November 14, 2022

Wim Hof & the Ocean, Presencing, and a Long, Good Life

November 14, 2022

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. A Borrowed Rule from Nutrition that Applies to Breathing

What you remove is far more valuable than what you add.

When you remove habitual mouth breathing, it’s like removing ultra-processed foods. You’ll feel amazing, and everyone will agree it was a good call.

From there, it becomes like a diet. All breathing methods work in some capacity, and each has its own unique benefits (and group of zealots 😊).

But the key is to find—in a safe and enjoyable way—which one works best for you at this moment in your life.

2. Breathing for Presencing

“Otto Scharmer…suggests that identifying and letting go of our restricting inner voices can help us become more open and present, and thus more creative and collaborative. Scharmer uses the term ‘presencing’—combining ‘present’ with ‘sensing’—to describe the process of coming into the moment and activating full, uninhibited awareness.”
Laurie J Cameron, The Mindful Day

Presencing. I love that word. And what better way to be ‘present’ and ‘sensing’ than with mindful breathing? It’s literally the definition of presencing.

So here’s to tuning into our breath to activate full, uninhibited awareness a little more this week 🙏

***

P.S. The ultimate benefit of presencing: You live longer.

3. The Best Prescription for a Long, Good Life (applied to breathing)

“The best-odds prescription for a long, good life is a baseline of mainly PNS arousal with mild SNS activation for vitality, combined with occasional SNS spikes for major opportunities or threats.”
- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Buddha’s Brain

Although Dr. Hanson is talking about life in general, I think we could apply this wisdom to designing a breathing routine:

Baseline of Mainly PNS Arousal: Most of our time is spent on slow breathing exercises and nasal breathing 24/7
Mild SNS Activation: Some of our time is spent on fast-breathing and/or breath-hold practices
Occasional SNS spikes: A smaller percent of our time is spent on methods like Wim Hof or similar

That seems like a reasonable framework, but remember: it ultimately comes down to what’s suitable for you in this moment of your life—see Thought #1 : )

Note: SNS/PNS = sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous system

4. The Ultimate Value of a Breathing Practice is This

“From my standpoint, the ultimate value of art is in nourishing the soul. Everything else is residual.”
- John Toki

I think we could equally say:

The ultimate value of a breathing practice is in nourishing the soul. Everything else is residual.

So make sure you nourish yours a little more this week 🙏

1 Quote

“The breath is as big as the ocean. … It is the sea itself. It’s where we came from, who we are. It is bigger than us because it is us.”

— Wim Hof

1 Answer

Category: Word Etymology

Answer: The word for this organ literally means “light” (in terms of weight).

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the lung?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Happens every time

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).

LEARN MORE AND VIEW THE COURSE CURRICULUM

* 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.

Nicholas Heath

October 24, 2022

weekly email, Batch 9

How to (actually) Live Longer, Point A to B, and Breathing for Spirit

Nicholas Heath

October 24, 2022

weekly email, Batch 9

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. How to Get from Point A to Point B

“This is the deepest paradox in all of meditation: we want to get somewhere—we wouldn’t have taken up the practice if we didn’t—but the way to get there is just to be fully here. The way to get from point A to point B is really to be at A.” (my emphasis)
- Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

To get from point A to point B, we just have to be fully at A.

Although that reframe is life-changing by itself, here’s another mind-blower:

Point A is the breath.

2. How Long Should You Practice Breathwork Each Day?

“I think the amount of time that you spend on this work is not that important. …[W]hat is important here is the regularity of doing this work. You want to do this every day without fail because you are attempting to change rhythms in your nervous system, and it's the constancy of the input, it's the regularity of the input, that is going to produce these changes over time.”
- Andrew Weil, MD, Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing

Of course, we can use scientific findings to find a reasonable dose (which is about 10 min/day for slow breathing).

But, an even better approach is what Dr. Weil says here. Simply focus on consistency. We’re trying to rewire our nervous systems, and “it’s the regularity of the input that is going to produce these changes over time.”

Amen to that 🙏

3. How to Live Longer (regardless of your age, lifespan, or health span)

“Harvard researchers found that 47 percent of the time, people are thinking about something other than what they're doing. That's nearly half of our day.”
- Laurie J Cameron, The Mindful Day

We’re not present about half the time. That’s nuts. It made me think, what’s the point of trying to live a long, healthy life if we’re not actually experiencing it?

Enter the power of the breath. By learning to come back to our breath—back to Point A—we learn presence. And we instantly (and truly) live longer.

As Cameron says, “It amounts to having a longer, richer life, because you’re present for much more of it. And we can all do this.” <— Let’s do that 👏

4. Breathing for the Spirit

The foods we eat influence our bodies.

The thoughts we think influence our minds.

The breaths we breathe influence our spirits.

Let’s feed them all well, this week 🙏

1 QUOTE

“From time to time we should take a breath and notice the silence between sounds.”

— Haemin Sunim

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing Mechanics

Answer: These organs are actually passive during breathing—they don’t create any movement associated with inhalation and exhalation.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are the lungs?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Did a little self-diagnosing over the weekend

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).

LEARN MORE AND VIEW THE COURSE CURRICULUM

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

Nicholas Heath

January 3, 2022

weekly email

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

Nicholas Heath

January 3, 2022

weekly email

Get This In Your Inbox Every Monday

🎧 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. 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!

***

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 : )

***

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

Nicholas Heath

November 8, 2021

weekly email

The 5 Exhales, Spirit, and How One Word Makes Breath Holds Easier

Nicholas Heath

November 8, 2021

weekly email

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 Edd ie 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 wee k’s thou ght 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 NOSEv ember and consider supporting HHPF’s ph enomenal mission. 🙏

Extra Thought (minus the bi-annual rant)

We just had another time change. I’ll spare you my normal rant on how almost ever y sl eep 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 igno re 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.”
- The Primordial Breath, Volume I

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: Wh at is humming?

In good breath,

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

P.S. The true te st of longe vity

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

Nicholas Heath

October 11, 2021

weekly email

How Breathing Helps You Get and Stay Frustrated (and why it’s a good thing)

Nicholas Heath

October 11, 2021

weekly email

Listen Instead of Reading

4 Thoughts

1. Why You Need to be Frustrated, and How Breathing Can Help

“Long-haul creativity, Robinson believes, requires a low-level, near-constant sense of frustration. … It’s a constant, itchy dissatisfaction, a deep sense of what-if, and can-I-make-it-better, and the like.”
- Steven Kotler, The Ar t of Impossible

A consistent breathing practice will improve your m ental clarity and overall health. But it will also frustrate the hell out of you.

It’s so simple; why isn’t this taught everywhere? Wait, it’s free, and it literally helps everything?

Then, of course, your improved mental clarity will seep into everything you do, and you will get more frustrated with the world, in general. (Not that I’m speaking from personal experience or anything 😂)

But now we see it’s a good thing. We need a little frustration, a slight sense of dissatisfaction, a knowing that things could be better. It helps us sustain the creativity needed to deliver what the world needs.

And a regular breathing practice is the easiest way to get that itchy dissatisfaction.

So, please, go get a little more frustrated, and a little more creative, today : )

***

P.S. Kotler shares nine different ways for achieving long-haul creativity in the book. This was #5, but its unexpected nature made it stand out the most.

2. A Few Stand-Out Passages on the Importance of the Ancient Nose

“As a general note, the teachings on wind energy training and Yantra yoga emphasize breathing through the nostrils during the entire practice session. Unless we are given specific, personal instruction by a master on how and when to breathe through the mouth, we should always breathe through the nose.”
- The Tib etan Yo ga of Breath
“The nose is the heavenly door (while) the mouth is the earthly window. Therefore, inhale through your nose and use your mouth to exhale. Never do otherwise for breath would be in danger and illness would set in.”
- The Primordial Br eath, Volume I
"Ancient Egyptian cultures also recognized the importance of the breath, the evidence of which we see today in the many ancient statues that had their noses broken off but otherwise were left untouched. This defacement was no accident, but a deliberate act by conquering groups to take the life, in this case the breath of life, away from these icons."
- Michael J. Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

3. Walking After a Meal: The Simplest Habit for Stable Blood Sugar

“The most important takeaway is simple: Whenever possible, move your body after eating. Doing this helps mobilize post-meal glucose to fuel physical activity and curb the spike you might experience if you were inactive.”
- Levels, Walking after a meal: the si mplest habit for stable blood sugar

The folks at Levels put out some of the best blogs; they’re well-written and packed with practical information.

This one was so good it almost made me want to switch my post-meal breathing session for a walk. Who knows, maybe I’ll become The Wal king Di abetic : )

Enjoy!

***

4. A Little Bit of Tape goes a Long Way

“I guess it goes to show that a little bit of tape can go a long way.”
- 411 Reader

When you tape your mouth at night, you reap the benefits of nasal breathing for 7+ hours a night. This includes things like better oxygenation, optimal breathing volume, harnes sing n itric oxide, and brainwave synchron ization.

Ultimately, this leads to deeper and more restorative sleep.

And if you’re a diabetic, your improved sleep might lead to noticeably bett er i nsulin sensitivity, which happened for this reader.

“I guess it goes to show that a little bit of tape can go a long way.” Perfectly said. 🙏

1 QUOTE

“The air, we might say, is the soul of the visible landscape, the secret realm from which all things draw their nourishment.”
- David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous

P.S. Thanks to 411 reader Davis for sharing this book, and specifically the chapter on breathing, with me. So much goodness to explore. 🙏

1 Answer

Category: Brainwaves and Creativity

Answer: These brainwaves, which are between 8 and 12 Hz, are most associated with creative thinking.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are al pha brainwa ves?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Slipping t he bouncer a $20

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

Nicholas Heath

October 4, 2021

weekly email

How Breathing Boosts Creativity, Why We Sigh, and Where Rumi’s Soul Lives

Nicholas Heath

October 4, 2021

weekly email

Listen Instead of Reading

Welcome back to another 411. Let’s jump straight in…

4 Thoughts

1. Breathing to Boost Creativity: Quieting the Amygdala, Pessimism, and 80%

“Unfortunately, to keep us safe, the amygdala is strongly biased toward negative information. …This crushes optimism and squelches creativity. When tuned toward the negative, we miss the novel.”
- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossi ble

When we meditate or practice slow breathing (~4-6 breaths/minute), activity in our amygdala is reduced. It’s hypothesized that this occurs through the “hyperpolarization” of neurons, which literally makes them harder to excite.

This turns down negative thinking and turns up creativity. It’s not magic; it’s membrane potential : )

Perhaps this is why, after interviewing the most creative people on the planet, Tim Ferriss discov ered that “More than 80% of the interviewees have some form of daily mindfulness or meditation practice.”

These practices naturally lead to cardiorespiratory coherence, quieting the pessimistic amygdala, allowing us to see the novelty all around us.

So how about we slow down our breath, quiet our amygdala, and cultivate a little more creativity, today.

***

Related Quote: “When Video Arts asked me if I’d like to talk about creativity I said ‘no problem!’ No problem! Because telling people how to be creative is easy, it’s only being it that’s difficult.” - John Cleese

2. Breathing To Live A Fuller Life

“It is life that is the real teacher. Practice should open us to a fuller life, not cut us off from it altogether.”
- Larry Rosenberg, Breath b y Breath

As much as I’m obsessed with my breath practice itself, this is perfect. We should use our practice to open us to a fuller life. To be more creative at work, to hik e up a mountain, to accomplish a new PR in the gym.

And this really applies to everything we do for better health. Let’s not make the practice our life. Instead, let’s use the practice to have a fuller life.

***

P.S. Like most of these thoughts, I’m talking to myself here : )

3. Why We Sigh

“But there may be more to sighing than just sustaining life. Research suggests that sighing also may relieve stress.”
- Jack L. Feldman, PhD and Ramani Durvasula, PhD
Wh y We Sigh

As if sustaining life wasn’t enough : )

Here’s another excellent article on sighing, this time from BottomLineInc. Be sure to read how you can “harness the sighing effect.” It’s doesn’t involve sighing at all…

Enjoy!

***

Related: Pair this with one of my favorite articles ever, which goes by the same name: Vice: Wh y We Sig h

4. The Easiest Way to Immediately Improve Your Breathing

“The inhalation should be extremely soft and continuous, whether sitting down or lying down. If you are walking or standing, you should be relaxed. What is forbidden is noise.”
- The Pri mordial Breath, Volume 1

The easiest thing you can do to instantly improve your breathing anytime, anywhere, is just make it quiet. “What is forbidden is noise.”

1 QUOTE

“The soul lives there in the silent breath.”
- Rumi

1 Answer

Category: Amygdala Etymology

Answer: Because of its shape, the amygdala got its name from the Greek word amygdale, meaning this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: W h at is almond?

In good breath,

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

P.S. take it from here good luck