compound interest

The Joy of Breathwork is _________, and The 3 Best Ways to be Consistent

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading

 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. The Joy of Breathwork is _________

If you’ve read any books on breathwork, or heard any podcasts, or taken any classes, you’ve inevitably heard some incredible stories of healing.

People use different breathing methods to help various health conditions under different settings. They all seem to work, and there’s no one-size-fits-all.

It highlights a simple yet profound truth: The joy of breathwork is breathing.

***

Quote that inspired this thought: “I realized: These were tears of joy, and the joy of movement is moving.” - Kelly McGonigal, PhD, The Joy of Movement

2. The 3 Best Ways to be Consistent with Your Breathing Practice

“A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.”

– Anthony Trollope

1. Start very tiny. Even if it's 1 breath or 30 seconds. Just pick something so small you can't fail.

2. Do it at the same time every day. Pick a consistent cue (e.g., brushing your teeth, etc.) that will trigger your tiny practice.

3. Celebrate. This is most important. Do something silly that you find rewarding (fist bump, etc.). Celebration releases dopamine, which will trick your brain into looking forward to your practice.

***

P.S. Here’s my celebration: “That’s like me to do another breathing session!”

P.P.S. These concepts come from the excellent book Tiny Habits.

3. Marginal Gains: Why Being Consistent Matters

“It is so easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making small improvements on a daily basis. … Meanwhile, improving by 1 percent isn’t particularly notable—sometimes it isn’t even noticeable—but it can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run.”

- James Clear

And there’s why being consistent is so important. Those tiny 1% gains are far more meaningful in the long run than they might at first seem. As my favorite teacher Brian Johnson says, “when you aggregate and compound enough of those tiny little incremental optimizations MAGIC happens.” 🙏

***

Related: Breathing is the Compound Interest of Health and Wellness

Related Quote: “Any practice, whether spiritual, physical, or artistic, only begins to pay off when it is done with regularity and sincerity.” - Eddie Stern, One Simple Thing

4. The Pleiotropic Benefits of Breathing

“Eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, and managing stress will always be the foundational pillars of health and wellness. One reason for this is that these interventions are what scientists call pleiotropic—they provide a wide range of benefits that aren’t limited to a particular health condition.”

– Chris Kresser

Breathwork is also pleiotropic: it provides wide-ranging benefits, which aren’t limited to one health condition. (That’s also why it often seems like a panacea.)

Combining this idea with Thoughts 2 & 3, we see why breathing is the compound interest of health and wellness: When done consistently, the marginal gains from its wide-ranging, “pleiotropic” benefits aggregate into magic.

Sounds good to me : )

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“The breath is something that is readily available to us simply because we are human beings. We do not need anything else to qualify. How marvelous!”

- The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Nasal Breathing

Answer: Nitric oxide, which is one of the most important benefits of nasal breathing, is produced in this region of the upper airways.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are the paranasal sinuses?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Nothing like changing your appearance

 
 
 

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.

 
 

How Breathing Compounds, 2000+ Years, and a Remarkable Fact of Existence

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading

 

A Breathing Gift This Week

Have you read the Holstee Manifesto? It’s amazing. This is my adaptation, The Breathing Manifesto. (I literally just copied their format. I’m not that creative, lol). Print it, hang it, and enjoy it!

 

Alright, on to this week’s 411…

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. The Body is Complex, So We Should Listen To It

(Read Time: 32 seconds)

“Our bodies are complex interconnected systems of biological processes that interact differently under the influence of the unique genetic coding and environmental factors that we each experience.”

- Dr. Ellen Langer, Counterclockwise

That passage gets a “Wow!” 🤯x 100

So if anyone ever tells you one breathing method is best, or one diet, or one anything related to your health, remember this message from Harvard professor Ellen Langer. Our bodies are insanely complex. There’s no way of knowing what’s best for you without trying it and listening to your own body.

***

Related Quote: “What we mean is, in the field of peak performance, too often, someone figures out what works for them and then assumes it will work for others. It rarely does. More often, it backfires.” - Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

2. Will This Be Laughed at in 2000+ Years?

(Read Time: 43 seconds)

“I delved into the medical research … I was amazed by how the yogis of India and Tibet, prior to the invention of modern technology or research instruments, gained a thorough knowledge of the effect of the breath, proper and improper, on our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.”

- The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

Building off the previous thought, here’s a perfect example of the power of listening to the body. Without science, ancient yogis discovered the healing power of the breath, which modern science is only now starting to “validate.”

Of course, you know I’m obsessed with reading science papers : ) But in 2000+ years, do we really think any of them will still be meaningful? Or will they be laughed at? Probably the latter.

But results based on human experience, like those discovered by yogis millennia ago, are timeless.

***

P.S. This thought, and thought #1, are exactly why I’m obsessed with breathing : ) We can read the science, immediately apply it, and discard what doesn’t work for us.

3. How to Practice Mindfulness While You Walk

(Read Time: 31 seconds)

“Through breathwalking, I can access the same state of calm as people doing yoga and meditation but on my own terms” - James Nicolai, MD

- From Weight Watchers: How to Practice Mindfulness While you Walk

Yes, that’s right, Weight Watchers 🤦 Every single conscious and unconscious bias I have went into high gear when I saw it.

But this is the most succinct yet comprehensive article on breathwalking I’ve come across. It’s well worth the 3 min it’ll take you to read it. Enjoy!

4. Why Breathing is the Compound Interest of Health and Wellness

(Read Time: 37 seconds)

An obvious (yet overlooked) aspect of breathing is that we’re always doing it.  This presents the opportunity for infinite compounding gains over time.

Compounding requires two ingredients, time and consistency, which are built into breathing. Other health interventions, such as new diets, also compound. But they are usually more sporadic, limiting their chances of endless growth. 

But breathing is always there. It just takes tiny shifts, such as breathing only through our noses, for the compound interest to start accruing.

So here’s to watching our tiny 1% breathing investments compound into ridiculous growth over time.

***

Related: Smiling and the Warren Buffets of Breathing

Related Quote: “Peak performance works like compound interest.  A little bit today, a little bit tomorrow, do this for weeks and months and years and the result won't just be a life that exceeds your expectations, it'll be one that exceeds your imagination.” - Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

 
 
 
 

1 Quote

“One of the most remarkable facts of existence is under our noses all of the time.”

- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Neurodharma

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Category: The Complex Human Body

Answer: According to recent estimates, the human body has approximately this many cells.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 30-40 trillion?

In good breath,

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

P.S. One last look

 
 
 

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.

 
 

Nerdy Warriors of the Breath, Investing, and a Useful Look at HRV

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading

 

Greetings,

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

Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. A Practical Look at HRV and Resiliency

“Resilience is the ability to return to normalcy, according to Jen Baker, director of athletics and recreation at John Hopkins University, a graduate of the US Naval Academy. It's your ability to bounce back and thrive, replace worry with objective things, to navigate and take steps forward.”

- Belisa Vranich & Brian Sabin, Breathing for Warriors

Slow breathing significantly increases heart rate variability (HRV) and, subsequently, increases resiliency. This has been shown time and time again. But, from a practical perspective, what does it mean to “increase resiliency?”

Does it mean you’ll never experience stress or anxiety again? No, certainly not. What it means is that the stressors won’t feel as severe and, as Jen Baker says, that you’ll bounce back faster. The stress is the same. You’re different.

So here’s to not trying to escape the world and its stressors, but instead having the tools—one being slow breathing—to bounce back to normalcy faster.

***

Related Quote: “To say that learning breath control is the most important component to forging mental toughness would not be an overstatement.” -Mark Divine, Retired U.S. Navy SEAL Commander

Related Quote: “By modulating the stress response via vagal stimulation from conscious breathing exercises, people can bolster their resilience to all forms of negative stressors; diabetes is no exception.” - Evan Soroka, Yoga Therapy for Diabetes

2. Where Are You Investing Your Breathing: GameStop or Real Estate?

Slow breathing methods can be “life-changing,” according to James Nestor. But, “they can also take a while, especially for those with…chronic conditions.” On the other end of the spectrum, he says methods like Tummo restore balance with a “violent shove,” which can also be helpful for some.

So how do you know which is right for you?

I liken it to investing. Slow, nasal breathing is like putting your money in real estate or an index fund. It’s pretty safe. There will be fewer ups and downs, and you’re almost guaranteed a positive return.

The “violent shove” techniques, on the other hand, are like investing in GameStop or crypto. You might see some incredible benefits in just one day. But, you also risk a significant loss the next if you're not diligent with it.

So the question is: Are you looking for short-term gains or long-term compounding? Are you timing the market or playing the long game? Maybe you want to have a “diversified portfolio” : ) There’s no right or wrong answer. Only you know which approach is right for you.

3. “'Email Apnea' Is a Real Thing-Here's How to Stop Holding Your Breath While Working (and Feel Less Stressed)”

“Learning (and really practicing) basic breathing techniques can also help reverse the effects of email apnea; it'll help you improve awareness of your own breath and breathing habits and teach you how to breathe more easily during times of stress.”

- Real Simple, ‘Email Apnea’ is a Real Thing

This article provides an excellent summary of email apnea and some practical things you can do to reduce how often it occurs. Or, at the very least, to help reverse some of its harmful effects.

As someone who still (after years of a daily breathing practice) occasionally experiences this, I thoroughly enjoyed the read. I hope you do too!

4. Nerdy Warriors of the Breath

“The old-school philosophers knew it was really hard to live in integrity with our highest ideals. They told us we needed to be WARRIORS of the mind, not mere librarians of the mind.”

- Brian Johnson

Meaning we have to live our philosophy, not simply recite it to other people. The same is true with breathing. But, with breathing, both are critical.

We have to be warriors of the breath. We have to live it and practice it, in easy and difficult circumstances. But, we also need to be librarians of the breath.

We need to have the science ready in our back pocket. We need to intrigue people with the experience, then back it up with the science, or vice-versa.

So here’s to being nerdy warriors of the breath, accomplishing great things with our practice, and then explaining the physiology of how it worked : )

***

Related: Breathing Science Library

Related: Rucking 100 Miles for Breathing

Extra Thought: Breathing I’m Exploring

I try my best to be a breathing warrior, and I practice every single day. I don’t share too much about it because everyone’s practice is their own. But, here are a couple of new things I’ve tried recently:

Breathwrk App: I’ve been having fun doing 1-3 min of each breath they offer. I use it sporadically throughout the day just to try something different. My three favorite breaths so far are:

  1. No Worries

  2. Clear Mind

  3. Calm

Open: I’ve also taken a few on-demand breathwork classes through Open. I usually enjoy being in control, but I have genuinely loved these classes. Here are my two favorites (thanks Crussen!):

  • Heart Coherence (this one was truly incredible)

  • Symmetry (box breathing w/music—an excellent mix)

Here’s to never-ending growth, learning, and exploration of the breath.

 
 
 
 

1 Quote

“There is another side of Kanchenjunga and of every mountain—the side that has never been photographed and turned into postcards. That is the only side worth seeing.”

- Thomas Merton

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Category: Breathing in Libraries

Answer: One of the first mentions of nasal breathing in a medical text occurred in this year and document.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 1500 BCE, in the Ebers Papyrus?

P.S. I found this in Breath.

In good breath,

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

P.S. “NO GAME SCHEDULED”

 
 
 

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.

 
 

Breathing’s Indirect and Unseen Benefits

 

Welcome to another edition of The Breathing 411:

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

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS


1. The Science of Breathing’s Indirect Benefits

Last week we learned that breathing is the only true compounding health habit. However, I believe the real magic occurs when breathing begins improving other areas of our lives. I’ve never had a reasonable explanation for these "indirect effects." They just seemed to happen. But now I do, thanks to Tiny Habits.

In this excellent book, behavioral scientist BJ Fogg shows us how tiny changes in one area of your life can lead to massive changes in others. It all comes down to a simple equation: B = MAP

A Behavior happens when Motivation, Ability, and a Prompt all come together. Makes sense. But the significant breakthrough Fogg discovered is the curved (nonlinear) relationship for when action occurs (adapted from his book below):

Befor_and_After.jpg

In this hypothetical example, we see how a breathing practice might help you exercise by increasing your motivation and physical ability (e.g., better sleep and oxygenation). The exercise prompt is now above the action line, and you exercise.

This is behavioral science, not physics. So there are no exact numbers for "motivation" or "ability." It will be unique from person-to-person. But this is where the real magic of compounding occurs. We move beyond just breathing, and begin fulfilling our own individual goals and ambitions.

P.S. Some examples from my life:

  • Walking 100 miles.

  • Having more energy to manage my diabetes.

  • Waking up before 4 a.m. every day for breathing research.

2. Health is What You Don’t See

"But the truth is that wealth is what you don't see. Wealth is the nice cars not purchased. The diamonds not bought. The watches not worn, the clothes forgone and the first-class upgrade declined."

- Morgan Housel, The Psychology of Money

Similarly, health is what you don’t see. It’s the cold you didn’t get, the late night you didn’t have, the stress you didn’t experience, the breathlessness you didn’t have after a brisk walk to catch your flight.

This is why the benefits of a long-term breathing practice might not be immediately apparent. You can’t measure the number of health issues that breathing helped you avoid. But that makes them no less important.


3. Longer Exhalations Are An Easy Way to Hack Your Vagus Nerve

"Just two minutes of deep breathing with longer exhalation engages the vagus nerve, increases HRV, and improves decision-making."

- Christopher Bergland, Psychology Today

Here’s another gem from Psychology Today on slow breathing, stress, and the vagus nerve. I may or may not have visualized "squirting some stress-busting vagusstoff" onto my heart when I took my next slow breath : )

4. Breath Matching

Rather than focus on any specific method, focus on your goals: to reduce anxiety, to increase focus, to improve autonomic function, to fall asleep, and on and on.

Then, based on those aspirations, find the right match. For combatting anxiety, you might choose extended exhales. For focus, you might pick box breathing.

But it’s not about the method; it’s about the outcome you wish to experience.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Life and respiration are complementary. There is nothing living which does not breathe nor anything breathing which does not live."

- William Harvey, 1653, Lectures on the Whole of Anatomy

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: More than 60% of primary care physician visits are related to this condition.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is stress?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Really made me stop and think

 
 

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.)

…

Question: What is a mudskipper?

 
 

21 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas

 

Breathing ideas are often long-winded, but they don't have to be. Here, are 21 one-sentence breathing ideas to kick off 2021.

1. Breathing is the compound interest of health and wellness.

2. Correct breathing is a keystone habit that forms the foundation of good health.

3. Breathing is not a panacea—you cannot breathe your way out of a Big Mac.

4. We don’t need more complicated breathing techniques; we need to apply simple breathing methods to harder challenges. (Credit to David Bidler)

5. Whether it’s slow breathing, sleep, or exercise, simply using your nose is the 1% that allows the other 99 to occur.

6. Slow, nasal breathing is like driving a Tesla; fast, mouth breathing is like driving a Hummer.

7. Making your breathing inaudible might be the easiest, most practical thing you can do anytime, anywhere, to improve your breathing.

8. It seems counterintuitive, but the point of a breathing practice is to no longer need a breathing practice.

9. The skill of breath is universal, applicable in every domain, available every second of every day.

10. Rather than breathing slowly all the time, we evolved something even more powerful: the ability to control our breathing.

11. Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his breath; strong is he who forces his breath to control his thoughts. (A play on Og Mandino’s quote)

12. You can eat better, workout harder, and take more supplements, but until you optimize your breathing, you’ll never see the true potential of your energy and performance.

13. Taping your mouth at night is the passive income of health.

14. If you spend even 1 minute focused on your breath, celebrate it.

15. Breathing is the most primitive form of taking action, giving you something you can always do that actually does something.

16. Optimal breathing is health and mastery actualized in our body’s most important function.

17. We’re all different, so if you notice a specific breathing method standing out, it’s probably confirming something you already know to be right for you.

18. Mouth breathing is like drinking sugar: it’s easy, and it feels good, but it is detrimental to your health.

19. Breathe the change you want to see (in your body).

20. Where you spend your breath, and thus your energy, shows what your physiological priorities are.

21. The best time to start a breathing practice was 12 months ago; the second-best time is now.

 
 

If you enjoyed this, consider signing up for my 411 newsletter. Each Monday, I share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like Jeopardy!) related to breathing.

 
 
 

P.S. This was inspired by Josh Spector’s excellent post on communication. I highly recommend his For The Interested newsletter.

 
 

The Breathing 411 - Before There Were Harvard Studies

 

Welcome to another edition of The Breathing 4.1.1.

Below, I do my best to provide you with 4 useful thoughts, 1 insightful quote, and 1 fun answer (like "Jeopardy") related to breathing. Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing is the Ultimate Self-Improvement Tool

"Never has there been a map, however carefully executed to detail and scale, which carried its owner over even one inch of ground."

- Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World

Action is the cornerstone of all improvement. We can read and learn all we want, but that is only storing potential energy. Action converts that energy into something useful.

Breathing is the most primitive form of taking action. It gives you something you can do, that actually does something. Breathing induces physiological and neurological changes in your state that are truly useful in any real-life situation.

It’s no wonder all ancient traditions focused on the breath. Before the internet, before you could major in positive psychology, before life coaches and Harvard studies, there was the breath. Breathing is the ultimate self-improvement tool.

2. Insomnia Identified as New Risk Factor for Type-2 Diabetes

"Insomnia was identified as a novel risk factor, with people with insomnia being 17% more likely to develop T2D than those without."

- ScienceDaily, 8 Sep 2020

I guess this shouldn’t be surprising, given that even one night of sleep deprivation significantly increases insulin resistance. But is there anything we can do about it? You’ve probably guessed my answer by now : )

Of course, "breathing" isn’t the cure for everything, and it certainly isn’t a magic pill for insomnia. But it might help.

Slow breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, relaxing the body, preparing it for sleep. Once asleep, nose breathing helps you wake up less (see last week’s 411), maintain rhythmic breathing, and ultimately sleep deeper. All of this might help reduce stress hormones and increase insulin sensitivity.

Overall, a simple change to your breathing, compounded over time, might help reduce your risk of type-2 diabetes (or at least help you manage it better), even if only the tiniest little bit.

Thanks to 411 reader R.D. whose interest in breathing and type-2 diabetes inspired this thought.

3. CO2 Tolerance and Chemoreceptor Flexibility

"Today, chemoreceptor flexibility is part of what distinguishes good athletes from great ones. […] All these people have trained their chemoreceptors to withstand extreme fluctuations in carbon dioxide without panic."

James Nestor, Breath, pg. 170

We discuss carbon dioxide tolerance a lot. But I prefer James’ terminology, using chemoreceptor flexibility rather than CO2 tolerance. Flexibility implies variability. It also implies robustness.

Of course, I believe the most critical part of this flexibility is the ability to withstand higher CO2, that is, CO2 tolerance. But let’s not forget about robustness and adaptability. Tension and relaxation. Stretching in both directions, not just one.

4. 100 Miles or 10 Minutes: Which is Harder?

I rucked 100 miles. It took almost thirty-six hours straight.

I’ve never made it 10 minutes "breathing" without getting distracted.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"You can borrow knowledge, but not action."

- James Clear

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: The average number of alveoli in your lungs.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy music.)

…

Question: What is about 480 million?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Me Up at Night Worrying

 
 

The Breathing 411 - The Best (and Second Best) Time to Start

 

Welcome to another edition of The Breathing 4.1.1. Below, you’ll find 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy") related to breathing. Let’s jump right in.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. The Best Way to Invest in Your Health

Investing in your breathing is like putting your money in an S&P 500 index fund.

You’re investing a little bit into your body's many essential functions, including your respiration, autonomic nervous system, cardiovascular system, metabolism, and brain.

Suppose you picked only one of these areas to focus all of your attention on. If you got really lucky, it could make a massive difference in your life (like getting lucky with one stock). But with breathing, like with an index fund, you add a little to each bucket. Together, these gains add up to meaningful health benefits.

But unlike the stock market, there are no speculators, and there is no gambling. You just have to show up each day, add a little to your health fund, and enjoy the compounding over time.

2. A Never-Ending Cleanse?

"The waste that is collected by the blood and delivered to the lungs is expelled with the next inhale, but few people realize that 70 percent of the waste that our bodies generate is removed by the breath. Only 30 percent is removed via sweat and elimination."

- Al Lee and Don Campbell, Perfect Breathing

At first glance, that’s a pretty crazy statistic. But, it makes a lot of sense.

Those other ways of removing toxins (sweating, restroom breaks) only occur several times a day (or maybe not at all for sweating). We typically breathe 20,000+ times a day and upwards of 3000 gallons of air.

So, perhaps it is not surprising that our bodies use the breath to eliminate toxins. And maybe what’s more surprising is that optimizing breathing isn’t the first step of any "cleanse."

3. The Best (and Second Best) Time to Start a Breathing Practice

"Build before you have to.

- Build knowledge before you have to.
- Build strength before you have to.
- Build an emergency fund before you have to.

Let internal pressure drive you today, so you can handle external pressure tomorrow."

James Clear, 3-2-1 Newsletter (3 Sep 2020)

This excellent idea reminded me of the ancient Chinese proverb that begins: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. If you want a tree now, you need to have planted it 20 years ago. If you need strength now, you need to have been building it previously.

The Chinese proverb, however, ends like this: The second best time is now.

With COVID-19 shining light on the importance of a healthy respiratory system, we all realized how critical a breathing practice is. With that in mind, I’d like to play off of that idea:

The best time to start a breathing practice was 12 months ago.
The second best time is now.

4. How Breathing Impacts Urination during Sleep

"But if the body has inadequate time in deep sleep, as it does when it experiences chronic sleep apnea, vasopressin won’t be secreted normally. The kidneys will release water, which triggers the need to urinate and signals to our brains that we should consume more liquid. We get thirsty, and we need to pee more."

- James Nestor, Breath, pg. 30

When people switch to nose breathing at night, they commonly notice they need to get up to pee less. Here, James explains why.

Vasopressin "communicates with cells to store more water," he tells us. When you get inadequate deep sleep, this communication is disrupted.

Nose breathing at night, as we know, reduces obstructive sleep apnea, leading to deeper sleep. This helps explain why we wake up less when we switch to nose breathing at night.

(Thanks to 411 reader J. M. for inspiring this thought!)

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“One day I noticed that I wasn’t breathing—I was being breathed.”

– Byron Katie

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: The number of scents the human nose can smell.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy music.)

…

Question: What is 1 trillion?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Only once every 257 years

 
 

Breathing is the Compound Interest of Health

 
 

"He who labors diligently need never despair; for all things are accomplished by diligence and labor." - Menander (342 BC - 292 BC) 

 
 
 
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Correct breathing synchronizes many systems in the body. This coherence compounds over time.


Breathing improves your sleep [1,2]. Better sleep improves your cardiovascular system [3].


Breathing improves your cardiovascular system [4,5]. This improves your sleep.


Breathing restores autonomic balance [6]. Better autonomic control increases heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity [7,8].


Correct breathing improves tissue oxygenation [9]. This improves autonomic balance [10]. And insulin sensitivity [11].


The more control you have over your breathing, the more control you have over your emotions [12].


The more control you have over your emotions, the more control you have over your breathing [13].


The more control you have over your breathing, the more control you have over all the systems mentioned above [14].

Thus, all of these benefits are not isolated but integrated. It would still be rather amazing if breathing helped just one or two of these systems (since it’s free and everything). But, it helps so many different aspects of health and these benefits aggregate and compound over time.

But Nothing Happens Overnight

Well, maybe it does, because my first night of sleeping with my mouth closed literally changed my life.

But just like in financial investing, we have to keep contributing small amounts to our health consistently. Over time, those contributions will grow into something great, without any additional effort.

In good breath,

Nick

P.S. Best part of quarantine: No airports.

References

[1] Mouth breathing during sleep significantly increases upper airway resistance and obstructive sleep apnea

[2] The many important roles of the nose during sleep

[3] Obstructive sleep apnea causes hypertension

[4] Meta-Analysis: Slow Breathing Reduces Systolic Blood Pressure by 5.62 mmHg

[5] Slow breathing improves blood pressure in hypertensive type II diabetics

[6] Two minutes of slow breathing restores autonomic and respiratory balance

[7] Slow breathing decreases blood pressure and increases heart rate variability in hypertensive diabetics

[8] Slow breathing improves autonomic function in type 1 diabetics

[9] Nitric oxide might outweigh all other benefits of nose breathing

[10] Treat & reverse the root cause of diabetic complications (tissue hypoxia) with slow breathing

[11] Hypoxia Decreases Insulin Signaling Pathways in Adipocytes

[12] Slow, controlled breathing improves anxiety independent of CO2

[13] Breathing center in brain has powerful effects on higher-order brain functions…calm yourself by breathing slowly

[14] How slow breathing improves physiological and psychological well-being (hint: it might be in your nose)