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Head and Heart, Best Advice, and Why All Breathwork Works

 

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4 Thoughts



1. Why All Breathwork Works: The Brain, Lungs, and Speed Dial

Over thousands of years of evolution, fast and powerful pathways between the respiratory system and the brain have been established. If breathing stops, death occurs within minutes, and so the brain prioritizes messages from the lungs above all others.

- Charley Morley, Wake Up to Sleep
(Thanks to D.A. for this excellent recommendation)

This idea has been said in many different ways, but this version resonates profoundly with me. And, it concisely summarizes why all breathwork works: “the brain prioritizes messages from the lungs above all others.”

2. For Breathing, We Need Emotion and Science, Head and Heart

It’s time to drop the old notions of separation between emotion and science—for ourselves and our future. Just as rivers join on their way to the ocean, to understand Blue Mind we need to draw together separate streams: analysis and affection; elations and experimentation; head and heart.

- Wallace J Nichols, Blue Mind

This is a beautiful passage, and it couldn’t be any truer for breathing, too: we need “analysis and affection; elations and experimentation; head and heart.

Breathing is where all these rivers join and flow into the ocean of life.

3. Resonance Breathing for Sleep: A Real-World Example

I have found that just a few minutes of resonance breathing each day has improved my sleep, and my ability to fall asleep much more quickly. … Resonance breathing has helped me to get in touch with the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system that rules rest. When I lie down to sleep at night, I can sense sleep much more readily, and I can give into it.

- Eddie Stern, One Simple Thing

A few weeks ago, we discussed a study showing that slow breathing before sleep improves sleep quality and vagal tone.

But better than any study, here’s a real-world example from Eddie Stern. In fact, it was so powerful for Eddie that he went and created a resonance breathing app.

Use it tonight for better sleep.

4. The Best Advice I’ve Read for Our Daily Practice

The practice itself has to become the daily embodiment of your vision and contain what you value most deeply. It doesn't mean trying to change or be different from how you are, calm when you're not feeling calm, or kind when you really feel angry. Rather, it is bearing in mind what is most important to you so that it is not lost or betrayed in the heat and reactivity of a particular moment.” (my emphasis)

- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., Wherever You Go There You Are

It’s taken me 5 years of daily practice to even begin to understand this statement.

No matter how long you are into yours, I hope this hits home for you too 🙏


1 QUOTE

The practices of breathing and working with your body are about re-empowering you. They’re about connecting you with your own mind, your own body, your own will and your ability to live and to value your life.
— Daniel Libby, Ph.D.
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Brain-Lung Communication

Answer: One of the ways in which the brain has the lungs on “speed dial” is through information sent & received from this nerve.

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

Question: What is the vagus nerve?

P.S. I know this was a softball for many of you, but it fit too good with Thought #1 to leave off here : )


Two Extras: A Speaking Event and a Blog

1. Breathe Your Way to Better Health: A Presentation Format of The Breathing 411

I’m honored to be speaking at the Ziva Lifestyle Summit: Your Health Begins with You. For talks, I always draw from this newsletter to combine a variety of sources in a fun and (hopefully) useful way. So, if you like this newsletter, I think you’ll enjoy it.

Here are the event details. I hope to see you there!

2. Reduce Stress with Slow Deep Breathing

Here’s another guest blog I wrote for ResBiotic titled Reduce Stress with Slow Deep Breathing. I hope you enjoy it!


In good breath,

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

P.S. 6 months since I joined the gym

Breathing for Diabetes:

If you love learning about breathing, or just want to live an overall healthier life, 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.

 
 

How Nasal Breathing is Imprinted on the Brain - And What it Means for You

 
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It feels somewhat odd to send to write a post breathing right now. There are certainly bigger problems to worry about. But, I hope this can, at the very least, serve as a distraction. Stay healthy and stay safe!


 

It makes sense that our brains have regions that “light up” when we smell something. But, what about the airflow itself? If there was no odor, would we still see effects on the brain?

That was the question this week’s paper answered.

Activity Patterns Elicited by Airflow in the Olfactory Bulb and Their Possible Functions

(Click Here to Read Full Summary)

It took me two days to enter all of my notes on this one. I felt almost neglectful distilling everything into one page for the summary.

Using fMRI, the authors examined how nasal airflow stimulated the olfactory bulb of mice and compared it to that of odor stimulation. The main difference: Nasal airflow lights up broad regions of the olfactory bulb, whereas odor stimulation is more localized.

Interestingly, the intensity of the nasal breathing signal only changed with total airflow. For example, if they increased the breathing frequency, but reduced the volume, intensities remained relatively constant. But, if they increased frequency and volume, things “lit up” even more.

Why is all of this important for you? The olfactory bulb influences the limbic system, which influences emotions and the autonomic nervous system. Therefore, if nasal breathing is imprinted on your brain in the olfactory bulb, this helps explain how it can easily influence your emotional and physiological state.

If you have done any breathing practices, you have likely experienced this. Here, we see one reason why.

So, we can conclude: Breathe through your nose to change your brain, change your emotions, and change your physiological state. Simple, yet profound.

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Don’t worry about corona?

 

Nasal breathing synchronizes brain wave activity and improves cognitive function

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Last week, we discussed century-old ideas about nasal breathing and mental function. I said that current science is beginning to catch up. Here’s how.

Modern Science Supports 100 Year-Old Observations

A study published in 2016 in The Journal of Neuroscience showed that nasal breathing is intimately connected to brainwave oscillations, emotional recognition, and memory retrieval.

Intracranial EEG measurements showed that nasal breathing synchronizes brainwave oscillations in the olfactory bulb, the hippocampus, and the amygdala. When breathing was switched to the mouth, this coherence disappeared.

In a follow-on experiment, they showed participants pictures of faces expressing fear or surprise. They had to pick which one it was as fast as they could.

Not only did the nasal breathers outperform the mouth breathers, but they also found that responses were quickest during inhalation versus exhalation. The participants also had more accurate memory retrieval during nasal inhalation.

Taken together, their results indicate that nasal breathing acts to organize brainwave oscillations and improve cognitive functioning.

These results also help explain Guye’s theory about nasal breathing and mental function. That is, they support the quote “Shut your mouth and save your brain.

Breathing is More Than Just Gases

These results imply that breathing is about more than just about gases. Breathing acts to synchronize brain activity and enhance cognitive function…but only when performed through the nose.

In good breath,
Nick