Nicholas Heath

September 27, 2021

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How Breathing Compounds, 2000+ Years, and a Remarkable Fact of Existence

Nicholas Heath

September 27, 2021

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A Breathing Gift This Week

Have you read the Holstee Manifesto? It’s amazing. This is my adaptation, The Breathing Manifesto. (I literally just copied their format. I’m not that creative, lol). Print it, hang it, and enjoy it!

Download the breathing manifesto

Alright, on to this week’s 411…

4 Thoughts

1. The Body is Complex, So We Should Listen To It

(Read Time: 32 seconds)

“Our bodies are complex interconnected systems of biological processes that interact differently under the influence of the unique genetic coding and environmental factors that we each experience.”
- Dr. Ellen Langer, Counterclockwise

That passage gets a “Wow!” 🤯x 100

So if anyone ever tells you one breathing method is best, or one diet, or one anything related to your health, remember this message from Harvard professor Ellen Langer. Our bodies are insanely complex. There’s no way of knowing what’s best for you without trying it and listening to your own body.

***

Related Quote: “What we mean is, in the field of peak performance, too often, someone figures out what works for them and then assumes it will work for others. It rarely does. More often, it backfires.” - Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

2. Will This Be Laughed at in 2000+ Years?

(Read Time: 43 seconds)

“I delved into the medical research … I was amazed by how the yogis of India and Tibet, prior to the invention of modern technology or research instruments, gained a thorough knowledge of the effect of the breath, proper and improper, on our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.”
- The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

Building off the previous thought, here’s a perfect example of the power of listening to the body. Without science, ancient yogis discovered the healing power of the breath, which modern science is only now starting to “validate.”

Of course, you know I’m obsessed with reading science papers : ) But in 2000+ years, do we really think any of them will still be meaningful? Or will they be laughed at? Probably the latter.

But results based on human experience, like those discovered by yogis millennia ago, are timeless.

***

P.S. This thought, and thought #1, are exactly why I’m obsessed with breathing : ) We can read the science, immediately apply it, and discard what doesn’t work for us.

3. How to Practice Mindfulness While You Walk

(Read Time: 31 seconds)

“Through breathwalking, I can access the same state of calm as people doing yoga and meditation but on my own terms” - James Nicolai, MD
- From Weight Watchers: How to Practice Mindfulness While you Walk

Yes, that’s right, Weight Watchers 🤦 Every single conscious and unconscious bias I have went into high gear when I saw it.

But this is the most succinct yet comprehensive article on breathwalking I’ve come across. It’s well worth the 3 min it’ll take you to read it. Enjoy!

4. Why Breathing is the Compound Interest of Health and Wellness

(Read Time: 37 seconds)

An obvious (yet overlooked) aspect of breathing is that we’re always doing it. This presents the opportunity for infinite compounding gains over time.

Compounding requires two ingredients, time and consistency, which are built into breathing. Other health interventions, such as new diets, also compound. But they are usually more sporadic, limiting their chances of endless growth.

But breathing is always there. It just takes tiny shifts, such as breathing only through our noses, for the compound interest to start accruing.

So here’s to watching our tiny 1% breathing investments compound into ridiculous growth over time.

***

Related Quote: “Peak performance works like compound interest. A little bit today, a little bit tomorrow, do this for weeks and months and years and the result won't just be a life that exceeds your expectations, it'll be one that exceeds your imagination.” - Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

1 Quote

“One of the most remarkable facts of existence is under our noses all of the time.”
- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Neurodharma

1 Answer

Category: The Complex Human Body

Answer: According to recent estimates, the human body has approximately this many cells.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 30-40 trillion?

In good breath,

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

P.S. One last look

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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.

Nicholas Heath

September 20, 2021

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Ujjayi isn’t Ocean, Well-Being, and Why You Should Teach “Brooklyn” Yoga

Nicholas Heath

September 20, 2021

weekly email

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This week, you’re going to learn:

That Ujjayi and Ocean breathing are different,
How to breathe for inflammation, and
A story I listened and laughed at more times than I’m proud to admit…

I hope you enjoy it!

4 Thoughts

1. Ujjayi vs. Ocean Breathing (turns out they’re different)

“Ujjayi pranayama, which is performed by lightly tightening the glottis and breathing with a whispering sound and then exhaling out of either the left or right nostril, stimulates the vagus through massaging the larynx and downregulating the sympathetic nervous system. … Ocean breath is sometimes used synonymously with ujjayi, but the two are separate practices.”
- Eddie Stern, One Simple Thing

I thought Ujjayi and Ocean breathing were the same thing. So, I found this passage fascinating (especially that Ujjayi uses an exhale through one nostril). I messaged Eddie about it, and he kindly responded with even more value.

He added that, for Ocean breathing, “the sound is made not so much by the tightening of the glottis, but by creating a continuum of pressure from the high nasal cavity, through the throat, into the thorax.”

That means there are two key differences between Ujjayi and Ocean breathing:

Ujjayi: sound comes from the glottis, and the exhale is through only one nostril.
Ocean: sound comes from the nose to thorax, and the exhale is through both nostrils.

My favorite part about breathing is continuously learning that I have so much more to learn : ) Thanks, Eddie!

***

Related: Hatha Yoga Pradipika (#51-53)

Related Quote: “The surest way to prevent yourself from learning a topic is to believe you already know it.” - James Clear

2. Slow Breathing for Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Diabetes and its associated blood sugar fluctuations lead to chronic oxidative stress and inflammation. What can slow deep breathing do?

JACM (2011): “Diaphragmatic breathing, likely through the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system…reduces reactive oxygen species production.”
Nature (2017): “…our results lead to the hypothesis that slow breathing may exert some antioxidant effect, possibly via parasympathetic stimulation.”
PLOS One (2013): “RR [relaxation response] practice…reduced expression of genes linked to inflammatory response and stress-related pathways.”

Taken together, these results suggest that slow breathing could be a simple and effective way to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in diabetes.

But you don’t need diabetes to benefit. These two complications are present in many acute and chronic conditions, so the above results will help everyone.

3. “Why Your Breath is Connected to Your Well-Being”

“As deep breaths slow your heart rate, for example, your vagus nerve recognizes the cues of safety and sends that information to parts of the body so they can turn off their defenses, such as those that arise from a sense of anxiety or threat.”
- Why Your Breath is Connected to Your Well-Being

This is an awesome little article on breathing and well-being, focusing mainly on the vagus nerve.

You will learn how vagal tone is connected with social situations, how compassion can increase respiratory sinus arrhythmia (a marker of vagal activity), and 4 simple ways to calm your whole body.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

4. Why You Should Start Teaching “Brooklyn” Yoga

“One new meditator kept coming to interviews with a chronic lament: ‘The breath is so boring!’
Finally, I asked him if he'd ever heard of Brooklyn yoga? He said no. I told him to close his mouth tight and close off both nostrils with his fingers. We sat that way for some time until finally he let go of his nose and gasped for air.
‘Was that breath boring?’, I said.”
- Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

I must have listened to this story about 10 times in a row and laughed more with each one. It brilliantly captures the importance of breathing—no science or technical jargon needed.

So if anyone tells you breathing is boring, doesn’t work, or is pseudo-science, teach them a little “Brooklyn” yoga—you might just change their mind : )

***

P.S. When I ran in and told my wife the story (yes, I was excited, lol), she didn’t get the “Brooklyn” part. Neither do I, but I think that’s the point : )

1 Quote

“If one wants longevity, one should let the spirit and the breath pour into each other.”
–Tao Tsang
Translation from The Primordial Breath

1 Answer

Category: Vagus Nerve Function

Answer: Activation of the vagus nerve releases this chemical, which stimulates muscle contractions in the parasympathetic nervous system and slows the heart rate.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is acetylcholine?

In good breath,

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

P.S. No I don’t “meditate”

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

September 13, 2021

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How I Trained for Altitude and Why We All Benefit from Breath Training

Nicholas Heath

September 13, 2021

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Autonomic Neuroscience says slow breathing is for diabetes & hypertension.

Harvard Medical School says yogic breathing is for stress.

And Tibetan Yoga says breath training is for everyone.

Let’s see how…

4 Thoughts

1. How I Trained for High Altitude (it’s not what you might think)

I thought, “I’m The Breathing Diabetic. I better be able to handle some altitude.”
But I didn’t train how you might think. Of course, I initially started with more breath holds. But I realized that the issue at altitude is lower air pressure.
- How I Trained for High Altitude Blog Post

This one was slightly too long to fit in as a “Thought,” so I made it a really short blog post.

Give it a read to learn my somewhat odd training method for my recent hike up to 13,200 feet…and to see if it actually worked (pictures included).

Please respond to this email if you have any thoughts on my reasoning…it was my first time at altitude, so I’d appreciate any feedback or thoughts you have.

***

Related: How To Breathe To Live Longer

2. Slow Breathing for Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

“Even in already well controlled diabetic patients, guided breathing had beneficial influences on cardiovascular autonomic control and a measurable impact on BP control. It enriches available options for non-pharmacological blood pressure…reduction.”
- Effects Of Guided Breathing On Blood Pressure And Heart Rate Variability In Hypertensive Diabetic Patients

According to Johns Hopkins, approximately two-thirds of adult diabetics have high blood pressure or take medication for it. And people with diabetes and hypertension are 4x more likely to develop heart disease.

Fortunately, this study found that just 12 minutes a day of slow breathing (with no changes to medication) led to significantly lower blood pressure, increased heart rate variability, and a reduced spontaneous breathing rate (indicating reduced sympathetic arousal).

All of which led to this remarkable final statement: “If consistently used, guided breathing enhances restoration of physiological autonomic balance in patients with diabetes and hypertension.” Amen 🙏

Here’s to controlling our breath to control of our blood pressure, today.

3. Harvard Medical School: “Yogic Breathing Improved University Students' Response to Stress”

“When we anticipate a stressful situation, our breathing and heart rates naturally go up…but the yogic breathing group seemed to show protection against that type of stress. Their heart rate increased only slightly when they knew a stressful situation was coming.”
- Yogic breathing improved university students' response to stress

Enjoy this excellent and quick write-up showing that yogic SKY breathing can significantly reduce the stress response. It’s from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a world-class teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

The next thought builds off of this idea of “protection against stress”…

4. What Turbulence Can Teach Us About Breathing

When you’re flying and hit turbulence, you’re told to put on your seatbelt.

It’s reactive.

It’s similar to when turbulence hits in our lives. We react. We start eating healthy or meditating or exercising more.

But a regular breathing practice is proactive.

It helps you avoid turbulence altogether.

Or, if you can’t avoid the turbulence, it’s like your seatbelt. You’re already fastened in. You don’t need to rush back to your seat. You’re ready.

1 Quote

“Because the breath is such an excellent and abundant support for life and vitality for every being on the planet, everyone can benefit from training in the breath.”
– The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

1 Answer

Category: Hypoxia and Red Blood Cells

Answer: During hypoxia, this organ releases additional red blood cells to increase your oxygen carrying capacity.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the spleen?

In good breath,

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

P.S. “sorry, it’s my first day!”

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

September 6, 2021

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How Modern Science Supports Ancient Yoga, plus Comfort in Breathwalking

Nicholas Heath

September 6, 2021

weekly email

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The way you breathe might affect your insulin sensitivity. And the way you walk definitely affects your ability to withstand discomfort.

Let’s find out how…

4 Thoughts

1. Longer Exhalations are Naturally Relaxing

“It's helpful to extend your exhalations because the ‘rest and digest’ parasympathetic nervous system handles exhaling while also slowing your heart rate. So, longer exhalations are naturally relaxing.”
- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Neurodharma

Just a friendly reminder that extending the exhalation is one of the fastest ways to naturally relax. That is all : )

***

2. How Breathing Might Help with Insulin Sensitivity

“These observations demonstrate that hypoxia rapidly regulated the inhibition of the insulin signaling pathway […] During reoxygenation, the ability of insulin to stimulate phosphorylation of insulin receptor and signaling proteins was restored after 45 min.”
– Hypoxia Decreases Insulin Signaling Pathways in Adipocytes

Insulin resistance is a critical factor in diabetes and overall metabolic health. In this paper, we learn that low tissue oxygen (hypoxia) can trigger insulin resistance. Encouragingly, however, reoxygenation restored it.

This is one reason why optimal breathing is so essential for metabolic health, especially for people with diabetes. By practicing slow nasal breathing, we increase our blood and tissue oxygenation. This could potentially maintain, or even restore, insulin sensitivity.

Of course, there is no research showing that slow nasal breathing does this—no one is going to fund that study : ) But, given what we know about slow breathing, tissue oxygenation, and blood flow, it seems reasonable to hypothesize that it would help. I know have certainly noticed a difference.

***

3. “Role of respiration in mind-body practices: concepts from contemporary science and traditional yoga texts”

“Traditional yoga texts also suggest a solution for the imbalance in prana, through slow, deep breathing. … The beneficial effects of deep breathing are supported by contemporary science.”
- Telles et al. (2014), Frontiers in Psychiatry

I’ve shared a quote from this paper before, but if you haven’t read the full thing, it’s well worth it. It describes how modern science supports ancient yogic breathing, for example, how “Conventional physiology has found benefits of deep breathing supporting the importance given to regulating the breath in yoga.”

Another interesting idea they mention is that breathing “acts as both a top-down and bottom-up mind-body practice.” It makes perfect sense, but I hadn’t thought about it that way.

Ancient Yogic Wisdom + Modern Science = A Fantastic Read

Enjoy!

4. Finding Comfort in Breathwalking

“To take my mind off the discomfort, I settle into a respiratory rhythm. I take one step as I breathe in, then two steps as I breathe out. One step breathing in, two steps breathing out. Over and over, focusing only on the breath.”
- Michael Easter, The Comfort Crisis

Easter spent more than a month in a remote region of Alaska. And this book that came out of it is incredible—a perfect blend of science and storytelling.

Of course, this part stood out to me : )

Easter is making a ridiculous walk back to camp with a ton of weight. He naturally settles into his breath, and this gives him comfort and endurance.

As he puts it, “There's science behind this. Brazilian researchers found that people who are able to detach from their emotions during exercise, for example, not thinking about or putting a negative valence on their burning legs and lungs, almost always perform better.”

So aside from the mechanics and oxygenation, here’s another way in which breathwalking can be beneficial. It helps you detach from your emotions. As Easter tells us, you’ll “almost always perform better.” Sounds good to me.

***

Related: Breathwalking with Gandhi

1 Quote

“He let me see that, because the breath is so unassuming, I had been undervaluing it. I was looking for a complicated path to enlightenment, when this simple one was right before me.”
- Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

1 Answer

Category: Hypoxia

Answer: A blood oxygen saturation below approximately this value is considered hypoxic.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 90%?

P.S. Different places give slightly different numbers…sometimes it’s 94%, sometimes 92%.

In good breath,

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

P.S. What if?

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

August 23, 2021

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Box Breathing for Stress, and the Ancients’ Code to Becoming a Hero

Nicholas Heath

August 23, 2021

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This week, you'll learn that breathing is only part of the solution, along with the ancient (and quite unexpected) secret to becoming a hero.

Enjoy!

4 Thoughts

1. Breathing as the XX% Solution

“Consider what life would be like if we gave up the idea of healthy or sick, zero versus one, and replaced it with the idea of multiple continuum. One minute, for example, we might score 60% on one health dimension, 30% on another, and perhaps 85% on yet a third. How would that change our lived experience?”
- Dr. Ellen Langer, Counterclockwise

I love this idea from Dr. Langer. It encourages us to forget “all or nothing” approaches and instead consider everything on a continuum. This perspective also provides a new way of finding solutions to our health problems.

Let’s say I only sleep 5 hours a night. Then, I start mouth taping and begin sleeping 6.5. That’s a 30% improvement. But let’s say you’re already sleeping 7 hours, and mouth tape gets you to 7.5. That’s only a 7% increase. But, that 7% might be all you need to feel your absolute best.

The point is that we’re all unique, and we’re all on different spots on the health continuum. My 80% solution might be your 30% one, and vice-versa.

So, instead of wondering what breathing (or the latest diet, the sauna, etc.) can fix for you, perhaps consider what percentage of the solution it is. “How would that change your lived experience?”

***

Related Quote: “The people I distrust most are those who want to improve our lives but have only one course of action.” - Frank Herbert

2. Test Like a Pro

“You may feel your anxiety turning to panic. … To tackle this, watch your breathing. Just before you might go into panic mode, put your hand on your belly and try to draw air so deeply into your lungs that your hand moves up and down. This deep breathing can allow you to grow calmer and steadier.”
- Dr. Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe, Learn Like a Pro

Last week, we discovered that to learn like a pro, we need to sleep like a pro. This week, Dr. Oakley and Olav Schewe give us their advice for testing like a pro: slow deep breathing.

This technique isn’t just for school tests, either. This is for any big event you’re facing. Of course, sometimes anxiety is good (see Kelly McGonigal’s amazing book, The Upside of Stress). But, in moments when you’re panicking, and it’s hampering your performance, here’s the perfect trick.

Place one hand on your belly and use your breathing to make it move. This activates the calming parasympathetic nervous system, helping you relax and gain mental focus. It’s free, available anytime, anywhere.

Here’s to approaching whatever tests life throws at us like pros, today.

***

Related: A better state-of-mind: deep breathing reduces state anxiety and enhances test performance through regulating test cognitions in children (Check out the last two sentences of the abstract)

3. From the Cleveland Clinic: “How Box Breathing Can Help You Destress”

“Box breathing’s simplicity is its greatest strength”
- Melissa Young, MD, How Box Breathing Can Help You Destress

The Cleveland Clinic is one of the most respected hospitals and research centers worldwide. So, it was awesome to see them release an article on box breathing this past week.

It’s a quick yet comprehensive guide on box breathing. Enjoy!

4. The Ancients’ Secret to Becoming a Hero (it’s not what you might think)

“True heroism, as the ancients understood, isn’t about strength, or boldness, or even courage. It’s about compassion.”
- Christopher McDougall, Natural Born Heroes

Heroes are compassionate. In fact, the word hero itself actually means “protector” in Greek, not “strength” or “courage.” That’s why we call our parents, big brothers and sisters, military, police, firefighters, doctors, nurses, and especially our dogs, heroes. They protect us.

And these heroes don’t just rely on boldness or brute strength, like movies and the news might make us believe. They rely on empathy and compassion for those they are protecting. As McDougall puts it:

“Empathy, the Greeks believed, was a source of strength, not softness; the more you recognized yourself in others and connected with their distress, the more endurance, wisdom, cunning, and determination you could tap into.”

Thus, we can all be heroes because we can all develop these traits. Sitting and breathing, meditating, or doing some yoga will increase your compassion and awareness for yourself and those around you. That’s how heroes are made.

So who can you show compassion and empathy for this week? You might just become their hero.

1 Quote

“In a crunch situation, I recommend you collapse your concentration to your breathing while maintaining relaxed awareness of the surroundings. Breathing deeply will greatly reduce the stress, slow your heart rate, and bring your nervous system back into balance.”
- Mark Divine, Retired Navy SEAL Commander

1 Answer

Category: Word Etymology

Answer: The word “breath” is derived from the Old English “brǣth,” which has this meaning.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is ‘smell or scent’?

P.S. Thus, the word breath itself is related to the nose : )

In good breath,

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

P.S. wow, respect to these teen parents

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

July 13, 2020

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The Breathing 4.1.1. - Harder Breathing Techniques and Molecules of Air

Nicholas Heath

July 13, 2020

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Welcome to the second edition of "The Breathing 4.1.1."

Below, I share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (think "Jeopardy"). Enjoy!

4 THOUGHTS

1. We Don’t Need Harder Breathing Techniques

I recently finished the two-part interview with David Bidler on the Bravest Podcast. I highly recommend listening to both episodes. My favorite idea from David was this: We don’t need harder breathing techniques, we need to apply simple breathing methods to harder challenges. Well said.

Episode 1

Episode 2

2. HHPF High School Slow Breathing Program

Speaking of using simple breathing practices in hard situations, the Health & Human Performance Foundation (HHPF) partnered with Girard High School to implement a slow breathing program for the students. The program improved the students' tolerance to CO2 and decreased their anxiety. Pretty amazing stuff.

1 QUOTE

"By voluntarily changing the rate, depth, and pattern of breathing, we can change the messages being sent from the body’s respiratory system to the brain."

- Richard Brown & Patricia Gerbarg, from "The Healing Power of the Breath"

1 ANSWER

Answer: The number of molecules in each breath we take.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy music.)

…

Question: What is 25 sextillion? [1]

(Note: That’s 25,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules!)

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. $98,000. (Ages 3 & Up.)

[1] Worrall S., “The Air You Breathe Is Full of Surprises,” National Geographic, Aug.13, 2012. View Article Here

(I found this through "Breath: The New Science of A Lost Art")

Nicholas Heath

January 13, 2020

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Breathing and Brushing Your Teeth

Nicholas Heath

January 13, 2020

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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.”

Nicholas Heath

December 2, 2019

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Yoga breathing significantly reduces PTSD in veterans

Nicholas Heath

December 2, 2019

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For those of you who celebrate, I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!

I ate enough to almost start mouth breathing…

Before we get into this week’s research, I don’t want you to get the impression that breathing will cure PTSD. This study examined using breathing as complementary therapy, one that could be integrated as part of a complete treatment plan for PTSD. And they found encouraging results.

(Read the Full Summary of the Study Here)

The researchers studied 25 male Vietnam veterans from Australia. They were guided through a 5-day yoga program that consisted of breathing, mobility, asanas, and group therapy. Thus, there were several components to the study beyond breathing.

After the extensive 5-day training, the participants went once a week for 1 month, then once a month for 5 more months. In between sessions, they were encouraged to practice yoga breathing for 30 minutes every day. The study lasted a total of 6 months.

The researchers examined how the program affected the patients’ CAPS (Clinician Administered PTSD Scale) score, a 30-question interview that assesses PTSD severity. Scores range from 0 to 88, with higher values indicating more severe PTSD symptoms.

The average CAPS score at the beginning of the study was 56.3. At week 6, the average score had significantly fallen to 42.1. Finally, at the end of the 6 months, the average score had dropped to 26.2.

That’s pretty amazing. And this was with no changes to the participants medication.

Because yoga breathing is simple and has essentially no negative side effects, it could potentially be incorporated into the military health care system and be a valuable complementary therapy for PTSD.

Until that happens, let’s hope more scientific studies are conducted to assess the effectiveness of breathing programs for PTSD and to provide practical guidelines for using it as a complementary therapy.

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. HHPF is a nonprofit organization making major scientific advances with breathing therapies for stress in our military and first responder populations.