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. The Gratitude of Breathing
Slow breathing is to meditation what gratitude is to journaling.
2. A Benefit of Meditation: Slower Everyday Breathing
“Comparing each to a nonmeditator of the same age and sex, the meditators were breathing an average 1.6 breaths more slowly. And this was while they were just sitting still, waiting for a cognitive test to start.
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As practice continues and breathing becomes progressively slower, the body adjusts its physiological set point for its respiratory rate accordingly. That’s a good thing. While chronic rapid breathing signifies ongoing anxiety, a slower breath rate indicates reduced autonomic activity, better mood, and salutary health.”
– Daniel Goleman, Ph.D. & Richard Davidson, Ph.D., Altered Traits
The more you meditate, the less you breathe, and the better mood and health you acquire 👏
P.S. A voluntary slow breathing practice by itself (which is a form of meditation, in my opinion 😊) can give similar results.
3. Two Ways Attending to the Breath Calms the Mind
“Physiologically, attending to the breath makes it slower and deeper and thereby stimulates the vagus nerve, which then launches the relaxation response. Psychologically, attending to the breath intensely brings the mind to the present, away from past and future, and so temporarily frees the mind from regret about the past and worry about the future.”*
- Chade-Meng Tan, Joy on Demand
That is all 👏
4. The Breathing Pole Vaulter: Letting Go at a Great Height
“Listening to them, one image that came to mind was that of the polevaulter. At first, the athlete needs a pole to propel him or herself to a great height. At a certain point, the athlete has to release the pole and just jump.”
– Larry Rosenberg, Three Steps to Awakening
This is an excellent analogy for any breath-focused contemplative practice (breathwork, meditation, yoga, etc.)
The breath is like the pole, boosting us to a great height where we can “let go” and discover our full potential.
A 9-Minute Podcast
I was honored to have a discussion with Tina Gilbertson, creator of the Reconnection Club and just an all-around amazing person. She condensed our conversation into a short & sweet 9-minute podcast.
I hope you enjoy it: Episode 146: Breathe
1 Quote
“Breathing, the common, everyday act of inhaling and exhaling a breath, has the ability to be something that benefits not just me or you, it can benefit every person we encounter.” ”
1 Answer
Category: The Nostrils
Answer: Measurements reveal that the left-nostril breathing makes this branch of the autonomic nervous system more active, benefiting overall cardiovascular and autonomic health.
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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
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Question: What is the parasympathetic branch?
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
P.S. how I said “here”
The Garlic Breath of the Week
Here is the most-liked post this past week.
* 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.