relaxation

Timeless Healing, Anti-Harley, and 2 Rules to Improve Your Breathing

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. Breathing Exercises Lower Inflammation and Change Gene Expression

“In those who practice breathing exercises, levels of inflammatory proteins in the blood are significantly lower, especially under certain types of stress. Mobilizing the power of the breath has also been shown to turn on anti-inflammatory genes and turn off pro-inflammatory ones, including genes that regulate energy metabolism, insulin secretion, and even the part of our DNA that controls longevity.”

- Michael J Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

I have nothing useful to add here, except, of course, one of these: 🤯

2. These Two Simple Rules Will Improve Your Breathing Forever

If I could give anyone any advice for everyday breathing, it’d be this:

  1. Breathe through your nose, especially during sleep.

  2. Make your breathing quiet.

You’ll get massive benefits with minimal effort using these two simple rules.

3. Timeless Healing: Slow Breathing + The Relaxation Response

“To evoke the relaxation response, you need to follow only two basic steps. You need to repeat a word, sound, prayer, phrase, or muscular activity, and when common everyday thoughts intrude on your focus, you need to passively disregard them and return to your repetition.”*

- Herbert Benson, MD, Timeless Healing: The Power and Biology of Belief

It’s that simple. And the word or phrase? Dr. Benson says, “The choice of a focused repetition is up to the individual. If you’re a religious person, you can choose a prayer. If you’re a non-religious person, choose a secular focus.”*

I’ve been using it this week in my slow breathing practice. I inhale and then repeat “be the change” in my head while exhaling at a 5 breaths/min pace.

I’ve never been a big fan of mantras (and I’m still testing different ones), but I’ve genuinely enjoyed this. It’s straightforward and highly effective.

Give it a shot and see how you feel.

4. My Fake Words, and Breathing as the Anti-Harley-Davidson

“Orfield Laboratories, run by Steven Orfield, is a small Twin Cities business that leverages the power of perception to help companies build better products. Harley-Davidson, for example, once hired Orfield to calculate the exact engine tone and decibel level that would give riders the impression that its motorcycles are powerful.”*

- Michael Easter, The Comfort Crisis

How crazy is that!? Harley-Davidson actually hired a company to ensure their engines gave “riders the impression that its motorcycles are powerful.”

I think breathing is the anti-Harley-Davidson. You just relax and breathe. If it’s powerful, it’s powerful. If it’s not, it’s not. No fake impressions needed.

***

P.S. Although I take pride in this newsletter, sometimes I feel like Orfield Labs trying to make breathing sound perfect. It’s not. But it is truly powerful. So, don’t just read my words, try it out and feel its strength for yourself.

Extra Thought:

5 Easy Breathing Exercises You Can Use for Better Sleep Tonight

I wrote a guest blog called “5 Easy Breathing Exercises You Can Use for Better Sleep Tonight” for The Breather, hosted by ResBiotic.

It’s a quick 4-minute read. I hope you enjoy it!

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“When we focus on the breath, we become mindful of the universal nature of all beings.”

- Bhante Henepola Gunarantana

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Meditation & Relaxation Response

Answer: A trademark physiological result of meditation and/or the relaxation response is that the body consumes less oxygen, also known as this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is hypometabolism?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Science can catch these hands

 
 
 

* 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.

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

 
 

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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.)

…

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

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An Unexpected Truth, 22 One-Sentence Ideas, and the Best Part of Breathing

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. 22 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas for 2022

1. Demonstrations of breathing are small compared with the great thing that is hidden behind them. 

2. Breathing doesn’t heal you; it gives your body the environment it needs to heal itself.

Keep going…

Let’s continue the tradition this year. Here are 22 one-sentence breathing ideas to kick off 2022. Enjoy!

***

Related: 21 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas for 2021

2. A Unexpected Truth: Use Your Heart to be More Objective

“I feel like I process information more objectively. If there's a bad call, or a player does something unexpected on the court, I can inhibit my reaction and quickly determine what needs to happen next with less effort.”

- Client of Leah Lagos, excerpt from Heart Breath Mind

This was the result of heart rate variability (HRV) training via slow breathing. As counterintuitive as it might sound, current science tells us that the more we train our hearts, the more objective we become.

It’s actually our pesky (albeit valuable, lol) brains that trick us into excess emotional reactivity, anxiety, stress, rumination, and on & on.

So to be more rational, use your heart, not your head : )

***

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

3. Why You Should Practice Abdominal Nose Breathing

“However, when we breathe through the nostrils and into the abdomen, not only do we breathe less frequently, but our exhalations are prolonged. What this means is that abdominal nose breathing not only makes more oxygen available to our bodies in a more efficient manner, but it also stimulates the sympathetic nervous system less frequently.”

- The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

That is all : )

4. The Best Part about Breathing

The best part about breathing is that we can satisfy our craving to read and learn while also applying that wisdom in our lives. There’s no abstraction. It’s as easy as “sit down and breathe like this for a few minutes and see how you feel.”

Sure, I write to try to make it fun and philosophical. But when it comes down to it, you just sit there and breathe. No one can take it away from you, and you don’t need any special training. You just do it.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"There's nothing mystical or abstract about it. It's physical. Your breath is your life-force, right here, right now. It could not be any simpler. Just breathe and reclaim your soul."

- Wim Hof

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: The Airways and Ancient Yoga

Answer: The trachea, a key component of breathing, is also referred to as this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the windpipe?

P.S. Yantra Yoga techniques were called “Wind Energy Training,” which sounds kind of woo-woo. But let’s not forget modern science refers to our main breathing tube as the “windpipe” : )

In good breath,

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

P.S. a workplace revolutionary tbh

 
 
 

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.

 
 

The Simplest Way to Increase Nitric Oxide Through Nasal Breathing

 

Hello, and happy Monday. Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy") related to breathing that I hope you enjoy.

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. Can Mouth Breathing Increase Nitric Oxide?

Yes, but only if done on the exhale.

Nitric oxide (NO) is continuously produced in the nasal cavity. When we inhale through the nose, we harness this wondrous molecule and its benefits in the airways and lungs.

But if we also exhale through our nose, some of it gets washed out. Conversely, if we exhale through our mouth, the NO continues to accumulate in the nasal cavity. Then, more is brought in with the next nasal inhale.

In through the nose, out through the mouth.

Here’s what a researcher at the UCLA School of Medicine says:

"Exhaling through the nose is highly wasteful in that the NO would be expelled away from the lungs, where it is needed most." - Louis J. Ignarro, Inhaled NO and COVID-19

While I personally don’t recommend exhaling through the mouth all the time, there are clearly times when it might be beneficial, even if only for short periods.

The next thought has a few ideas about putting this knowledge into practice.

2. Increase Oxygenation by 10% (without increasing carbon dioxide)

"The subject inhaled through the nose with the mouth closed and exhaled through the mouth with the nose blocked. Thereby, a maximum of NO from the nasal airways is inhaled while a minimum is lost during exhalation." - Lundberg et al. (1996)

This protocol, nose in - mouth out, led to a 10% increase in tissue oxygenation when compared with mouth in-nasal out.

Notably, there were no significant carbon dioxide changes between protocols. Thus, by inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, we can increase tissue oxygenation without increasing carbon dioxide.

It’s all due to nitric oxide.

We should not base all our breathing on any one conclusion. And many factors need to be weighed, such as moisture and heat loss from exhaling through the mouth. But these results are intriguing nonetheless.

Here’s a simple way I put them into practice: I start each slow breathing session with 3-5 nose in - mouth out breaths before switching to nose in - nose out.

This study also implies that nose in - mouth out could increase oxygenation to the working muscles during exercise. So, if you’re uncomfortable with nasal-only breathing during your workout, switching to nose in - mouth out could be a beneficial compromise from an oxygenation perspective.

3. Why Slowing Your Breathing Helps You Relax

"By repeatedly stimulating the vagus nerve during those long exhalations, slow breathing may shift the nervous system towards that more restful state, resulting in positive changes like a lower heart rate and lower blood pressure." (my emphasis)

- BBC, Why Slowing Your Breathing Helps You Relax

It’s always fun to find an article reporting the science behind slow breathing from a news outlet like BBC. They even present some information you might not have considered, like how taking "big breaths" might benefit relaxation.

The article also touches on everything from pain to arthritis and provides many useful references. It's an excellent summary. Enjoy!

Thanks to 411 reader A. P. for inspiring this thought.

4. What is Breathing? And is it Woo-Woo (part II)?

When I was drafting last week’s thought about breathing being woo-woo, my grammar editor said that I was using the word "breathe" too much. Almost ironically, the synonym it suggested was: live.

I thought, "funny that a word synonymous with life itself is often considered woo-woo." But at the same time, interchanging "breath" with "life" is borderline woo-woo : )

But this is an appropriate synonym. Because at its root, what is breathing? At the risk of sounding a bit woo-woo myself, here is one answer: breathing is living.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on the earth."

- Sanskrit Proverb

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: This is the lowest blood oxygen saturation recorded in a human climbing Mount Everest.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy music.)

…

Question: What is 34.4%?

Wim Hof

"Fainting is okay, it just means you went deep." – Wim Hof

Maybe Wim Hof has some crazy ideas, but he has done more for "breathing" than just about anyone on this planet. I am incredibly grateful for him and his work.

His new book comes out tomorrow. I ordered a copy and hope you will too.

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. We’ve Been Ordering Pizza All Wrong

 
 

Relaxation Breathing Reduces Blood Sugar Spikes

 
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This week, I am sharing one of those amazing papers that I read and underline the whole thing. Despite having a small sample size, it hints at the incredible benefits of breathing for optimal blood sugars.

Relaxation Breathing Improves Human Glycemic Response

(Click Here to Read the Full Summary)

The study participants were randomized into a control group (n=13) and a relaxation breathing group (n=13). The relaxation breathing (RB) protocol used a constant inhale with a progressively longer exhale:

  • Inhale 2 sec, exhale 1 sec.

  • Inhale 2 sec, exhale 2 sec.

  • Inhale 2 sec, exhale 3 sec.

  • …

  • Inhale 2 sec, exhale 10 sec.

The participants performed this exercise once every 10 minutes for 30 minutes prior to an oral glucose tolerance test. Then, they did it every 10 minutes for 90 minutes after the test. Overall, they did the RB technique 3 times before and 9 times after the test. The control group simply took the glucose tolerance test.

The results showed that the RB group had a significantly lower blood sugar (~37 mg/dL lower) thirty minutes after the glucose tolerance test.  After an hour, the two groups were approximately the same. Thus, relaxation breathing reduced the blood sugar spike associated with the glucose tolerance test.

Although the exact mechanisms are not clear, it seems likely that activation of the parasympathetic nervous system improved the insulin response of the RB group, and might have also improved insulin sensitivity.

This study provides another scientifically-validated breathing technique we can use to improve our blood sugars. After reading this paper, I started using it quite often.  I’ve found it’s nice to do while lying in bed before sleep.  I also find it helpful at the beginning of a breathing/meditation session just to calm everything down. 

And, with how simple it is, you do not need a watch or app. You can simply count in your head. It only takes ~75 seconds to complete one cycle and it will leave you feeling calm and relaxed (and potentially lower your blood sugar).

Give it a try before your next meditation or breathing session as a way to prepare you for relaxation.

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. I am finalizing this post on Friday, Feb. 28, and do not plan to look at it again before Monday (I am assuming my body/mind will not be in any capacity to do so). Hopefully I made through the 100 miles with no major issues. If you still want to donate, it’s not too late. HHPF is always accepting donations to further their mission. Thank you for your support!

 

Breathing and Brushing Your Teeth

 
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I’m pretty obsessive about my breathing practice and I tend to over-analyze every session. “Why did it feel harder today? Was I breathing light enough? I need to increase my CO2 more…” It goes on and on.

Recently, however, I heard something awesome in a “+1” from Brian Johnson. He quoted a great passage from Herbert Benson in The Relaxation Revolution:

“Most of us are concerned to one extent or another with dental hygiene, but we don’t dwell on the tooth-cleaning process. We just work away with that brush every day. Almost no one evaluates the brushing, to say, “That was a good brush!” or, “Too bad—that was a bad brush.” We simply do it!”

I love that. When is the last time you analyzed your tooth brushing skills? Probably never. Yet, we count on it for dental hygiene. We trust that it’s working, whether we brush “good” or not.

In some ways, that’s what we have to do with our breathing practice. (Or any integrative health practice, such as meditation, yoga, or physical exercise.)

We can’t spend too much time worrying if we did it exactly right. Instead, we just have to do it. Every day. And know that it’s working.

Of course, we want to start with the right principles and not jump foolishly into something. But, once we’ve committed, sometimes we just have to trust the process without over-analyzing it.

Here’s to treating our breath/meditation/yoga practice more like brushing our teeth.

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. Here’s another gem from Herbert Benson on the same topic (my bold for emphasis):

“Similarly, if you’re taking a pill your doctor has prescribed for your cholesterol or blood pressure, you probably don’t wonder, “Am I putting this pill in the proper side of my mouth? Am I swallowing it correctly? Is it really going to work?” Again, you just do it—and that should be your approach to mind body treatments.”