How to Accomplish More, Gaining Control, and Doing Brooklyn Yoga

1. How Conscious Breathing Helps Give Us Control in Challenging Situations

“Conscious breathing can create enduring states of focus, presence, and mindful observation, so that life’s challenging situations do not completely highjack us, allowing a greater degree of control. While we cannot control life, we can learn to shape our response to it; conscious breathing is a valuable tool to support that.”

– Eddie Stern,
Healing Through Breathing

 

That sums it up nicely 👏

2. The Human Brain and Mindfulness

“Our brains, unlike those of any other animal, can hold information as a verbal story and elaborate on it with imagination. We like to believe that we are the “rational” species… But, in fact, our thoughts and decisions are driven largely by what's happening at the emotional levels of our brains.

This means that your brilliant human mind often reacts more to the yawp of the inner almond and the emotional flash of fear than to your actual situation.”

- Martha Beck,
Beyond Anxiety

This is why mindfulness and other contemplative practices are so powerful. By teaching us to observe reality—our actual situation—instead of the scenarios we make up in our heads, we experience less stress, more peace, and greater joy.

3. How to Accomplish More and Do a Better Job

“It may sound paradoxical, but however tight our schedule, however many things clamor to be done, we don’t need to hurry. If we can keep our mind calm and go about our business with undivided attention, we will not only accomplish more but we’ll do a better job – and find ourselves more patient, more at peace.”

- Eknath Easwaran,
Take Your Time

Just a reminder (especially to myself 😅) that no matter how many things we have on our to-do list, we don’t need to hurry. Keeping our mind calm and doing one thing at a time will always help us accomplish more—and do a better job.

4. Was That Breath Boring? (Brooklyn Yoga)

One new meditator kept coming to interviews with a chronic lament, “The breath is so boring.” Finally I asked him if he’d ever heard of Brooklyn yoga. He said no. I told him to close his mouth tight and close off both nostrils with his fingers. We sat that way for some time until, finally, he let go of his nose and gasped for air. “Was that breath boring?” I said.

- Larry Rosenberg,
Breath by Breath

I’ve shared this before, but it always makes me laugh, and it serves as a perfect reminder that the breath is not boring—it’s all about perspective 😊.

"Remember that you are neither your feelings nor the story your mind tells about you to make sense of them. You are the vast silence that knows of their emergence and their disappearance."

— — Haemin Sunim

The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim

This is an easy-reading, poetic, and practical book on mindful living. If you’re drawn to contemplative practices, you’ll certainly be happy you added this one to your library.

In good breath,

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

P.S. finally, some advice I can follow

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