How Breathing Compounds, 2000+ Years, and a Remarkable Fact of Existence

1. The Body is Complex, So We Should Listen To It

(Read Time: 32 seconds)

“Our bodies are complex interconnected systems of biological processes that interact differently under the influence of the unique genetic coding and environmental factors that we each experience.”

- Dr. Ellen Langer, Counterclockwise

That passage gets a “Wow!” 🤯x 100

So if anyone ever tells you one breathing method is best, or one diet, or one anything related to your health, remember this message from Harvard professor Ellen Langer. Our bodies are insanely complex. There’s no way of knowing what’s best for you without trying it and listening to your own body.

***

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

2. Will This Be Laughed at in 2000+ Years?

(Read Time: 43 seconds)

“I delved into the medical research … I was amazed by how the yogis of India and Tibet, prior to the invention of modern technology or research instruments, gained a thorough knowledge of the effect of the breath, proper and improper, on our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.”

- The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

Building off the previous thought, here’s a perfect example of the power of listening to the body. Without science, ancient yogis discovered the healing power of the breath, which modern science is only now starting to “validate.”

Of course, you know I’m obsessed with reading science papers : ) But in 2000+ years, do we really think any of them will still be meaningful? Or will they be laughed at? Probably the latter.

But results based on human experience, like those discovered by yogis millennia ago, are timeless.

***

P.S. This thought, and thought #1, are exactly why I’m obsessed with breathing : ) We can read the science, immediately apply it, and discard what doesn’t work for us.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.