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I hope the next 27’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.
4 THOUGHTS
1. Going Inward to Bring it Outward
“But none of this is the final destination of spinal breathing. We are going in so we can come back out and enjoy our inner qualities in the outside world of our everyday living. So spinal breathing is a practical technique. It is not something we do to escape. It is something we do to arrive completely in the presence of who and what we are. Then we are in a position to live life to the fullest.”
- Yogani, Spinal Breathing Pranayama
Although this is about “spinal breathing pranayama,” it applies perfectly to all contemplative practices. We go in “so we can come back out and enjoy our inner qualities in the outside world of our everyday living.” 🙏🙏🙏
2. Patience Means Slow, Deep Breathing
“Patience means slow, deep breathing; impatience means poor lungs and irregular breathing. … When you are patient, all the vital processes work smoothly.”
– Eknath Easwaran, Passage Meditation
And let’s not forget that it’s a two-way street: When we practice slow, deep breathing, we create conditions that support us being more patient. This will not only help our breathing and lung health, but also help us live more easily in our overly-rushed world.
3. Remembering to Key an Eye on Oneself
“First used in an English translation of a Buddhist text in 1881 at the height of the British colonization of South Asia, the term ‘mindfulness’ came into general acceptance in the Western world thereafter. But the term is a Western invention. The original word in the language of the Buddha’s time was sati. Sati means remembering. Right Mindfulness—or Right Sati—means remembering to keep an eye on oneself.”
– Mark Epstein, MD, Advice Not Given
“Remembering to keep an eye on oneself.” That’s an awesome (and super practical) definition of mindfulness.
So here’s to using our breath and daily reading as a way of “keeping an eye on ourselves” so we can continue to cultivate a well-lived life 🙏
4. Laughfulness
If mindfulness means “remembering to keep an eye on oneself” (see Thought #3), then I propose a new practice:
Laughfulness: remembering to laugh at oneself.
It may be the best contemplative approach to mastering the art of living 😊
1 Quote
“Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.””
1 Answer
Category: Breathing and the Brain
Answer: This gas is critical to breathing but also has a direct impact on brain blood flow, with some studies suggesting that brain blood flow reduces 2-3% for every 1 mmHG reduction in it.
…
(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
…
Question: What is carbon dioxide?
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
P.S. Get your priorities straight science.
Breathing, Reading, and Meditation for a Well-Lived Life
Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.
The Breathing App for Diabetes
This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!
Amazon Associate Disclosure
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* 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.