Listen Instead of Reading
4 Thoughts
1. The 5 Exhales of Slow Breathing
Here are 5 different exhales you can try during your slow breathing practice. Give them a shot and see which one brings you the most relaxation.
Nasal exhale
Audible pursed-lips (like blowing out birthday candles)
Barely audible pursed-lips (like blowing on hot soup)
Ujjayi
Humming
I do a mix of these depending on how I’m feeling, but my defaults are 1 and 3.
2. How Changing One Word Makes Breath Holds Easier
Instead of saying “hold” your breath, use (or think) the word “pause.”
Holding implies tension and effort. Pausing is natural and effortless.
It’s a subtle change, but it can make a significant difference.
***
P.S. This idea was inspired by Eddie Stern’s Pranayama Week. He used the word “pause” instead of hold several times, and I found it brilliant.
3. Why Mindless Breathing is Good, Part II
“We now know that somewhere between 40% and 80% of what we do is done automatically … This is the exact strategy the brain uses to conserve energy, but especially if we've got the wrong habits, it can wreak havoc on our lives.”
- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible
Coming back to last week’s thought on mindless breathing, here’s another way of looking at it: 40-80%(!) of what we do is automatic. And with breathing, it’s probably 96-99%, depending on how much you practice.
But this isn’t a bad thing—it’s actually a blessing we can put to good use.
If we’re diligent and consistent with our precious gift of breath control, a mindful 1-4% investment can pay dividends on the other unmindful 96+%.
Which comes back to the main point: The goal of mindful breathing is to improve our mindless breathing.
4. A Beautiful Message and NOSEvember
“Breathwork is life changing. Whether reducing stress, controlling or eliminating disease symptoms, improving sleep, or even being a better person at work and at home. I truly believe that the breath is the key to unlocking our bodies abilities to heal themselves and perform at optimal capacity.”
- Dr. Tanya Bentley, HHPF Co-Founder & CEO
A beautiful message from a beautiful human being. Check out NOSEvember and consider supporting HHPF’s phenomenal mission. 🙏
Extra Thought (minus the bi-annual rant)
We just had another time change. I’ll spare you my normal rant on how almost every sleep scientist on the planet thinks it’s awful to change the time twice a year. But alas, we still do it : )
And if you’ve read this a while, you know I decided to ignore the time change when we “sprung forward” in March (be the change you want to see style). I loved it, and I plan on doing the same again with this one, if life allows…
1 QUOTE
“It means that breath is the root of the essence and of the soul, the life source and the ruler of the spirit.”
1 ANSWER
Category: Exhalation and Nasal Nitric Oxide
Answer: This exhalation technique can increase nasal nitric oxide by as much as 15-fold.
…
(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
…
Question: What is humming?
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
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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.