25 Thoughtful Quotes on Breath & Mind, and How to Make Meditation Fun

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. Breath is Mind: 25 Thoughtful Quotes on the Breath-Mind Connection

1. “When you practice mindfulness of breathing, then the breathing is mind.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

2.  “I am as confident as I am of anything that, in myself, the stream of thinking…is only a careless name for what, when scrutinized, reveals itself to consist chiefly of the stream of my breathing.” - William James

3. “As we discover, when we pay attention to its natural rhythm, the breath becomes calm. Simultaneously, the mind quiets down. It all happens naturally. … Any force is counterproductive.” - Bhante Henepola Gunarantana

Keep Going…

2. Breathing Residue: Turning Setbacks into Assets

“The problem this research identifies with this work strategy is that when you switch from some Task A to another Task B, your attention doesn’t immediately follow—a residue of your attention remains stuck thinking about the original task.”

- Cal Newport, Deep Work

Attention residue. It’s a major setback to productivity.

However, let’s turn that concept into an asset with a new term:

Breathing Residue: The calmness that persists several minutes (sometimes hours) after performing a slow breathing practice.

We want less attention residue, more breathing residue : )

***

P.S. The nerds among you might prefer to call breathing residue by its more scientific name, vagal tone. But that’s not as fun 😊

3. How to Make Meditation Fun (no breathwork needed)

Here’s an easy way to make meditation fun: Instead of trying to “stop thinking,” try to “curate your thoughts.” Watch them all go by and see if you can find any good ones. Your mind thinks; you just listen for the fun and exciting stuff.

We can call it a curation meditation : )

***

P.S. I often do this when I wake up low and can’t sleep (it’s how some of these thoughts are made). It seems like it would make for a fun formal practice, too.

4. On Becoming Breathing Homo Exercens

“We call ourselves ‘knowing man’ because we see ourselves as distinguished from our ancestors by our vast amount of knowledge. But perhaps a better way to see ourselves would be as Homo exercens, or ‘practicing man,’ the species that takes control of its life through practice and makes of itself what it will.”

- Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool, Peak

I love this. We can “know” all we want, but it’s meaningless without practice. And there’s no better practice for taking control of our life than breathing.

So here’s to becoming breathing Homo exercens, today.

***

Related Quote: “If learning is not followed by reflecting and practicing, it is not true learning.” * - Thich Nhat Hanh

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“I am nothing more than a single, narrow, gasping lung floating over the mists and the summits.”

- Reinhold Messner

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: The Thinking Mind

Answer: Recent research suggests we have about this many thoughts per minute.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 6.5 thoughts per minute?

P.S. That’s a lot of thoughts to choose from during your curation meditation : )

In good breath,

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

P.S. okay time to sleep

 
 
 

* 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.

 
 

Breath is Mind: 25 Thoughtful Quotes on the Breath-Mind Connection

 

1. “When you practice mindfulness of breathing, then the breathing is mind.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

 

2.  “I am as confident as I am of anything that, in myself, the stream of thinking…is only a careless name for what, when scrutinized, reveals itself to consist chiefly of the stream of my breathing.” - William James

3. “As we discover, when we pay attention to its natural rhythm, the breath becomes calm. Simultaneously, the mind quiets down. It all happens naturally. … Any force is counterproductive.” - Bhante Henepola Gunarantana

 

4. “When the mind is agitated, change the pattern of the breath.” - Patanjali

 

5. “Breath is the king of mind.” - B.K.S. Iyengar

 

6. “When the Breath wanders, the mind is unsteady, but when the Breath is still, so is the mind still.” - Hatha Yoga Pradipika

 

7. “However, when the air is calm, so is the water. It is just so with the mind. The more often we breathe, the more agitated the energy of body and mind becomes. By breathing less frequently, we begin to achieve elemental harmony.” - The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

 

8. “By controlling your breathing, you can use a voluntary mechanical behavior to make a profound change on your state of mind.” - Emma Seppälä

 

9. “So get out of your mind and into your breath because the breath is the life-force.  Not your mind, the breath.  Follow your breath, and it will lead you anywhere in your brain—and thus the mind—that you want to go.” - Wim Hof

10. “Thanks to the regulation of breathing patterns, patterns in our thinking are not just affected, but revealed, together with their entanglement with respiration.” - Marco Bernini 

11. "Messages from the respiratory system have rapid, powerful effects on major brain centers involved in thought, emotion, and behavior." - Dr. Patricia Gerbarg and Dr. Richard Brown

12. “In other words, by changing the breath pattern one can induce a chosen state of mind.” - Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati (found in Restoring Prana)

 

13. “The breath is free from greed, hatred, delusion, and fear. When the mind joins with the breath, the mind temporarily becomes free from greed, hatred, delusion, and fear.” - Bhante Henepola Gunarantana

 

14. "The breath is the intersection of the body and mind." - Thich Nhat Hanh

 

15. “Interestingly, the Greek word psyche, which we often use to indicate our mind or the emotional state of our mind, actually means soul or spirit, or most tellingly, the breath of life.” - Eddie Stern

 

16. “These practices demonstrate that the mind and the heart follow the lungs, not the other way around.” - Michael J Stephen

 

17. “The intrinsic link between prana and citta accounts for why the yogis insisted on breathing practices as the primary means to pacify the mind.  Through the breath, the ANS is directly impacted.  Breathing can effectively modulate the reactive loop, and restore us to a more coherent frame of mind.” - Robin Rothenberg

 

18. “I will breathe in, releasing the mind. … I will breathe out, releasing the mind.” - Mindfulness of Breathing Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 118)

 

19. “Just as your mind influences the breath, you can influence the state of your mind through the breath as well.” - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

20. “When we focus on the breath, our breathing naturally becomes calm. When the breath becomes calm, the mind and body also become calm.” - Bhante Henepola Gunarantana

 

21. “If our breathing is light and calm—a natural result of conscious breathing—our mind and body will slowly become light, calm, and clear, and our feelings also.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

 

22. “The Tibetan language describes this relationship between the wind and the mind as the wind-mind (Tib. rlung sems). This compound word describes the wind energy and the conceptual mind as always, intertwined and moving together—a singular motion.” - The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

 

23. “‘[A]ccording to the Navajo conception, then, Winds exist all around and within the individual, entering and departing through respiratory organs and whirls on the body’s surface. That which is within and that which surrounds one is all the same and it is holy.’ Finally, and most profoundly, this invisible medium in which we are bodily immersed, is what provides us with the capacity for conscious thought.” – David Abram, with inset quote from James McNeley

 

24. “When the incoming breath is offered into the outgoing breath, the outgoing breath is offered into the incoming breath, or when both are offered into the retention, the mind is purified of self-interest.” - Baba Hari Dass (found in Restoring Prana)

25. “The ‘I think’ which Kant said must be able to accompany all my objects, is the ‘I breathe’ which actually does accompany them. Breath is the essence out of which philosophers have constructed the entity known to them as consciousness” - William James

Wim Hof vs. Wim Hof, the Three P's, and Breathing like Journalists

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. The 3 P’s of Breathing

  1. Physiology: The impact breathing has on your body.

  2. Psychology: The impact breathing has on your mind and emotions.

  3. Philosophy: The impact breathing has on how you live your life.

***

P.S. You can’t have any one P without the others : )

2. A Revolutionary Finding: The Two-Way Street of Breathing and Emotions

“Lo and behold, the participants started to feel the emotions that corresponded to the breathing patterns. In other words, when they took deep, slow breaths, the participants felt calm. And when they took rapid, shallow breaths, they felt anxious or angry. The finding that we can change how we feel by using our breath is revolutionary.” * (my emphasis)

- Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., The Happiness Track

We know that how we feel affects our breathing. However, research tells us it’s a two-way street: We can change our breathing to change how we feel.

Quite revolutionary, indeed.

***

P.S. This falls into the the 1st and 2nd “Ps” above. And if you apply it regularly, then the 3rd one as well : )

3. Wim Hof vs. Wim Hof: Which of His Components is Most Important?

A 2020 study that’s still in preprints (so it hasn’t undergone peer review yet) shed light on the individual components of the Wim Hof Method (WHM).

Here’s what they did:

  • One group practiced the breathing only.

  • One group practiced cold exposure only.

  • One group practiced cold and breathing.

  • One group was trained by Wim Hof.

  • One group was trained by a researcher.

Then, all the groups were injected with endotoxin, like the first WHM study.

Here are a few of the key findings:

  • Breathing by itself reduced inflammation significantly, but did not reduce flu-like symptoms.

  • Cold by itself reduced flu-like symptoms, but did not reduce inflammation. (This doesn’t mean cold exposure doesn’t reduce inflammation in general. It just means it didn’t lessen the acute ramp-up of inflammation brought on by the endotoxin.)

  • The combination of cold and breathing reduced inflammation even more. (So, cold exposure wasn’t helpful on its own for inflammation, but added a boost when combined with the breathing.)

  • The results were the same whether Wim trained them or not (this was most surprising to me).

As a breathing nerd, this paper was super satisfying to read.

But remember it’s still in preprints, so it could turn out there was a major flaw or bad data or something. But, still fun to geek out on nonetheless : )

4. Breathing Like Journalists: Slow Breathing for Everyday Life

“I call this approach, in which you fit deep work wherever you can into your schedule, the journalist philosophy. This name is a nod to the fact that journalists…are trained to shift into a writing mode on a moment’s notice”

- Cal Newport, Deep Work

Let’s adopt this journalist philosophy to our slow deep breathing practice, fitting it into our schedules wherever we can. This will allow us to flip the switch on our physiological and emotional state anytime, anywhere (see thoughts 1 & 2).

Here’s to becoming breathing journalists, today : )

Bonus Thought: Join a Breathing Experiment

My good breathing friend AJ Fisher is looking for participants for a breathing and exercise experiment. Essentially, you get her 8-week Breathography Course for free in exchange for some pulse oximeter measurements (that’s it!).

If you’re interested, you can learn more and sign up here:

Learn More about the Experiment

And, you can learn more about AJ and the amazing things she does here:

AJ’s Corectology Website

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“There is a force within that gives you life. Seek that.”

- Rumi

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Designed for Breathing

Answer: Paradoxically, the narrower passages of the nose reduce this during sleep.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is upper airway resistance?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Me for the next 3 months:

P.P.S. ☝️My wife will attest that this is actually quite accurate for me…

 
 
 

* 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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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.

 
 

Wim Hof vs. Slow Breathing, Part 2: The Famous Endotoxin Challenge

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. Slow Breathing = Deep Meditation?

“When researchers at Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology scanned the brains of experienced meditators, they discovered increased thickness in regions of the brain's cortex, or grey matter, related to focus and attention…But what's intriguing about this study is that breathing rate was used to determine how deep in meditation the subjects were able to get. The slower the breathing rate, the deeper in meditation participants became. And, the more pronounced their increase in grey matter.” *

- Leah Lagos, Heart Breath Mind

That deserves a 🤯

If slower breathing rates are a byproduct (and measure) of deeper meditation, I wonder if we can reverse engineer it…

2. The Deep Breath Hypothesis

“The Deep Work Hypothesis: The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive.”

- Cal Newport, Deep Work

And similarly, this couldn’t be any truer:

The Deep Breath Hypothesis: The ability to perform deep breathing is becoming increasingly rare at precisely the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable to our physiology. Consequently, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their waking life, will thrive.

3. Wim Hof vs. Slow Breathing, Part 2: The Famous Endotoxin Challenge

I’ve called Wim Hof’s endotoxin study the “4-minute mile” of breathing.

So, you can only imagine my excitement when I found a study basically doing the exact same thing, but with slow breathing (it was perhaps the most excited I’ve ever been reading a paper, lol).

I produced an in-depth comparison of the studies here.

But, here are some of the take-home messages:

  • The WHM reduced fever and all other flu-like symptoms.

  • Slow breathing reduced headaches and eye sensitivity to light, but did not reduce fever or other flu-like symptoms (e.g., nausea and chills).

  • Slow breathing improved autonomic functioning as measured by HRV, suggesting participants had greater resiliency. HRV was not measured during the WHM experiment.

  • The WHM significantly reduced inflammatory cytokines. Slow breathing did not.

  • The WHM significantly increased anti-inflammatory cytokines (by up to 194%). Slow breathing did not.

There are many (many) caveats and differences between the studies, so if you’re interested, see the full write-up for more details and additional thoughts.

But based on these results, the WHM was decidedly more effective than slow breathing at reducing acute inflammation and fighting off flu-like symptoms.

4. How to Change Our Species (hint: breathe)

“And I would argue that we humans are most human when we’re improving ourselves. We, unlike any other animal, can consciously change ourselves, to improve ourselves in ways we choose. This distinguishes us from every other species alive today and, as far as we know, from every other species that has ever lived.” *

- Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool, Peak

We are the only species that can consciously change ourselves to improve in ways we choose. We’re also the only ones that can consciously change our breathing in ways we choose.

Maybe that’s a coincidence. But then again, maybe it’s not…

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Happiness lies in your own heart. You only need to practice mindful breathing for a few seconds, and you'll be happy right away.” *

- Thich Nhat Hanh

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing Rates

Answer: These aquatic mammals breathe around 1.5 - 2.5 breaths per minute at rest.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are bottlenose dolphins?

In good breath,

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

P.S. haha anyways what’s up

 
 
 

* 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.

 
 

Wim Hof vs. Slow Breathing, and How to Start Something Meaningful

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. How to Start Something Meaningful (hint: exhale)

“If you watch anyone on the verge of starting something that matters, you'll see them settle into the moment by taking a deep breath in and exhaling….It's the body rolling up its metaphorical sleeves and saying, ‘Okay.  It’s time. Let’s do this thing.’”*

- Michael Bungay Stanier, How to Begin

Starting something meaningful this year? Or just sending an important email or text? Roll up those metaphorical sleeves by taking a deep and relaxed breath in, and a relaxed and slightly longer breath out. “Let’s do this thing.”

2. Build Your Best Breathwork Practice

“You don’t have to build the habits everyone tells you to build. Choose the habit that best suits you, not the one that is most popular.”

- James Clear, Atomic Habits

Similarly:

You don’t have to use a breathing technique everyone tells you to use. Choose a method that best suits you, not the one that is most popular.

***

P.S. The next thought shows you why—two different methods, similar results.

3. Wim Hof “vs.” Slow Breathing, Part I: Indirect Comparison for Chronic Inflammation

A 2019 study looked at the full Wim Hof Method (breathing, cold, and meditation) in people with axial spondyloarthritis. They found that it reduced chronic inflammation, concluding:

“…our results are indicative that voluntary modulation of the immune response may not only be possible in acute inflammatory response due to microbial stimulation but also in chronic inflammation related to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.”

A 2021 systematic review examined HRVB (aka slow breathing) in people with various chronic illnesses. They found evidence that there is an inverse relationship between inflammation and vagal nerve activity:

“…an increase in efferent vagal activity could suppress pro-inflammatory factors suggesting possible anti-inflammatory effects of HRVB.”

The point? Two wildly different approaches, two somewhat similar outcomes. It brings to mind the Chinese proverb, “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same.” Choose which path is right for you.

***

P.S. I put quotations around “vs” because there’s no competition in breathing 😊Also, the word “indirect” in the title is critical. I’m being simplistic here and comparing apples to oranges, but I think the overall message is still helpful.

4. Operationalize Your Breathing Practice

“To make operational. To make ready for ‘live’ or ‘kinetic’ action.”

- Steven Pressfield

That’s Pressfield’s definition of “operationalize,” and it’s exactly what we need to do with our breathing. Make it ready for live action—for real life.

Of course, let’s use our practice as an escape into calmness, but let’s also remember to operationalize it so it’s useful in our everyday lives.

***

P.S. Everyday examples of how I operationalize breathing in my life:

  • Slow breathing while walking the dog.

  • Various slow and fast methods when I’m out surfing.

  • Slow, long exhales when my daughter throws a tantrum.

  • I’m not always successful with these, especially the last one : )

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can only be done by projecting the ethic of love to the center of our lives.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Nose and Smell

Answer: Cells responsible for scent regenerate this frequently.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 30-60 days?

In good breath,

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

P.S. when your only friend is busy

 
 
 

* 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.

 
 

Inner Resources, Better Blood Flow, and How to Focus on a Fuller Life

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. Here is the Fastest Way to Achieve Well-Being

“So what is the fastest way to achieve well-being? It is so close to you that it can easily be overlooked. Your breath.  A rapid and reliable pathway into your nervous system, dedicated to helping you regain your optimal state.”

- Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., The Happiness Track

This is beautifully and perfectly said. Nothing to add here 🙏

2. On Sailboats, HRV, and Developing Your Inner Resources

“Developing inner resources is like deepening the keel of a sailboat so that you're more able to deal with the worldly winds—gain and loss, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, fame and slander—without getting tipped over into the reactive mode. Or at least you can recover more quickly.”

- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Neurodharma

Although Dr. Hanson is talking about inner resources in general, this is an excellent analogy for why improving HRV via slow deep breathing is so helpful: it’s like deepening the keel of your physiological sailboat.

You will still be hit by life’s storms, but with higher HRV, you’ll remain steadier and recover quicker. We could say, then, that deep breathing = deep keel.

3. Slow Breathing for Better Blood Flow

“When [the small] blood vessels are relaxed, more blood can flow freely through them. When they become constricted, the same amount of blood flows through a narrower space, increasing your blood pressure.”

- Inna Khazan, Ph.D., Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Slow breathing activates the calming parasympathetic nervous system, which relaxes the small blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and improves blood flow.

This is a vital benefit of slow breathing because better blood flow is necessary for, well, just about everything (especially if you have diabetes).

So if you feel so inspired, give it a shot. Sit and breathe at 5-6 breaths/min for 2 min. Feel for yourself the rapid boost in blood flow to your hands and/or feet.

***

P.S. I’ve had cold hands & feet for as long as I can remember (thanks, diabetes). Although it’s improved considerably, one of my favorite things about slow breathing is the warmth I feel in them during and after my practice.

4. Control, and How to Focus on a Fuller Life

“Even if you don't have control over the outcome of the stressful situation, you may be able to exert some control over its impact…You can't always control what you feel or think, but you can control what you do. Focus on living a full life even though you don’t have [fill in your issue]…”

- Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D., The Stress-Proof Brain

When nothing seems to work, my blood sugars still go crazy, my insulin sensitivity is off, or I don’t sleep well, I always have the breath. I have something I can control, that gives me control.

It helps me focus on living a fuller life, and I hope it does for you too 🙏

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“When you own your breath, nobody can steal your peace.”

- Unknown

P.S. Like a lot of what I share, this one is a reminder to myself : ) And it’s advice I haven’t been following that well lately (facepalm).

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Blood Flow

Answer: Although hemoglobin is best-known for releasing oxygen, it also releases this gas, which enhances blood flow and helps the oxygen actually get where it is needed most.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is nitric oxide?

In good breath,

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

P.S. hoppity hop, hop hop hop

 
 
 

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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.

 
 

22 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas for 2022

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

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

(Inspired by a Khalil Gibran Quote)

 

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

 

3. We can be lost in breath, without knowing we have been breathing.

(Inspired by The Things You See Only When You Slow Down)

 

4. If you know only one breathing method, then you really know none; if you understand one breathing method, then you really know them all.

 

5. Breathing is the most direct path to practicing philosophy in our lives.

 

6. If breath is life, then optimal breathing is optimal living.

 

7. Science is timely; personal experience is timeless.

 

8. Every method works when used correctly, but no method works for everybody.

 

9. What one teacher says is essential, another will say is useless.

 

10. Breathing is a pair of leather shoes for life.

(Idea from The Tibetan Yoga of Breath)

 

11. The most practical tip for breathing is this: make it quiet and subtle. 

 

12. To breathe in a “quiet and subtle way” takes deliberate practice—effort leads to effortlessness.

 

13. Breathing may be my 70% solution but only your 20% solution.

 

14. Breathe less, sometimes more; breathe slow, sometimes fast.

 

15. We breathe through each nostril separately so they function better together as a whole.

 

16. Read about breathing but, most importantly, embody that education through practice.

 

17. Start by starting; one minute is always better than none-minutes.

 

18. A simple rule for getting started: 40% of your breath should be inhaling, 60% should be exhaling.

 

19. Holding implies tension and effort; pausing is natural and effortless.

 

20. Breath and mind are inseparable: This means you can use your breath, to change your mind, to change your breath for the better.

(A play on this line from Neurodharma: “Neurons that fire together, wire together. This means that you can use your mind, to change your brain, to change your mind for the better.”)

 

21. The goal of a breathing practice is better mindless breathing.

 

22. The joy of breathwork is breathing.

"Promising Prospects in Chronic Diseases," plus My Top 3 Books of 2021

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. A First Goal of Pranayama is This

“Hence, through pranayama, one attempts to do away with the effort of respiration; rhythmic breathing must become something so automatic that the yogin can forget it.”

- Mircea Eliade, Yoga: Immortality and Freedom

An excellent reminder that we train our breathing, consistently and deliberately, so we can forget about it. Effort leads to effortlessness. Ancient yogis agree.

2. Slow Breathing Offers “Promising Prospects in Chronic Diseases Management”

A 2021 review of heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB; aka slow breathing) for chronic illness examined 29 studies with over 1100 patients, concluding:

“Given the reported positive effects of HRVB on psychophysiological outcomes in various patient profiles, it is clear that HRVB offers promising prospects in chronic diseases management.”

- Heart rate variability biofeedback in chronic disease management: A systematic review 

It looks like, once again, I’m not as crazy as I sometimes feel with this breathing stuff (and neither were those slow, rhythmic-breathing ancient yogis 😁).

***

P.S. A quick rant on HRVB vs. slow breathing for the nerds like me 🤓

3. How to Be Warm-Hearted: Slow Breathing and The 4 Elements of Compassion

In one of my new favorite books, Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life, Dr. Inna Khazan tells us that compassion requires 4 physiological elements:

  1. “Ability to orient and bring attention toward the person in need.

  2. Ability to engage socially with others in times of stress.

  3. Ability to feel safe while engaging with others.

  4. Ability to regulate our own physiology.”

Critically, these traits tie back to our hearts, specifically HRV:

“What all four of these points tell us is that HRV is central to the physiological foundations of compassion and self-compassion.”

And, most critically, HRV can be quickly and sustainably increased with slow breathing, helping you become more compassionate:

“doing the structured, straightforward, and easily accessible HRV training will help you in developing and nurturing your ability to express and act with compassion toward others and self-compassion for yourself.”

Sounds good to me : )

4. Remember this Emotional Toil for 2022

“As far as I can tell, the only thing more difficult than the emotional toil of pursuing true excellence is the emotional toil of not pursuing true excellence.”

- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

Breathing certainly isn’t everything. But, it is the starting point for pursuing true excellence in all aspects of our lives. And we wouldn’t want to live with the emotional toil of not doing that : )

Bonus Thought: My Favorite Books of 2021

“We read books to find out who we are.”

- Ursula K. Le Guin

I read 56 books this year, a new record for me. Here’s a list of them, plus my Top 3 for: Overall, Breathing, and Better Living/Philosophy.

I hope the nuggets of wisdom I have shared from some of these have helped your 2021 be better in some way 🙏

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“We are all journeying through the night with plans, breathing in and out this mysterious life.”

– Tara Brach

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: The Airways

Answer: These are the narrowest passageways air goes through before reaching the alveoli.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are bronchioles?

In good breath,

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

P.S. & won’t be caught slipping again

 
 
 

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18 "Inspiring" Quotes on Breath as Life & Spirit

Here are 18 interesting quotes referring to the breath as life or spirit. It’s by no means comprehensive—just some that have stuck out to me over the years.

Enjoy!

1.  “Man was created of the Earth, and lives by virtue of the air; for there is in the air a secret food of life…whose invisible congealed spirit is better than the whole earth.”

- Michael Sendivogius

 

2.  “Of course, the word spirit itself, despite all of its incorporeal and non-sensuous connotations, is directly related to the very bodily term respiration through their common root in the Latin word “spiritus”, which signified both breath and wind.”

– David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous

 

3.  “My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. The spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

– Job 33:3-4 

4.  “The fact is that when we focus on the breath, we are focusing on the life force. Life begins with our first breath and will end after our last. To contemplate breathing is to contemplate life itself.”

– Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

 

5.  “Among the Creek Indians of the southwest, for instance, the creator God, the only divinity equal to or exceeding the Earth and the sun in its power, is called the Master of Breath.”

–David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous

 

6.  “Interestingly, the Greek word psyche, which we often use to indicate our mind or the emotional state of our mind, actually means soul or spirit, or most tellingly, the breath of life.”

– Eddie Stern, One Simple Thing

 

7.  “That oxygen, life, and lungs all came into our world in relatively close succession is no coincidence.  Only with oxygen and some means of extracting it are all things possible—thinking, moving, eating, speaking, and loving.  Life and the breath are synonymous.”

- Michael J. Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

 

8.  “Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”

– Genesis 2:7

 

9.  “The air I inhale enters my body and becomes part of me. The air I exhale moves into someone else and becomes part of her. Just by looking at how the air moves, we realize we are all connected to one another, not just figuratively, but also literally.”

– Haemin Sunim, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down

 

10.  “For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth.”

- Sanskrit Proverb

 

11.  “Thus spirit = breath = life, the aliveness and power of your life, and to speak of your spirit (or soul) is to speak of the power of life that is in you.”

- Frederick Buechner

 

12.  “Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.”

– Thich Nhat Hanh

 

13.  "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

 

14.  “Thus a great many terms that now refer to the air as a purely passive and insensate medium are clearly derived from words that once identified the air with life and awareness. And words that now seemed to designate a strictly immaterial mind or spirit are derived from terms that once named the breath as the very substance of that mystery.”

–David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous

 

15.  “Zen Master Hogan said that the whole universe is in the breath. If you really pay attention to it, it takes you to its immaculate source.”

– Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

 

16.  “Arise! the breath, the life, again hath reached us: darkness hath passed away and light approacheth.”

– Rig Veda 1:113:16

 

17.  “The breath of life is in the sunlight and the hand of life is in the wind.”

– Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

 

18. “Life and respiration are complementary. There is nothing living which does not breathe nor anything breathing which does not live.”

- William Harvey, 1653, Lectures on the Whole of Anatomy

Breath as Spirit, Body and Mind, and 2 Opposing Views on Overbreathing

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. 18 “Inspiring” Quotes on Breath as Spirit and Life

“Man was created of the Earth, and lives by virtue of the air; for there is in the air a secret food of life…whose invisible congealed spirit is better than the whole earth.”

- Michael Sendivogius, 17th Century

In this post, I share 18 excellent quotes referring to the breath as life or spirit. It’s by no means comprehensive—just a few that have stuck out to me.

Enjoy!

2. Overbreathing Causes Electrolyte Imbalance

“In addition, overbreathing and the resulting pH dysregulation also lead to electrolyte imbalances … When your pH becomes too alkaline, electrolytes migrate into muscle and brain cells instead of staying in the fluid outside of those cells. As a result, you may experience muscle spasms, weakness, and fatigue.”

- Inna Khazan, Ph.D., Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life (this book is 🤯good)

I knew that overbreathing could dehydrate us, but this one was news to me. And since it’s hard to tell if you’re overbreathing without a capnometer, I think the most practical safeguard here is to simply breathe nasally, even during exercise.

3. A Different Take on Overbreathing

“Sometimes students get confused about using the breath throughout the day. They give it an inordinate amount of attention … That isn't the idea at all. The breath is a gateway into the present moment, making our attention to it greater, not less.”

- Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

I’m an overbreather in a different way: I focus on my breathing too much. So, here’s a friendly reminder to all of us that breathing is just a tool. Let’s not give it “an inordinate amount of attention.” Just enough to make our lives richer and fuller. For most people, that’s as little as 10-20 min/day.

4. Breathing Translations—Go to the Source Yourself

You can read my thoughts on breathing (thank you 🙏). You can read what Wim Hof, Patrick McKeown, and others say. But these are just a few translations. The best thing to do is go to the original source for yourself.

And luckily, you don’t need training in any ancient languages to do your own translations. You just need the universal language of living: the breath of life.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“The good news is that through working with the breath, we actually hold the key to helping ourselves bring body and mind into balance.”

- The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing 101

Answer: This is the amount of air that moves into and out of the lungs with each breath.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is tidal volume?

In good breath,

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

P.S. try for a new high score

 
 
 

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Breathing & Love, Rising Above the Clouds, and 4 Years in 4 Points

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. Demonstrations of Breathing & Love

“Demonstrations of love are small, compared with the great thing that is hidden behind them.”

- Khalil Gibran

Call it what you’d like, prana, qi, & so on, but the same is true: Demonstrations of breathing are small compared with the great thing that is hidden behind them.

2. Breathing for Diabetes: 4 Years in 4 Bullet Points

Based on about 4 years of research and self-practice, the 4 key ways that regular breathing practices help diabetes are by:

3. Breathing for (non) Diabetics: “Raising Our Heads Above the Clouds”

“But many of the same interventions that can help us get our heads above water can just as effectively be devoted to raising our heads above the clouds.”

- Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal, Stealing Fire

This is unquestionably true for breathing. Although everything I read, practice, and share is focused on keeping my “head above the water” as a diabetic, they can also “raise your head above the clouds” if you’re not diabetic.

Interesting side note: it’s typically broken people that find supplemental modalities like breathing—I guess because we need them the most : ) But if you’re not broken, all the benefits of breathing will be even more helpful.

So here’s to using our breathing to stay afloat, or rise above the clouds, today.

4. The Buddha, 20 Years after Enlightenment

Did you know that the Buddha was still meditating 20 years after his enlightenment? (I guess it never ends, folks 😄)

What kind of meditation, you might wonder? “Mindfulness of breathing.”

Extra Thought: Take High Altitude Yoga Alongside Me One Last Time

My wife is moving on to a new yoga adventure 🎉. But, she’ll be teaching the High Altitude Yoga class we designed together one last time.

The class incorporates slow breathing, breath holds, and yoga into a challenging but fun 45-min flow.

It’s $8 and happening tomorrow morning (Tuesday, Dec 14) at 6:15 a.m. EST. I’ll be there, and I hope you’ll join me in taking it!

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Relaxing the breath, breathe in. Relaxing the breath, breathe out. Then joy arises naturally.”

- Bhante Gunarantana

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: The Diaphragm

Answer: This organ rests on the top of the diaphragm.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the heart?

P.S. This was inspired by Jill Miller’s amazing line: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Which is of course, my diaphragm.” (Makes me laugh every time.)

In good breath,

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

P.S. and I’ve never respected anything more

 
 
 

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Effortless Inhales, Deepak on Smiling, and Maybe Loud Breathing is OK?

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. The Breath Should Enter Very Subtly

“‘Very subtly’ means that when the nose draws in the outside air, it should draw it very subtly so that the ear should not hear it.  Being subtle and fine is the gate to life. … The inhalation should, therefore, be done in a subtle and fine way.”

- The Primordial Breath, Volume I

This is always my #1 tip for breathing: make it quiet and subtle. Remember, “Being subtle and fine is the gate to life…”

***

Related: How Breathing Boosts Creativity, Why We Sigh, and Where Rumi’s Soul Lives (see #4 and the 1 quote)

2. Effort Leads to Effortless

“It takes a lot of effort for our fitness to appear natural and effortless. But just because it appears effortless does not mean that no effort was made.”

- Haemin Sunim, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down

The same is true for breathing. To breathe in a “subtle and fine way” takes deliberate practice and effort. I’m still working on it. I hope you are too : )

3. Maybe Loud Breathing is OK in Modern Yoga Classes?

I’m clearly a big fan of quiet breathing : ) Traditional yoga practices are too.

However, if you go to a modern group yoga class, you’ll hear a lot of loud breathing. Physiologically, I’ve always thought it was wrong…

But maybe there’s more to that loud breathing than just physiology?

In The Joy of Movement, Kelly McGonigal tells us that loud breathing during yoga is a critical component of social bonding and group flow:

“Studies show that yoga, like dancing, can create social bonds. … The breath becomes the beat that drives the flow of poses, and the sound of the group inhaling and exhaling in unison provides a satisfying sensory feedback.”

Of course, you’re not going to hear me breathing loudly in class now (I’m an introvert, anyways 😂). But let’s not overlook the social and emotional bonding that it might bring. Perhaps they are most critical in today’s world.

***

P.S. Maybe we even naturally began loud breathing during group yoga classes out of a deep yearning for more social connection? Just a thought…

4. Smiling and Breathing, Part II

“Stop. Take three deep breaths and smile everywhere in your body, observing what’s happening in your body. Proceed now with kindness and understanding.”

- Deepak Chopra

To complement last week’s thought on smiling, I was searching for info on the Buddha’s half-smile, when I stumbled across this quote.

At first, it might seem cliché. But, like most great teachers, Deepak simply distilled the science of smiling and breathing into a practical exercise.

Remember what we learned last week:

The act of smiling makes you happier.

Slow deep breathing makes you happier.

So set your breathing timer, put a slight smile on your face (Buddha-style), and “proceed with kindness and understanding.”

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Can it really be so simple? Just breathing deeply? Is that it? The answer, friends, is yes.”

- Wim Hof

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing 101

Answer: This is the volume of air remaining in the lungs after a maximum forceful exhale.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is residual volume?

In good breath,

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

P.S. which I’m about to elaborate on

 
 
 

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Alternate Nostril Breathing, 70% Exhales, and How to be "Happy Right Away"

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. A Friendly Reminder to Exhale More than 70%

In Heart Breath Mind, Leah Lagos discusses a fascinating study where a group of people were instructed to only exhale about 70% of their air with each breath.

Here’s what happened:

“After just 30 seconds of this subpar breathing, almost every subject reported a climb in unpleasant symptoms, including anxiety, dizziness, lightheadedness, and neck and shoulder tension.”

The fix? Slow breathing with full exhalations. Give it a try and see for yourself.

2. An Ancient Breath and the Door to Heaven

“By relying on the ‘door and the window’ (is meant) the nose as the door of heaven, and the mouth as the window of the earth.  It follows, then normally that the nose inhales and the mouth (should) exhale, and (this is) beneficial to breathing. ”

- The Primordial Breath, Volume I

This ancient approach was way ahead of science.

In fact, although the translation reads a bit choppy, we now know this method of nose-in/mouth-out can increase whole-body oxygenation by more than 10%.

Just don’t forget to exhale fully : )

***

P.S. “The nose as the door of heaven”…I felt compelled to re-emphasize that 😊

3. Two Yogic Breathing Experts Describe the Balancing Act of Alternate Nostril Breathing

“Ultimately, in the hatha yoga tradition, the intention with these nostril-specific practices is to establish balance between the two sides of the nervous system, so neither is dominant.”

- Robin Rothenberg, Restoring Prāna

It sounds counterintuitive, but the reason we practice alternate nostril breathing (or ANB) is for balance, so neither side is dominant.

I love the analogy Eddie Stern uses: “You can think about breathing through alternate nostrils in the same way that we think about stretching both the right and the left sides of our bodies when we do yoga postures.”

With ANB, we’re “stretching” different sides of the nervous system (since the right nostril is sympathetic and the left is parasympathetic). But the goal is the same: we train each side separately so they function better as a whole.

4. How to be “Happy Right Away”

“The group that holds the pen between their teeth (which, you may notice, creates a sort of smile) are HAPPIER at the end of the experiment than people who hold the pen between their lips (which, you may notice, creates a sort-of frown).”

- Brian Johnson, +1 On Smiling

This passage summarized a study showing that the act of smiling, even without a reason, makes you happier. And I think the same is true for slow breathing.

As Thich Nhat Hahn says beautifully, “You only need to practice mindful breathing for a few seconds, and you'll be happy right away.”

So let’s smile and breathe mindfully to be a little happier, today : )

Extra Thought: Breathing for Diabetes

I’m giving a short 15-min presentation on Breathing for Diabetes at the MAPS Modern Wellness Summit this Saturday, December 4th. It’s a free virtual event with a ton of amazing speakers, so sign-up if you’re interested:

Learn More about the Free Modern Wellness Summit

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Our breathing is designed to help us release any tensions that have become so much a part of us that we no longer sense their presence.”

- Carla Melucci Ardito

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Dysfunctional Breathing

Answer: When the chest and abdomen move in during inhalation and out during exhalation, it’s called this type of breathing.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is paradoxical breathing?

In good breath,

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

P.S. This certainly became clearer with age…

 
 
 

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Yogic Wisdom, Start with the Breath, and Will Smith’s 60/40 Rule

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. Start with the Breath (scientists agree)

“They [breathing patterns] thereby constitute an easy but potent avenue to manipulate the whole physiological state of the organism.”

- Respiratory Feedback in the Generation of Emotion

Want to potently “manipulate the whole physiological state of the organism”? Scientists start with the breath. And that’s why, for overall health, we do too: It’s the quickest and most efficient way to positively impact every aspect of your life. It’s actually quite absurd not to start there, in my humble opinion 😊

2. The Montessori Breathing Method

“The Montessori method emphasizes both intrinsic motivation and learning through doing. In fact, for this latter reason, it’s often called “embodied education.” Don’t just read about organic farming—go out and plant a garden.”

- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

Let’s apply the same principles of Montessori education (aka embodied education<—absolutely love that) to our breathwork.

Read about the methods you’re interested in. Read about how breathing affects the whole physiological state of the organism. But then, most importantly, embody that education and learn through doing. As Confucius says, “What greater joy can there be than putting into practice what you have learned?”

3. Ancient Yogic Wisdom Wins (again)

“One of the things that the yogis really seemed to understand was that this circuitry didn’t just happen in the brain, it happened globally, with messages going in both directions: TOP DOWN (brain to body) and BOTTOM UP (body to brain).  The intrinsic link between prāna and citta accounts for why the yogis insisted on breathing practices as the primary means to pacify the mind. …Breathing can effectively modulate the reactive loop, and restore us to a more coherent frame of mind.”

- Robin Rothenberg, Restoring Prāna

I have nothing to add, except for one of these 🤯 Oh, and to re-read Thought #1 on how modern science agrees with this global perspective on breathing…

4. How Breathing Makes You Prosper, Part II

“If man’s breath is prosperous, then the body prospers.”

- The Primordial Breath, Volume I

Pop quiz from last week: Do you remember what prosper literally means?

To go forward with hope.

So, if the breath is prosperous, then the body prospers (and I’ll add that the mind and spirit prosper, too). Thus, we could argue that “the whole physiological state of the organism” goes forward with hope. Sounds good to me : )

Bonus Thought: Will Smith’s 60/40 Rule with His Mom

“When I say silly stuff, it makes the world lighter for her. But she needs me to say smart stuff too. That makes her feel safe. She thinks that the only way I'll be able to survive is if I'm intelligent. She likes about a 60/40 ratio of smart to silly.”

- Will Smith, Will

This has nothing to do with breathing, but since I shared a 60/40 breathing rule last week, this passage jumped out at me. It’s an excellent approach to life : )

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Life begins with our first breath and will end after our last. To contemplate breathing is to contemplate life itself.”

- Larry Rosenberg, Breath by Breath

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing 101

Answer: The matching of air and blood flow in the lungs is known as this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is ventilation-perfusion?

In good breath,

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

P.S. You think you can hurt my feelings?

 
 
 

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Light and Calm, Start by Starting, and the 60/40 Rule of Slow Breathing

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. How to Get Started with Breathwork

“But this doesn’t have to be all at once.  Start by starting.  Add in what you can right now, and as these practices begin to improve your performance, they’ll end up saving you time.”

- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

Kotler is discussing practices for peak performance, but the exact same goes for breathwork. Start by starting. One minute is always better than none-minutes.

So go easy and have fun with it : ) Your practice will grow naturally with time.

2. The 60/40 Rule of Slow Breathing

Speaking of getting started, here’s a simple rule you can begin with for slow breathing (and it’s one I use every day), inspired by Heart Breath Mind:

40% of your breath should be inhaling

60% of your breath should be exhaling

Here’s what it looks like:

  • 6.0 breaths/min: 4 sec inhale, 6 sec exhale

  • 5.5 breaths/min: 4.4 sec inhale, 6.6 sec exhale

  • 5.0 breaths/min: 4.8 sec inhale, 7.2 sec exhale

  • and so on…

Note that it’s hard to be this precise with most breathing apps, so just do what you can. For example, I simply use 5 in/7 out to breathe at 5 breaths/min.

3. Breathing and the Brain’s Default Mode Network

“The resting brain turns out not to be resting at all. Left to its own devices, the human mind holds imaginary conversations, replays past experiences, and reflects on the future.”

- Kelly McGonigal, PhD, The Joy of Movement

If you’ve ever tried to rest your brain, this passage probably isn’t surprising : ) It’s called the brain’s “default mode,” and it has a negative bias: Our natural tendency is to ruminate, criticize, and worry. Not so good.

Luckily, McGonigal says there’s an easy way to quiet it down. “In brain-imaging studies, focused breathing, mindfulness, and repeating a mantra have all been shown to deactivate hubs of the default mode network.”

Sounds good to me. So here’s to practicing some 60/40 slow breathing to deactivate our default mode, and activate more joy, today.

***

P.S. Don’t have time for mindfulness or breathing? Kelly has an even easier hack, which is to exercise in nature: “Green exercise appears to do something similar to the brain, but without the need for such dedicated mind-training.”

4. How Breathing (literally) Makes You Prosper

“Did you know the word ‘prosperity’ literally means ‘to go forward with hope’?”

- Brian Johnson, +1 on Spiritual Economics

I did not know that. But now that I do, I can confidently say that breathing makes us prosperous. When you walk away from a slow breathing session (or yoga, meditation, exercise, etc.), you always “go forward with hope.”

I wonder if it’s because we quiet our amygdalae and deactivate that pesky default network…🤔

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“If our breathing is light and calm, a natural result of conscious breathing, our mind and body will slowly become light, calm, and clear, and our feelings also.”

- Thich Nhat Hahn

The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing 101

Answer: The portion of each breath that does not participate in gas exchange is called this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is dead space air?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Good luck to her on this journey

 
 
 

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

 
 

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.

  1. Nasal exhale

  2. Audible pursed-lips (like blowing out birthday candles)

  3. Barely audible pursed-lips (like blowing on hot soup)

  4. Ujjayi

  5. 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 Eddie 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 week’s thought 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 NOSEvember and consider supporting HHPF’s phenomenal mission. 🙏

 
 

Extra Thought (minus the bi-annual rant)

We just had another time change. I’ll spare you my normal rant on how almost every sleep 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 ignore 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: What is humming?

In good breath,

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

P.S. The true test of longevity

 
 
 

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.

 
 

Why Mindless Breathing is Good, and a 5-10 sec Boost to Any Breathwork

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading

 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. A 5-10 Second Boost for Any Breathing Practice

Here’s a quick way to improve any breathing practice you do: Take 5-10 seconds to notice how you feel afterward.

Sounds pretty freakin obvious, right? But as someone who’s always in a rush to get to the “next thing,” this has truly worked wonders for me. Here’s what I do:

  1. Slow breathing practice

  2. 5-10 seconds observing the effects

  3. Celebration (see #2 last week)

Give it a try and see how you feel—pun intended : )

2. Why Mindless Breathing is a Good Thing

“The autonomic nervous system regulates our survival functions. These happen within us automatically without our having to think about them. … If not for this amazing system, we could not live.”

- Eddie Stern, One Simple Thing

When we start talking about all of the amazing, automatic things our bodies do to keep us alive, I immediately think of mindless breathing.

In fact, I think the goal of breathwork is better mindless breathing.

We consciously use our nose, slow down our exhales, and so on so that it comes naturally when we’re not thinking about it. That’s when the magic happens.

So let’s use this gift of breath control and train ferociously so that we optimize the other 20,000+ unmindful breaths we take each day.

***

Related: Pilot Your Breathing: The Unexpected Goal of a Breathing Practice

P.S. Speaking of breath training, last week I took 3 days of Eddie’s Pranayama Week. It was a nice blend of slow, fast, and alternate nostril breathing, along with breath holds. Highly recommend it.

3. Personality Doesn’t Scale, but Breathing Does

“Personality doesn’t scale.  Biology, on the other hand, scales.  It is the very thing designed by evolution to work for everyone.”

- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

This is why breathing helps everyone. Breathing is biology. It’s “the very thing designed by evolution to work for everyone.”

So don’t let personality (that is, individual methods) get in the way. Use principles, and do what breathing method is suitable for you, where you are.

Personality doesn’t scale. Breathing does.

***

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

4. How to Resist Old Age

“To resist the frigidity of old age one must combine the body, the mind and the heart - and to keep them in parallel vigor one must exercise, study and love.”

- Karl von Bonstetten

And breathe slow, sometimes fast : )

***

Related: How to Breathe to Live Longer

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Be devoted to the breath and renounce everything else.”

- Eugene Cash, quote from Neurodharma

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: The First Day of Nosevember

Answer: The roof of the mouth is actually the floor of this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the nasal cavity?

Extras and Free Breathing This Week

I haven’t had a bonus section in a while, so there’s lots to share : )

I. Free Breathwrk for 6 Months 🙏

The genuinely awesome people at Breathwrk are sharing 6 months of the Pro version of their app with 411 readers for free. I use the app habitually, so it’s crazy that they’re willing to give it away here 🤯

Here are the breaths I use regularly:

  • High Altitude - The 1:28 or 3:40 setting, and I do it walking.

  • No Worries - The 4:32 setting, post-lunch.

  • Deep Relaxation - The 5:00 setting, before bed.

If you don’t have a regular breathing practice, now you have no excuses : )

Get 6 Free Months of Breathwrk Here

II. Performance Through Health Podcast

Martin is an inspiration to me and a true mixed breathing artist (check out his shared case study a while back). Honored to be a guest on his show.

Episode 54 – Talking Breathwork, Biohacking and Health Tracking Tools with The Breathing Diabetic

III. Unspoken Nutrition

Neeyaz and Sami are warm people you immediately bond with. I love Neeyaz’s holistic approach to wellness and I am honored they had me as a guest.

Respiratory Health & Importance of the Breath with Nicholas Heath


In good breath,

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

P.S. Literally my dream job… — no jokes with this one : )

 
 
 

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 Joy of Breathwork is _________, and The 3 Best Ways to be Consistent

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading

 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. The Joy of Breathwork is _________

If you’ve read any books on breathwork, or heard any podcasts, or taken any classes, you’ve inevitably heard some incredible stories of healing.

People use different breathing methods to help various health conditions under different settings. They all seem to work, and there’s no one-size-fits-all.

It highlights a simple yet profound truth: The joy of breathwork is breathing.

***

Quote that inspired this thought: “I realized: These were tears of joy, and the joy of movement is moving.” - Kelly McGonigal, PhD, The Joy of Movement

2. The 3 Best Ways to be Consistent with Your Breathing Practice

“A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.”

– Anthony Trollope

1. Start very tiny. Even if it's 1 breath or 30 seconds. Just pick something so small you can't fail.

2. Do it at the same time every day. Pick a consistent cue (e.g., brushing your teeth, etc.) that will trigger your tiny practice.

3. Celebrate. This is most important. Do something silly that you find rewarding (fist bump, etc.). Celebration releases dopamine, which will trick your brain into looking forward to your practice.

***

P.S. Here’s my celebration: “That’s like me to do another breathing session!”

P.P.S. These concepts come from the excellent book Tiny Habits.

3. Marginal Gains: Why Being Consistent Matters

“It is so easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making small improvements on a daily basis. … Meanwhile, improving by 1 percent isn’t particularly notable—sometimes it isn’t even noticeable—but it can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run.”

- James Clear

And there’s why being consistent is so important. Those tiny 1% gains are far more meaningful in the long run than they might at first seem. As my favorite teacher Brian Johnson says, “when you aggregate and compound enough of those tiny little incremental optimizations MAGIC happens.” 🙏

***

Related: Breathing is the Compound Interest of Health and Wellness

Related Quote: “Any practice, whether spiritual, physical, or artistic, only begins to pay off when it is done with regularity and sincerity.” - Eddie Stern, One Simple Thing

4. The Pleiotropic Benefits of Breathing

“Eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, and managing stress will always be the foundational pillars of health and wellness. One reason for this is that these interventions are what scientists call pleiotropic—they provide a wide range of benefits that aren’t limited to a particular health condition.”

– Chris Kresser

Breathwork is also pleiotropic: it provides wide-ranging benefits, which aren’t limited to one health condition. (That’s also why it often seems like a panacea.)

Combining this idea with Thoughts 2 & 3, we see why breathing is the compound interest of health and wellness: When done consistently, the marginal gains from its wide-ranging, “pleiotropic” benefits aggregate into magic.

Sounds good to me : )

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“The breath is something that is readily available to us simply because we are human beings. We do not need anything else to qualify. How marvelous!”

- The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Nasal Breathing

Answer: Nitric oxide, which is one of the most important benefits of nasal breathing, is produced in this region of the upper airways.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are the paranasal sinuses?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Nothing like changing your appearance

 
 
 

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.

 
 

Fast Breathing, Positive Emotions, and the 3 Stages of Wim Hof

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading

 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. Feedforward vs. Feedback: How to Breathe Yourself into Being Happier

“Therefore, it is widely accepted that emotions arise within the brain, which provides feedforward signaling … [But] The emotional and neurological changes that arise during pranayama and meditation illustrate the effects that feedback from the body can have on emotions, the ANS, and neurological activity.”

- How Does the Body Affect the Mind? Role of Cardiorespiratory Coherence in the Spectrum of Emotions

I love this distinction, “feedforward” vs. “feedback.” Feedforward is when an emotion arises in the brain and “feeds” its signal to the rest of the body. Feedback is when your physiological state influences your feelings.

This paper hypothesizes that the feedbacks from slow breathing, namely the ones on the nervous system and brain, can elicit positive emotions.

That is, you might be able to breathe yourself into being happier.

I know I feel most joyful and optimistic after my morning breathing practice. It feels like magic, but I guess it’s just physiological feedback at its finest : )

***

Related Quote: “It's rarely a mysterious technique that drives us to the top, but rather a profound mastery of what may well be a basic skill set.” - Josh Waitzkin, The Art of Learning

2. Breathe Fast, but don’t Hyperventilate

You can breathe fast while staying present and in control. But when you chronically hyperventilate, it’s unmindful and unchecked.

When you’re breathing fast with control, it can be therapeutic. But chronic, unrestricted hyperventilation is illness in disguise.

So breathe fast, but don’t hyperventilate.

***

P.S. Of course, physiologically, fast breathing is hyperventilation, but the key distinction here is control. And I gotta be a little provocative now and then 😂.

P.P.S. This thought was inspired by James Clear’s recent idea on moving fast vs. rushing. It’s an excellent analogy for breathing.

3. The Three Stages of Wim Hof, in Chronological Order

  1. You love his charisma, and you think he’s a genius.

  2. You realize he’s crazy and that his method makes no sense.

  3. You love his charisma, and you think he’s a genius.

***

Related: 20 One-Sentence (& light-hearted) Thoughts on the Wim Hof Method

4. Breathing Haiku

“Haiku is about delivering powerful imagery in the fewest of words (usually between 11 and 17 syllables). Similarly, limiting breaths as you've mentioned leads to a more powerful, healthy life. It seems indeed, that the oft used adage in design "less is more" rings true here as well.”

- Benjamin C., 411 Reader

Absolutely beautiful.

I could go on and on about how perfect this analogy is. But instead, how about we fully express our poetic selves through a little breathing haiku, today.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Or, more accurately, breathing should be returned to what was natural before we got stressed out by years of running around a hectic world and internalizing bad habits.”

- Josh Waitzkin, describing his Tai Chi instructor’s thoughts on breathing, The Art of Learning

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Vagus Nerve and Feedback

Answer: Approximately this percent of vagal nerve fibers are afferent, meaning they send information from the body back to the brain (aka feedback or bottom-up messaging).

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 80%?

In good breath,

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

P.S. 99% of socializing as an adult

 
 
 

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.