Get More, a Humorous Practice, and 3 Quotes on Breath & Brain

1. A Humorous Contemplative Practice

“I think the next best thing to solving a problem is finding some humor in it.”

— Writer and cartoonist Frank A. Clark

Here’s a contemplative practice to try:

1. Use mindfulness to remember to find humor in a problem you’re facing
2. Use “breathing” to laugh at it (and yourself)

2. A Simple Way for Getting More Out of Your Practice

Before you start:

“Take a moment to reflect on your motivation, making sure that the wish to practice for the benefit of all beings is present in the mind.”

— Anyen Rinpoche & Allison Choying Zangmo, from The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

It only takes 5–10 seconds and can be used for essentially any wellness practice you do.

3. Three Reminders of the Breath’s Power for the Brain and Mind

1. “The brain, by regulating breathing, controls its own excitability.” – Journal of Physiology (1988)

2. “In other words, by changing the breath pattern one can induce a chosen state of mind.” — Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati

3. “Messages from the respiratory system have rapid, powerful effects on major brain centers involved in thought, emotion, and behavior.” – Patricia Gerbarg, MD and Richard Brown, MD

4. Making Life Difficult

“You need to make your life more difficult than necessary.”

— Erling Kagge

This isn’t a “suffering is noble” type quote.

It’s simply pointing out that sometimes we need to intentionally choose a little friction in life. Not to punish ourselves, but to remember what all of these contemplative practices are training us for: meeting difficulty with resilience.

“Stay in the center, and you will be ready to move in any direction.”

— Alan Watts

In good breath,

Nick

P.S. should be easy

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