daylight savings time

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Effective Non-Breathing Tool, Equanimity, and an 8 Breath Protocol

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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 😊

If You Have Diabetes…

Would you mind taking a quick survey? I try to avoid stuff like this, but it will genuinely help me with a project I’m a part of. Thank you!

 

4 Thoughts



1. The Perfect Word for How You Feel from a Breathing Practice

“Equanimity is neither apathy nor indifference: you are warmly engaged with the world but not troubled by it. Through its nonreactivity, it creates a great space for compassion, loving kindness, and joy at the good fortune of others.”

- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Buddha’s Brain

Equanimity. That’s the perfect word to describe what you get from a breathing practice. It’s what you feel immediately after a session, and it’s a state that gradually becomes a bigger part of who you are.

So here’s to experiencing a little more of it, today.

***

P.S. Of course, I’m nowhere near a permanent state of equanimity (just ask my wife 😂), but it has certainly become more a part of me than it was before.

2. Breathing Got the Best Feedback (+ Dr. Weil’s 8 Breath Protocol)

“Over the years, I would say that of all the techniques that I recommended to people for improving health, the single technique that I get most feedback about in a positive way is the breathwork that I'm going to teach you in this program.”

- Andrew Weil, MD, Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing

That’s an insanely powerful statement when you consider how many people Dr. Weil has helped and all the tools he has at his disposal.

And here were three exercises he taught in the program that stood out the most:

  1. Breath Awareness: “The very simplest form of breathwork is doing nothing other than paying attention to your breath.”

  2. The Relaxing Breath: This is the infamous 4-7-8 breath. Watch a video demonstration here.

  3. The Stimulating Breath: This is the bellows breath. Watch a video demonstration here.

As a bare minimum, Dr. Weil recommends four rounds of the 4-7-8 breath twice daily. That’s 8 breaths. It doesn’t get any simpler than that, folks. 👏

3. One of the Most Helpful Non-breathing Things I Learned in PTT

Close your eyes and rub your palms together vigorously for a few seconds to create heat. Then, place them over your eyes.

Do it anytime, but especially at the end of a breathing practice. It’s amazing.

***

P.S. This wasn’t really part of the pranayama teacher training (PTT), just a side note that I found unbelievably helpful. If you’re interested in pranayama, I wholeheartedly recommend Eddie and Robert’s training.

4. My Twice-Yearly Rant (with helpful tools, at least)

I’m pretty laidback 99% of the time (equanimity for the win). But nothing frustrates me more than the time change—even the good one, like yesterday.

But instead of ranting like I normally do on how awful the whole idea is, let’s focus on something we can do to support our sleep: yoga nidra.

Here are a few tracks you might find helpful for better sleep or midday resets:

1 Quote

“Since earliest history, virtually every major psychospiritual system seeking to comprehend human nature has viewed breath as a crucial link between the material world, the human body, the psyche, and the spirit.”
— Stanislav & Christina Grof
 

1 Answer

Category: The Airways

Answer: This portion of the upper airways is part of both the digestive and respiratory systems because it carries both food and air.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is the pharynx?

In good breath,

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

P.S. An undeniably valid concern/question

Breathing for Diabetes Online Course ($99):

If you love learning about breathing, want to live a healthier life, or just want to support my work, I think you’ll really enjoy this class (diabetes or not).

 
 

* 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.

 
 

Sit Up Straight, a Language of Energy, and Two Hours instead of One?

 
 

🎧 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. Mindful Low-and-Slow Breathing is “Almost Always Helpful”

“Mindful low-and-slow breathing (Chapter 2) activates the parasympathetic (relaxation) nervous system and is therefore almost always helpful in reducing physiological arousal, including bringing down skin conductance. Reducing skin conductance with low-and-slow breathing is particularly helpful for a quick recovery break, between meetings, or as a break from challenging activities of the day.”

- Inna Khazan, PhD, Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Mindful low-and-slow breathing is “almost always helpful in reducing physiological arousal.” <— sounds good to me.

Use it anytime, anywhere for a quick reset and recovery.

2. Sit Up Straight: Take a Full, Deep Breath

“Our thoracic curve affects lung function. When the thoracic curve become more pronounced (think hunchback), the lungs’ ability to expand decreases. Excessive thoracic curvature weakens respiratory muscles and restricts your ability to take a full, deep breath.”

- Pete Egoscue, Pain Free

We probably don’t need another reminder to sit up straight. We know good posture is essential for just about everything (especially breathing; and vice-versa, as good breathing can lead to better posture).

But, for some reason, it really stuck out here and has inspired me to make my posture a top priority. Maybe this passage will spark something for you too 🙏

3. Do This when Life Gets Complicated: Two Hours instead of One

“The non-negotiable part is key. When life gets complicated, these four practices are typically what we remove from our schedule, but the research shows this is the last choice we should make. When life gets complicated, lean into these practices, as they’re how you get the creativity needed to untangle the complicated.”

- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

Kotler is discussing four key practices for “sustained peak performance” (which he says are gratitude, mindfulness, exercise, and sleep).

But the idea applies to anything we do for better health (like breathing).

When life gets absurdly busy, lean into these practices. As Gandhi said, “I have so much to accomplish today that I must meditate for two hours instead of one.”

4. Sleep Better with Breathing

Car accidents and heart attacks will spike today due to the time change (which is why I haven’t participated in two years—be the change you want to see style.)

However, most of us can’t just ignore it due to life and work obligations. The next best thing is protecting ourselves. Here’s how breathing can help:

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Within the rhythms and structure of your breath is coded a language of energy that your nervous system, glands, and mind understand.”

- Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, PhD, and Yogi Bhajan, PhD

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Sleep

Answer: Before the invention of electric light, people used to sleep about this many hours.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is ten hours?

In good breath,

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

P.S. My favorite childhood memory

P.P.S. Thanks to Laura from the MAPS Institute for sharing that funny post.

 
 
 

* 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.

 
 

Oxygen and The Most Effective Antioxidant

 

Most of my friends make fun of my bedtime (7:45 or 8:00 p.m.). In thought #4, you’ll learn how I’m trying to change that, at least until November…

With that said, here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for the week.

Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Grow and Multiply Your Breathing Practice

"When it comes to the process of scaling habits, there are two general categories: habits that grow and habits that multiply."

- BJ Fogg, Tiny Habits

Some habits might grow organically: flossing one tooth might grow into every tooth. Others might not: eating an avocado a day might be enough. But, this might multiply into using olive oil instead of a sugary dressing at lunch.

With breathing, it usually grows first.

You might start with just two minutes. This might grow into 5, 15, or 30+ minutes a day. Then at some point, you will naturally find the right growth limit for you.

Then it multiplies.

By creating a breathing practice that makes you feel good, you might begin eating healthier, exercising more, and sleeping better. You might also multiply your breathing practice by incorporating it into other areas of your life—like breath walking or nose breathing during exercise.

But it always happens in a way that’s right for you.

Luckily, there is no one right way to do this. Breathing can be (and is) applied in all domains of life. The best part is watching it grow and multiply in whatever way is right for you on your way to becoming the person you want to be.

2. The Most Effective (and biggest) Antioxidant

"In this regard, we can reasonably view the gigantism discussed in Chapter 5 as an antioxidant response. The increase in body size compensates for the higher external oxygen levels."

- Nick Lane, Oxygen

Oxidative stress is a major issue for people with diabetes. So, discussions on antioxidants always interest me. This one was somewhat crazy, though.

To start, Nick Lane argues that, if we flip our perspective, our circulatory system can be seen as a way of limiting oxygen delivery:

"Our elegant circulatory system, which is usually presented as a means of distributing oxygen to individual cells, can be seen equally as a means of restricting, or at least regulating, oxygen delivery to the correct amount."

His argument is supported by the fact that our cells and mitochondria function best at an oxygen "concentration of less than 0.3% of atmospheric oxygen." Thus, our bodies and circulatory system act to reduce atmospheric oxygen by ~99.7%.

Stated differently, our bodies essentially work as giant antioxidants.

"The development of multicellular organisms can even be considered an antioxidant response, which has the effect of lowering oxygen levels inside individual cells."

He even provides historical evidence that as oxygen levels rise, some species get bigger (hence the headline quote on gigantism). But they don’t get bigger because there is more oxygen for energy; they get bigger to protect them from it.

My mind hurts now too.

But the point is that our bodies were perfectly designed to deliver the right amount of oxygen to the cells—not too much, not too little. Problems arise when we disrupt that beautiful balance.

3. Slow Breathing Enhances Decision-Making

"The 5-2-7 pattern breathing exercise improved decision-making performance and prevented stress under overwhelming psychological pressure."

- Inc. This 2-Minute Breathing Exercise Can Help You Make Better Decisions, According to a New Study

Here is an excellent article from Inc. on how slow breathing can help you make better decisions (based off a 2019 study).

I especially appreciated the practical advice they provided on how you might apply these findings in real life in the "Putting it into practice" section. Enjoy!

4. American Academy of Sleep and Multiplying Habits

"It is, therefore, the position of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine that these seasonal time changes should be abolished in favor of a fixed, national, year-round standard time."

- Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine

Because nasal breathing at night changed my life, I am fascinated with sleep. So I take statements like this from sleep experts quite seriously. But it’s one thing to read an article and get inspired; it’s another to take action.

So this year, I have decided to try ignoring Daylight Savings Time.

This is something I can try in my life. My job allows me to come in later and stay later. And our daughter will be happy to have her sleep schedule unchanged.

I hope you’ll join me.

Not with the time change, but with whatever is firing you up these days. Here’s to multiplying our habits on our way to becoming the people we want to be.

P.S. My bedtime will now be a more reasonable 8:45 or 9:00 p.m. : )

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Man was created of the Earth, and lives by virtue of the air; for there is in the air a secret food of life…whose invisible congealed spirit is better than the whole earth."

- Michael Sendivogius (1604)

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: Although considered the "elixir of life," this gas was not discovered until the 1770s.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is oxygen?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Fitness is my passion.

 
 

Stop Breathing Sugar

 

Happy Monday!

Let’s get right to it. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for this week.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing is so Cliché

"Defense wins championships // The best defense is a good offense.

Birds of a feather flock together // Opposites attract.

You get what you pay for // The best things in life are free"

- Neil Pasricha, The Happiness Equation

For any situation you’re in, you can find a cliché to help you through. And as seen above, clichés are often contradictory. Likewise, breathing clichés are also contradictory, as we saw about a month ago:

Wim Hof tells you to breathe more. // Patrick McKeown tells you to breathe less.

Lung capacity determines longevity. // But you also shouldn’t take big breaths.

Oxygen is your body’s most important energy source. // But the exhale is the most important part of the breath.

For breathing, I suggested that we embrace these contradictions. But from a practical perspective, I like Neil Pasricha’s advice: "Any cliché, quote, or piece of advice that resonates with you only confirms to your mind something you already know."

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.

2. Stop Breathing Sugar

"Cutting sugar-sweetened beverages from your diet is the single-biggest thing you can do to improve your health."

- Mark Hyman, Food Fix

Many different diets work for many different people. But they all pretty much agree on one thing: remove processed sugar. And Mark Hyman’s number one recommendation is even more straightforward: "Don’t drink sugar."

Similarly, despite all the inconsistencies in breathing advice, there is one thing we can all agree on: don’t breathe through your mouth. Mouth breathing is like drinking sugar. It’s easy and it feels good, but it is detrimental to your health.

Let’s cut this processed "breathing sugar" from our diets. It may very well be the most important thing we can do for our health.

Thanks (for the millionth time) to Brian Johnson for inspiring this thought.

3. Nitric Oxide Reduces Alveolar Dead Space

"Alveolar dead space…represents alveoli, typically in the apex of the lung in an upright person, that do not receive blood flow"

- Respiratory Physiology, A Clinical Approach, pg. 96

By redistributing blood flow in the lungs, inhaled nasal nitric oxide reduces the alveolar dead space described above. Specifically, it allows more alveoli to receive blood flow, which allows more gas exchange to occur. This is something you won’t find in textbooks because the science is just too new.

This remarkable effect has led some to postulate that nasal nitric oxide is an evolutionary adaptation that helped allow us to walk upright. Pretty neat.

4. Slow Breathing is Better Than Social Media for Sleep

"Slow-paced breathing appears a promising cost-effective technique to improve subjective sleep quality and cardiovascular function during sleep in young healthy individuals."

- Journal of Clinical Medicine (2019)

This study found that 15 minutes of slow breathing (6 breaths/min) before bed led to better subjective sleep quality than 15 minutes of social media use. Slow breathing also led to higher overnight vagal activity.

Although these results might seem like common sense, I thought they were still compelling nonetheless. Here's to putting away our phones and focusing on our breath before bed.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life because everything is pulling you to be more and more complex."

- Yvon Chouinard

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This condition drops 21% two days after we gain an hour moving from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are heart attacks?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. lmao ok fine.

 
 

Exciting News: A New Breathing Gas Discovered

 

Happy Monday. There was a breakthrough in breathing research over the past few weeks: A new breathing gas has been discovered. I hope the extra hour of sleep you got this weekend will help this exciting news sink in even deeper.

OK, let’s get to it. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for you to think about as we begin November.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. A New Breathing Gas Discovered

"Thus, H2S [hydrogen sulfide] produced by CBS surely has a crucial role in maintaining eupneic-pattern respiration."

- Nature, Communications Biology

Hydrogen sulfide. It’s toxic, and it’s what gives rotten eggs their rotten smell. It also helps maintain our breathing.

A study published in Nature: Communications Biology on October 16, 2020, found that a small amount of hydrogen sulfide is critical to maintaining normal breathing. It does this through modification of the neural connections in the region of the brain that controls breathing.

When hydrogen sulfide production was stopped in rats, normal breathing turned to gasping, implying that it is vital to maintaining rhythmic breathing.

From a practical perspective, I’m not sure what this means yet. At a minimum, breathing now appears to be a four-gas system: oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, and hydrogen sulfide.

We’ve found ways to breathe to optimize the first three. However, it’s not yet clear if the way we breathe (or do anything else, for that matter) can influence hydrogen sulfide.

In any case, as a fellow breathing nerd, I hope you find this as fascinating and humbling as I did. Here’s to the joy of never-ending learning.

P.S. Here’s a short summary of these findings from ScienceDaily.

2. The Single Most Important Part of the Breath

"Interestingly, Törnberg et al. recently showed that more NO is released from the nasal passages during nasal inhalation compared with exhalation." - Lundberg et al. (2008)

Here is yet another reason why inhaling through your nose might be the single most important part of breathing: nitric oxide (NO) production is much greater during inhalation than exhalation.

Here’s the finding from the paper mentioned above: "There was a marked flow dependency of nasal NO output, with the highest levels observed during inhalation at flows similar to those seen during normal breathing." - Törnberg et al. (2002)

In hindsight, this makes complete sense. NO helps protect our lungs from inhaled pathogens and it redistributes blood flow in the lungs. So, of course our bodies would maximize it on the inhale. But it wasn’t until I read these two papers that it made sense to me.

"The obvious is that which is never seen until someone expresses it simply.” - Kahlil Gibran

3. What Focusing on the Breath Does to Your Brain

"Conversely, it may be possible to reduce fear and anxiety by slowing down our breath." - Greater Good, UC Berkeley

Here is a quick-reading article, packed full of excellent information, from The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Anytime you see a headline like "Managing stress: Is it all in the breath?" you know it’s going to be a good read. Enjoy!

4. Sleep Scientists Call for the Elimination of Daylight Saving Time

"It is, therefore, the position of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine that these seasonal time changes should be abolished in favor of a fixed, national, year-round standard time."

- Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine

I hope you all enjoyed the extra hour of sleep you got this weekend. The world’s leading sleep scientists say your body will function better, and they suggest we keep it this way (Standard Time) forever.

The above article is pretty short. But if you’re interested, here’s an even more concise summary, along with a rather impressive list of organizations that support the permanent change to Standard Time.

Because nasal breathing at night changed my life, I am endlessly fascinated with sleep. So I hope we all enjoy the next few months of better sleep and better optimization of our body's wake-light cycles.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”

- Oliver Wendell Holmes

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: Average walking speed (~2-4 mph) is also around the average speed of this physiological function.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy music.)

…

Question: What is blood flow?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. New life in a new city.