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Thanks for clicking on another issue of The Breathing 411.
Here are 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer for this week. Enjoy!
4 Thoughts
1. Why We Should Practice Coherent Breathing, in just Two Sentences
“When oscillations of two or more systems are synchronised it increases physiological efficiency by enabling the functions of these systems to be coordinated. This prevents energy being wasted on non productive functions.”
- The Functions of Breathing and its Dysfunctions and Their Relationship to Breathing Therapy
Coherent (or resonant) breathing synchronizes different body systems, and I thought those two sentences perfectly summarized why it’s so important:
It improves efficiency and conserves energy.
To experience this yourself, you might think finding your particular resonant breathing rate requires special biofeedback equipment…and you’d be right.
Fortunately, however, a 2006 study found that we get most of the benefits by simply breathing at 5-6 breaths per minute. Meaning you can get started right now without any fancy gear. It’s as simple as using a phone app.
Here’s to synchronizing our breathing for optimal efficiency today.
Related Quote: “Did it matter if we breathed at a rate of six or five seconds, or were a half second off? It did not, as long as the breaths were in the range of 5.5.” - James Nestor, Breath
P.S. The two apps I recommend are iBreathe and BreathWrk.
2. All Things Breathing and Diabetes
Patrick McKeown and I sat down a couple of months ago to talk about all things breathing and diabetes. It was a surreal experience to be chatting with the person who has taught me so much. We covered a lot of material from both personal and scientific perspectives.
Watch the full interview on YouTube here.
I hope you enjoy watching and listening.
Related Links:
The Lesser-Known Benefits of Nasal Breathing, Designed for Diabetes
The Negative Feedback of Stress in Diabetes, and What We Can Do About It (#2)
3. Mick Fanning’s Breathwork is the Key to His Success
“Fanning’s performance coach, Nam Baldwin says breathwork is the foundation of mental and physical performance.”
- Mick Fanning’s scoliosis led him to breath work. Now, it’s key to his success
Aside from diabetes, one reason I became interested in breathing was surfing. So, when I saw this headline, I couldn’t wait to read it.
And it was better than expected. It was impossible to pick just one quote to share, so here’s another gem from Mick himself:
“You can change your moods, your thought patterns, just by concentrating on breath… and the better you breathe the better you perform.”
Enjoy the great read!
4. Maybe All Top Performers Focus on Their Breath?
And it’s not just Mick Fanning. In The Mindful Athlete, we learn that many top-performing teams and athletes use breathing as a critical component of their practice. They might not use “breathwork,” but they certainly make focusing on their breath a daily routine, especially before games:
“If they're mindful athletes, most of them are actually bringing their attention not to the game ahead, but to the present moment: fully concentrating on their breathing and, in doing so, centering themselves in that calm place where they are able to be in touch with the space between stimulus and response.”
- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete
We’re all athletes in the game of life. (Having a chronic disease like diabetes makes each day like the Super Bowl.) We might not have personal trainers, nutritionists, or millions of dollars. But we all have the breath. And we all have access to the same control and awareness that these top performers do.
Let’s use it wisely.
1 Quote
“What do Mahatma Gandhi, the martial artist Bruce Lee, Buddhist meditators, Christian Monks, Hawaiian kahunas, and Russian Special Forces have in common? They all used breathing to enhance their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.”
- Richard P. Brown & Patricia L. Gerbarg,
The Healing Power of the Breath
1 Answer
Answer: The cardiovascular system shows resonance at approximately this frequency.
…
(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
…
Question: What is 0.1 Hz?
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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.