Breathwalking, Coffee Beans, and the Positive Impact of Celebration

1. Why Breathing Gets Top Priority in the Brain

“If there is anything amiss with our breathing, the brain needs to know quickly to take action immediately. For instance, if the airway is obstructed by a piece of food, the brain has only three or four minutes to respond and restore respiration for survival. So, respiratory messages have top priority when it comes to getting the brain’s attention.”

- Richard Brown, MD, Patricia Gerbarg, MD, The Healing Power of the Breath

Of course, we all know this intuitively. But what makes it so powerful is that, of all the body’s automatic functions, breathing is the only one we control at will. So, by consciously changing our breath, we rapidly influence the signals sent to the brain.

2. SKY Breathing Course for Recovery

My good friend, Colleen Loehr, MD, is co-hosting another SKY class for addiction recovery. The course teaches the SKY breath practice as well as valuable cognitive reframing tools. It’s open to anyone in recovery from any addiction and also to family and friends of those struggling through it.

While I haven’t taken this one, I have taken a SKY breath course and loved it. Even if you don’t have an addiction, you will find the practice helpful for general wellness.

Learn about SKY Recovery (background & video)

Sign Up for the Course Here

If you have any questions, you can email Colleen at: [email protected]

3. Breath, Walking, and Attention for a Healthy Life

“Three keys release that vitality for our use: breath, walking, and attention. All three used together is Breathwalk—the science and art of combining conscious breath and walking into elegant and effective patterns for a healthy, happy, and spirited life.”

- Breathwalk: Breathing Your Way to a Revitalized Body, Mind, and Spirit

“Breathwalking” is a simple practice with ancient roots. And it’s straightforward: you simply match your breaths with your steps. The starting ratio they recommend is inhaling for 4 steps and exhaling for 4 steps. But play around with different ratios depending on your comfort, pace, and terrain 🙏

4. This Will Be Ranked Alongside Mindfulness and Gratitude

“Celebration will one day be ranked alongside mindfulness and gratitude as daily practices that contribute most to our overall happiness and well-being. If you learn just one thing from my entire book, I hope it’s this: Celebrate your tiny successes. This one small shift in your life can have a massive impact.”

- BJ Fogg, Ph.D., Tiny Habits

If the person who built the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford says celebration is the most critical concept from his book, then it’s worth a shot. So, the next time you make a small, positive change—one conscious breath, one kind act, one mindful step—be sure to harness the positive impacts of a mini celebration.

"True freedom isn’t in having complete control of our minds but in the ability to be unattached to what happens in it."

— — Joseph Nguyen

The Coffee Bean by Jon Gordon and Damon West

I read this book this past Friday afternoon. It’s so good. Given that coffee is more important to me than oxygen 😂, I’m not sure how it took me this long to hear about it. It’s super short, so I won’t spoil it—just do yourself a favor and pick it up.

In good breath,

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

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