Catch & Shoot, 20 or 50 Years, and Slow Breathing Doesn’t Work Now

1. Slow Breathing Doesn’t Work?

A paper recently published in Nature may seem to suggest that slow breathing doesn’t work over a “placebo.” However, when analyzed carefully, it actually showed that controlled, nasal, diaphragmatic breathing works wonderfully (whether it’s slow or not).

I created a 10-minute video breaking down the study for those breath nerds who are interested : ) Watch it here.

2. Take a Walk and Breathe Through Your Nose

“Walking is the perfect time to hone your breathing. So take a stroll—and breathe through your nose.”

- Annabel Streets, 52 Ways to Walk

Want to get even more benefits from walking (as if there aren’t enough already)? It’s simple: just breathe nasally. As Streets says:

“As you walk, close your mouth; relax the jaw, tongue, and face; and breathe slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth or nose. You'll find this more challenging as your pace picks up. But stay focused and you might—possibly—have fewer colds, more energy, and greater serenity.”

Sounds good to me 🙏

3. Catch Before Shooting: The Power of Breath Awareness

“I once saw a player trying to shoot before he caught the ball; he was moving so fast that when he finally was able to reach for the ball, he hit it and of course it flew out of bounds. Well, why does that happen? It's because he wasn't in the present moment; he wasn't in the flow.”

- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete

This same thing happens in life. In high-stress situations, we often try to shoot before we’ve even caught the ball (guilty here). This is where breath awareness comes in.

When we come back to our breath before reacting to a stressor—even for one breath—it’s like catching the ball before we shoot. Just that simple act allows us to make a better play going forward.

4. Two Choices: 20 or 50 Years?

“A disciple asks a Zen master: ‘How long does it take to be able to experience Awakening?’ ‘Maybe 20 years,’ answers the master. ‘And if I am in a hurry?’ asks the disciple again. ‘In that case, it is 50 years,’ concludes the master.”

- Steven Laureys, MD, The No-Nonsense Meditation Book

This passage made me laugh out loud. It’s a perfect reminder that trying to hurry often takes more time.

"For the lungs to draw in air, they must first be emptied. For the mind to draw inspiration, it wants space to welcome the new."

— — Rick Rubin

Category: Breath Condition

Answer: Halitosis refers to this “breathing condition,” which can often be helped by switching to primarily nasal breathing.

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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is bad breath?

In good breath,

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

P.S. a new year resolution I can get behind

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