Reading Time: 1 min 54 sec
I hope the next 23’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.
4 THOUGHTS
1. You Can’t Do This and Still Be Upset
“But when you are in control of your emotional state, your breaths are regular. They are in through your nose: slower, softer, and quiet. You can’t be in control of your breathing and still be upset! Breathing properly helps you manage your tension and emotions, so you can cope with the pressure you will face.”
– Dr. Dana Sinclair, Dialed In
That is all 👏
2. Conscious Breathing Makes a Full-Body Announcement
Here is a wonderful reminder of the power of conscious breathing versus our regular automatic breathing:
“The customary breath you take is on the order of two or three seconds in duration. This is normal, natural, automatic, and does a fine job of keeping you alive…When you consciously decide to breathe more slowly and deeply, you alert your body to the fact that you want it to behave differently. You are not just changing your breathing pattern, you are making a full-body announcement that you are entering into a different relationship with your mind and your body.”
- Eric Maisel, Ph.D., Ten Zen Seconds
3. How to Save Your Own Life
“We know that people who have lived through extreme stress tend to live shorter lives. The stress wears and tears on the body. However, among a group of people who had gone through such extreme stress, a sub-group lived long and healthy lives. What was protecting them? It was that they were engaged in altruistic activities in their life. In other words, acting in service to others erases the impact that a severe life stressor may have had on your health and body. When you show compassion to others, it saves your own life.”
– Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., Sovereign
Here is an always-needed reminder that showing compassion toward others can actually save our life. Maybe the Buddha was onto something with loving-kindness meditation after all…
4. Thorns or Flowers
“The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens.”
- Anthony de Mello, Awareness
If you’ve been trying to do something—personally or professionally—and it just doesn’t seem to be working, consider this: Maybe you’ve been raining in the marsh, and now it’s time to find a garden 🌻
1 Quote
“If you want to find the truth, look for simplicity.””
1 GOOD BOOK
Hidden Potential by Adam Grant
My good friend Mary Hunt recommended this one to me (check out her coaching here). I’ve taken a break from these types of books lately to mainly read about meditation and breathing, but this one was amazing. It’s a joy to read, full of studies, stories, and practical wisdom that you can immediately start applying.
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!
P.S. what if there is no placebo effect?
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Amazon Associate Disclosure
I’ve been recommending books for almost 6 years. Yet somehow, I just discovered that I could be an Amazon affiliate [face-palm]. In any case better late than never. Now, any Amazon link you click is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So, if you’d like to support my work, buying books through these links is helpful : )
* 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.