gene Expression

Answer: Slow breathing, through its activation of this psychophysiological response, may rapidly alter how genes are expressed.

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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is the relaxation response?

In good breath,

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

P.S. a haunted house but…

Our Only Guide is Homesickness

“We have no one to guide us. Our only guide is our homesickness.”

– Herman Hesse

This perfectly captures the essence of becoming a Mixed Mindful Artist. We don’t focus on one method that worked for someone else; instead, we let our homesickness—our own intuition—guide us while using wisdom from great teachers and scientists to support that journey. If you’re ready to find your way home, 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.

 

Timeless Healing, Anti-Harley, and 2 Rules to Improve Your Breathing

 
 

🎧 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. Breathing Exercises Lower Inflammation and Change Gene Expression

“In those who practice breathing exercises, levels of inflammatory proteins in the blood are significantly lower, especially under certain types of stress. Mobilizing the power of the breath has also been shown to turn on anti-inflammatory genes and turn off pro-inflammatory ones, including genes that regulate energy metabolism, insulin secretion, and even the part of our DNA that controls longevity.”

- Michael J Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

I have nothing useful to add here, except, of course, one of these: 🤯

2. These Two Simple Rules Will Improve Your Breathing Forever

If I could give anyone any advice for everyday breathing, it’d be this:

  1. Breathe through your nose, especially during sleep.

  2. Make your breathing quiet.

You’ll get massive benefits with minimal effort using these two simple rules.

3. Timeless Healing: Slow Breathing + The Relaxation Response

“To evoke the relaxation response, you need to follow only two basic steps. You need to repeat a word, sound, prayer, phrase, or muscular activity, and when common everyday thoughts intrude on your focus, you need to passively disregard them and return to your repetition.”*

- Herbert Benson, MD, Timeless Healing: The Power and Biology of Belief

It’s that simple. And the word or phrase? Dr. Benson says, “The choice of a focused repetition is up to the individual. If you’re a religious person, you can choose a prayer. If you’re a non-religious person, choose a secular focus.”*

I’ve been using it this week in my slow breathing practice. I inhale and then repeat “be the change” in my head while exhaling at a 5 breaths/min pace.

I’ve never been a big fan of mantras (and I’m still testing different ones), but I’ve genuinely enjoyed this. It’s straightforward and highly effective.

Give it a shot and see how you feel.

4. My Fake Words, and Breathing as the Anti-Harley-Davidson

“Orfield Laboratories, run by Steven Orfield, is a small Twin Cities business that leverages the power of perception to help companies build better products. Harley-Davidson, for example, once hired Orfield to calculate the exact engine tone and decibel level that would give riders the impression that its motorcycles are powerful.”*

- Michael Easter, The Comfort Crisis

How crazy is that!? Harley-Davidson actually hired a company to ensure their engines gave “riders the impression that its motorcycles are powerful.”

I think breathing is the anti-Harley-Davidson. You just relax and breathe. If it’s powerful, it’s powerful. If it’s not, it’s not. No fake impressions needed.

***

P.S. Although I take pride in this newsletter, sometimes I feel like Orfield Labs trying to make breathing sound perfect. It’s not. But it is truly powerful. So, don’t just read my words, try it out and feel its strength for yourself.

Extra Thought:

5 Easy Breathing Exercises You Can Use for Better Sleep Tonight

I wrote a guest blog called “5 Easy Breathing Exercises You Can Use for Better Sleep Tonight” for The Breather, hosted by ResBiotic.

It’s a quick 4-minute read. I hope you enjoy it!

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“When we focus on the breath, we become mindful of the universal nature of all beings.”

- Bhante Henepola Gunarantana

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Meditation & Relaxation Response

Answer: A trademark physiological result of meditation and/or the relaxation response is that the body consumes less oxygen, also known as this.

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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is hypometabolism?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Science can catch these hands

 
 
 

* 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.

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.

 
 

Smiling and the Warren Buffets of Breathing

 

Greetings,

Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer to consider this week. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing is the Only True Compounding Health Benefit

"Growth is driven by compounding, which always takes time."

- Morgan Housel, The Psychology of Money

Many investors are better than Warren Buffet. But did you know he bought his first stock when he was 11 years old? It’s not as exciting to talk about, but a large portion of his success is simply due to how long he’s been investing.

This is because compounding always takes time. And, just as importantly, it always takes consistency. If Buffet jumped in and out of stocks or randomly took time off, he might not have achieved his success. It took time and consistency.

These factors are also why breathing is the only real compounding health benefit. Most of us won’t stick to one health routine as long as Buffet has stuck with investing. It’s natural to try new workouts, start a new diet, and on and on.

But we’ll always be breathing. If we invest in simple changes like nose breathing 24/7, the benefits will compound (literally) for the rest of our life. Time becomes our friend. Since we will always be breathing, we will always be compounding.

2. Nasal Breathing, Smiling, and The Power of Compounding

"All these methods trained children to breathe through their noses, all day, every day. It was a habit they would carry with them the rest of their lives."

- James Nestor, Breath

In Breath, James Nestor describes tribal people with perfectly straight teeth, free of chronic illnesses, and who rarely got sick. Their secret? Nasal breathing.

This was not just any nasal breathing, though. It was a lifetime of nasal breathing. Nestor tells us that mothers would stand over their sleeping babies and close their mouths if needed. They even resisted smiling (!?!) with their mouths open.

This was compounding at its best. Nose breathing was in their genes, and it was passed down from generation to generation for millennia. The result, as Nestor recounts, was seemingly "superhuman physical characteristics" and perfect health. These tribal people were the Warren Buffets of nose breathing.

3. Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises and Your Vagus Nerve

"When it comes to effective vagal maneuvers, any type of deep, slow diaphragmatic breathing…is going to stimulate your vagus nerve, activate your parasympathetic nervous system, and improve your HRV."

- Psychology Today
Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises and Your Vagus Nerve

I basically highlighted this entire article : ) But what I appreciated most was the author sharing how he uses diaphragmatic breathing in a practical and straightforward way.

Enjoy stimulating your vagus nerve more today!

4. Become A Breathing Genius

"A genius is the man who can do the average thing when everyone else around him is losing his mind." – Napoleon

If you want to be a breathing genius, breathe averagely—nasal, slow, low—in stressful situations. Or David Bidler says, we don’t need more complicated breathing techniques; we need to apply simple ones to harder challenges. 

Give it a shot today when you inevitably find yourself in a stressful situation.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Those of us who practice breathing exercises today may well pass on more disease resistant genes to our descendants tomorrow."

- Michael J. Stephen MD, Breath Taking

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This fish can breathe through its gills in water and through its skin and mouth lining on land.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is a mudskipper?