Reading Time: 2 min 2 sec
I hope the next 24’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.
4 THOUGHTS
1. Breathing as a First Line of Defense
“We propose that the ANS [autonomic nervous system] is modulated by breathing so that in sympathetic dominant states like stress and anxiety, slow-deep breathing techniques and meditation can shift sympathetic dominance to parasympathetic dominance…We propose that these breathing techniques could be used as first-line and supplemental treatments for stress, anxiety, depression, and some emotional disorders.”
I’m revisiting some old papers as part of a project I’m working on and came back across this gem. I think it’s safe to say that, a decade later, research has backed up this proposal 👏
2. Helping Nearly Every Part of Your Mind-Body System
“The reduction of stress is like the great leveler because the messages and substances produced by the relaxation response are sent throughout the body systemically—they go basically everywhere. When you move your body out from the stress response and into the relaxation response, it is good for your heart, but also good for digestion, your pancreas, your brain, and basically every part of your mind-body complex.”
– Eddie Stern, Healing Through Breathing
And this is why the stress-reducing benefits of slow breathing (see Thought #1) are so helpful for so many different health problems 👏
3. It’s a Mistake to Rely on a Single Approach
“…it's a mistake to rely on a single guide. No one else knows your exact journey. But if you collect directions from multiple guides, they can sometimes combine to reveal routes you didn’t see. The more uncertain the path and the higher the peak, the greater the range of guides you’ll need. The challenge is to piece the various tips together into a route that works for you.”
– Adam Grant, Hidden Potential
This is perfect advice for our contemplative practices, too 🙏
4. Circulate What You Learn for the Use of Others
“I follow the practice and counsel of an old Greek monk, Callistus Telicudes, who wrote: ‘One ought not to keep what is learned by Meditation, but one should make notes of it and circulate the writings for the use of others.’ This is why I communicate these inner experiences to those who might be helped, to those who might receive more vision of and more belief in life itself.”
– Paul Brunton, Instructions for Spiritual Living
This applies not only to meditation, but to every aspect of life. You never know when something you share might help someone else piece together a route that works for them 🙏
1 Quote
“Laugh at yourself once in awhile; give yourself a break.””
1 GOOD BOOK
How Bad Do You Want It? by Matt Fitzgerald
A detour from our usual breathing and meditation books, this was one of my all-time favorites on the mind, written through the lens of endurance sports. It’s filled with inspiring stories and fascinating science that’ll have you rethink what you’re capable of.
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!
P.S. my two new favorite words
The Breathing App for Diabetes
This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!
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.