Anthony de Mello

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The #1 Most Important Skill, Activation Ritual, and Vitality and Resilience

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Reading Time: 1 min 53 sec

I hope the next 23’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.

4 THOUGHTS

1. The One Skill to Get Good At

“Remember, above all, breathing is the one skill to get good at!”

– Dr. Dana Sinclair, Dialed In

Dr. Sinclair has two PhDs, one in sport psychology and another in developmental psychopathology. She works with athletes from the NFL, MLB, NBA, and other sports. She also works with executives, surgeons, students, and beyond. The #1 thing she teaches all of them, regardless of their profession? Breathing. As she says, it’s “the one skill to get good at!”

2. Find Your Activation Ritual

“An activation ritual is a morning routine that helps them get into a state of non-thinking and flow. It can be any activity or routine that helps you feel grounded and allows you to practice getting into a state of non-thinking. Examples might be exercising, meditating, performing breathwork, praying, journaling, or making tea. It does not matter what the activity is as long as it helps you feel centered.”

- Joseph Nguyen, Don’t Believe Everything You Think

I’m a huge man of morning practice, but calling it an “activation ritual” makes it that much better. So, if you don’t already have one, here’s your gentle nudge to ensure you’re taking time each morning to start your day off right 🙏

3. More Vitality and Resilience in the Face of Stress

“Slowing down the mind means not only achieving better quality but actually getting more done. A smooth-running flow of thought saves a lot of wear and tear on the nervous system, which means more vitality and resilience in the face of stress.”

- Eknath Easwaran, Conquest of Mind

Here’s more support for having an “activation ritual” each morning. When we take time to slow down our minds first thing, it gives us more vitality and resilience against the rest of the day’s inevitable stressors.

4. Finding the Universal and Eternal

“Principles are universal and eternal; tactics are temporary and fleeting. The key is to study what is true and never changing, and you will always remain grounded no matter what you experience in life. If you want to find the truth, look for simplicity. The truth is always simple.”

– Joseph Nguyen, The Art of Creating

Amen to that 🙏

1 Quote

“You don’t need a course in silence or relaxation to be able simply to pause. Silence can be anywhere, anytime—it’s just in front of your nose.””
— Erling Kagge

1 GOOD BOOK

Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen

James Clear had this book on his list of three books he’d recommend to new graduates. And now I know why…it’s so good. It’s short, easy to read, and full of wisdom. It’s a perfect introduction to the world of contemplative practices.

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 kind of resilience


NEW: The Anxious Person’s Breath Manual

Science-Backed Breathing Protocols for Stress, Anxiety, and Overwhelm That Actually Work

This isn’t another “just breathe” guide. Every technique is backed by rigorous research showing that these breathing exercises:

  • Reduce anxiety as effectively as CBT

  • Activate your vagus nerve (your body’s built-in relaxation switch)

  • Work immediately but compound over time

  • Require no special equipment or meditation experience

Learn more and get the guide here.

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!

Learn more here.



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.

 
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Conscious Breathing for Body & Mind, Truth, and How to Save Your Own Life

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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.””
— Joseph Nguyen

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?


NEW: The Anxious Person’s Breath Manual

Science-Backed Breathing Protocols for Stress, Anxiety, and Overwhelm That Actually Work

This isn’t another “just breathe” guide. Every technique is backed by rigorous research showing that these breathing exercises:

  • Reduce anxiety as effectively as CBT

  • Activate your vagus nerve (your body’s built-in relaxation switch)

  • Work immediately but compound over time

  • Require no special equipment or meditation experience

Learn more and get the guide here.

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!

Learn more here.



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.

 
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How to Dissolve Problems, Breathing for Anxiety, and As I Breathe, I Hope

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Reading Time: 1 min 55 sec

I hope the next 23’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing for Anxiety

“This indicates that respiratory interventions may offer a promising anxiety intervention approach in psychiatric and non-psychiatric samples who do not have access to, are unwilling to engage in, or have not experienced symptom alleviation from other gold-standard interventions. Moreover, respiratory interventions are highly disseminable and can easily be incorporated into primary care settings, and/or administered remotely.”

– Leyro et al. (2021)

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👏👏👏

2. Concepts Are Frozen, Reality Flows

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“Let’s suppose…I want you to get the feel of what the flow of a river is like and I bring it to you in a bucket. The moment I put it into a bucket, it has stopped flowing. The moment you put things into a concept, they stop flowing; they become static, dead…Concepts are always frozen. Reality flows.”

– Anthony de Mello, Awareness

A perfect reminder for our contemplative practices.

Any concept we try to impose on them—how they initially felt, what we think they “should” feel like based on others’ experiences, etc.—is static. It’s like trying to convey a river’s power with a bucket of water.

Better to simply jump in.

3. Regular Walks for Slow Breathing

“As our meditation deepens, our concentration increases, and our breathing rhythm slows down, we shall find the answer to many of our physical problems. In order to facilitate this slowing of the breathing rhythm, it is helpful to have regular walks every day...”

– Eknath Easwaran, The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living

A great reminder that movement & stillness go hand in hand. Regular exercise—like a daily walk—supports overall wellness and helps to naturally slow our breath, making it easier to settle into (and get the healing benefits of) any contemplative practice 🙏

4. As I Breathe, I Hope

“When we observe our loved ones sleeping, old or young, human or pet, we are instinctively drawn to their breath. There is something essential in it we are all attuned to, something we both automatically and unconsciously equate with life. Each time we check on each other, we are validating the words of the Roman philosopher Cicero, dum spiro, spero, ‘As I breathe, I hope.’”

– Michael J. Stephen, Breath Taking

Just a great passage, one that occasionally pops into my head when I check on my daughter at night 🙏

1 Quote

“If laughter cannot solve your problems, it will definitely dissolve them.””
— Madan Kataria, MD

1 GOOD BOOK

Breath Taking by Micheal J Stephen, MD

I loved this book because it’s not about “breathwork” but about “the breath.” I’ve joked that Dr. Stephen is the Feynman of the lungs, weaving poetic quotes into rigorous and fascinating scientific discussion. My favorite chapters were the Prologue, 1–4, and 12. It’s a great read for anyone interested in breathing.

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!


P.S. “that’s a great question”


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!

Learn more here.



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.

 
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How to Measure Progress, Cognitive Regulator, and Awareness, Awareness…

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Reading Time: 2 min 9 sec

I hope the next 26’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breath as a Central Regulator of Cognition

“Collectively, the emerging consensus view from both animal and human neuroimaging studies places the breath, and its role in modulating neuronal rhythms, as a central regulator of higher order cognition. Through olfactory, somatosensory, and interoceptive pathways, respiration can be seen as a global rhythm that regulates how and when we process stimuli arising in the body and the world.”

- Psychological Review (2022)

That is all 🧠

2. On Finding What Works for You

“We must smile indulgently at those who insist that their particular method is the only effective one, as we must smile tolerantly also at those who limit truth to their small conception of it. … A method or technique that is good for one person may not be good for another. And the methods that well suited the ancient mind may be ill suited to the modern one.”

- Paul Brunton, Instructions for Spiritual Living

An excellent reminder that there’s no one-size-fits-all in contemplative practice. If you’re feeling stuck or unmotivated, it could simply mean you’re using methods that don’t fit who you are right now (or the world we live in today) 🙏

P.S. The art (and challenge) is knowing when we’re being undisciplined versus when we need a new approach…only we can discern that.

3. On Measuring Progress

“I’m not impressed by supernatural experiences; I look for changes in character and conduct. How selfless can you be? Can you restrain your senses when necessary? Can you go against your self-will when it benefits those around you? How long is your span of attention? These are the signs of progress in meditation.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Passage Meditation

I’ve shared this one before, but since I return to it often myself (usually to realize how little progress I’ve made 😂), I thought it was worth sharing again. It’s a perfect way to gauge progress in any breathing or meditation practice.

4. This Is Too Brief…Can You Expand on It a Bit?

“There’s the story of the disciple who goes to the master and says, ‘Could you give me a word of wisdom that would guide me through my days?’

It was the master’s day of silence, so he picked up a pad and wrote one word, ‘Awareness’, and gave it to the traveler.

When the traveler saw that, he said, ‘This is too brief. Can you expand on it a bit?’

So the master took the pad back, pleasantly, and wrote, ‘Awareness, awareness, awareness.’”

– Anthony de Mello, Awareness

1 Quote

“To an extent, we are always aware of everything going on around us—except that we are not. Somewhere in the brain, a decision is made about what to focus on and what to ignore.””
— Kam Knight

1 GOOD BOOK

The Healing Power of the Breath by Richard Brown, MD, and Patricia Gerbarg, MD

This is one of my all-time favorite books on breathing. It blends the essential science of breath with clear, practical instructions (and is just a joy to read). Brown and Gerbarg are truly a gift to the world of breathing and psychiatry.

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!


P.S. unfortunately I am also in there


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!

Learn more here.



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.

 
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Brain Syncing Study, Mind Rhythms, and Being Inspired by Spirit

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Reading Time: 1 min 56 sec

I hope the next 23’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.

4 THOUGHTS

1. Slow Breathing Syncs Respiration, Brain, and Heart

“Here, we show for the first time, that decelerated breathing at a rate of 6 cycles/minute has a strong influence on the slow cortical potentials (SCPs) of the brain. At this rate a maximum synchrony between breathing, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (heart rate variability), and the SCPs occur.”

- Journal of Breath Research (2019)

SCPs are shifts in electrical brain activity that reflect its baseline excitability. This study showed that slow breathing quickly influenced SCPs, bringing them into sync with our respiration and heart rhythm. It’s another neat example of how our breathing rate can harmonize many of our body’s systems.

2. The Rhythm of the Mind

“Another change which takes place in deepening meditation is the slowing down of the breathing rhythm. According to the great mystics, especially in Hinduism and Buddhism, the breathing rhythm is closely connected with the rhythm of the mind. We know, for example, that as we are getting angry, the rhythm of the mind changes…our breathing becomes stertorous.”

– Eknath Easwaran, The Bhagavad Gita fro Daily Living

That passage is a perfect follow-up to our previous thought. It shows that while science reveals the mechanisms (things like SCPs, breath-brain harmony, and others), ancient wisdom reveals the practical meaning. Both views support the path to a meaningful life 👏

3. Being Inspired by the Spirit

“If we would be inspired by the Spirit at all times and in all places, we must first let it inspire us at set times and in set places. This is one justification of meditation. For all inspiration rises out of the inward deeps of our nature. We cannot compel it, but we can invite it.”

- Paul Brunton, Instructions for Spiritual Living

What better way to (literally and metaphorically) be “inspired by the Spirit” at set times and in set places than through a regular breath or meditation practice? With time, patience, and consistency, this “planned inspiration” begins flowing at all times and in all places 🙏

4. Did the Fall Hurt You?

“There’s the story of Paddy, who fell off the scaffolding and got a good bump. They asked, ‘Did the fall hurt you, Paddy?’ And he said, ‘No, it was the stop that hurt, not the fall.’”

– Anthony de Mello, Awareness

1 Quote

“When your intentions are clear and strong, the appropriate actions naturally follow.””
— The Mind Illuminated

1 GOOD BOOK

The Mind Illuminated by John Yates, Ph.D., Matthew Immergut, Ph.D., and Jeremy Graves

This is an incredible book on the stages of meditation. I absolutely loved the first half or so…after that, a lot of it was beyond my understanding (simply because I haven’t progressed that far in my practice). However, I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the mind and its transformations through meditation.

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!


P.S. we all can dream


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!

Learn more here.



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.

 
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Nose vs. Vagus, Meditation for a Meaningful Life, and Trust Brings Calm

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Reading Time: 2 min 0 sec

I hope the next 24’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing for Better Brain Health Workshop

A reminder that I am teaming up with Eddie Stern to bring back the Breathing for Better Brain Health workshop on June 8th. In it, you’ll learn the science of how breathing affects our brains, plus practical ways of applying that wisdom. And since it’s Eddie and me on the same Zoom, you will get lots of humor, Q&A, and random tangents.

Click here to learn more and save your spot.

2. Meditation, Puzzle Pieces, and a More Meaningful Life Image

“This is what meditation enables us to do. In meditation we take an inspiring ideal…and set it before us morning and evening…An ideal like this gives us a picture to keep our eyes on throughout the choices of the day, so that little by little we can rearrange the pieces of our lives.”

- Eknath Easwaran, Climbing the Blue Mountain

I’ve recently taken a wholehearted plunge into practicing Passage Meditation. And although I shortened the passage, this analogy from Easwaran sums it up perfectly: Just like you need the picture on a puzzle box to know how to start, meditating on an inspiring passage gives you a clear ideal to guide your day. As life hands you pieces—stressors, setbacks, successes, failures—you can more easily fit them into a meaningful life image 👏

3. The Nose vs. the Vagus Nerve

“The emerging scenario strongly suggests that the effects of SNB [slow nasal breathing], beyond the relative contribution of vagal stimulation, are mainly ascribable to olfactory epithelium stimulation.”

- Zaccaro et al. (2022)

Here’s another paper I’ve shared before that’s worth revisiting. It’s a fascinating study showing that the nose may be just as vital as the vagus nerve for getting the physiological and psychological benefits of slow breathing.

Check out this post that describes it in detail. We’ll also go over it in detail in the workshop.

4. Trust is Synonymous with Calm

“Trust is actually synonymous with calm.”

– Paul Loomans, I’ve Got Time

A wonderful reminder that if you can be a source of trust for others, it will help them feel calm. And if you can be a source of trust for yourself, it will help you feel calm, which is why breathing and meditation are so helpful for relaxing the nervous system.

1 Quote

“‘Is there a life after death?’
…
Nobody seems to be grappling with the problem of: Is there a life before death?”
— Anthony de Mello

1 GOOD BOOK

Awareness by Anthony de Mello

This is one of my favorites in the recent past. De Mello’s wisdom was genuinely life-changing for me. Also, I highly recommend the audiobook version—he’s hilarious, and reading the words doesn’t do it justice. (I often randomly put it on while walking because it’s so funny and full of wisdom that it never gets old.) I hope you’ll check it out!

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!



P.S. one step above the Irish goodbye



SKY Recovery Program

My dear friend Colleen Loehr, MD, is co-teaching an online course for the SKY Recovery Program from June 7th to 9th. The course is open to anyone—people in recovery and people who have a friend or loved one with an addiction problem. The fee is only $95, so it’s an inexpensive way to learn the SKY technique for recovery and addiction. Click here to learn more about it. 🙏


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!

Learn more here.



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.

 
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Breathing 101, Feel-Good Hormones, and A Book I Really Loved

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Reading Time: 1 min 54 sec

I hope the next 23’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing 101: The Neuroendocrine Link

1. Slow breathing activates the calming branch of the nervous system, sending signals of safety to the brain.

2. In response, the brain dampens the hormonal stress response, which lowers stress hormones like cortisol.

This is an excellent example of the neuroendocrine system at work: the breath influences the nervous system, the nervous system influences the brain, and then the brain regulates hormonal activity.

2. Worrier Gets Things Exactly Backwards

“You could say the worrier gets things exactly backwards. He’s so terrified that he might not be able to rely on his inner resources, later on, when he reaches a bridge that needs crossing, that he makes superhuman efforts to bring the future under his control right now. In fact he should devote less energy to manipulating the future, and have more faith in his capacity to handle things once the challenge actually arrives.”

– Oliver Burkeman, Meditations for Mortals

This one needs no commentary from me. But I will add a slight touch of humor, which I found in Anthony de Mello’s Awareness: “Who says that worrying doesn’t help? It certainly does. Every time I worry about something, it doesn’t happen!”

3. How Slow, Diaphragmatic Breathing Increases Feel-Good Hormones

“The vagus nerve is our our biggest parasympathetic nerve and the biggest place of innervation is our diaphragm. So, when we take nice, easy, deep breaths, that's going to feed back to our brain that all is good with the world. [It] increases acetylcholine and then that increases, in turn, our feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine. [It’s] basically a natural Prozac.”

- Michael J Stephen, MD

Here’s that neuroendocrine feedback loop (described in Thought #1) in action. And while we often talk about it “reducing stress hormones,” this is a powerful reminder that it also increases feel-good ones, too 👏

4. Constantly Somewhere Else

“But we’re constantly somewhere else. As somebody said, ‘My favorite place is somewhere else.’”

- Anthony de Mello, Awareness

Here is another insight wrapped in humor from this book. It reminds me of this opposite but equally true gem: “In truth we are always present. We only imagine ourselves to be in one place or another.” – Howard Cohn

1 Quote

“Breath happens, but the curious thing is that you can get with the breath, and in getting with it, extraordinary things can happen.””
— Alan Watts

1 GOOD BOOK

Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

I can’t recommend this one enough. Reading the introduction was my favorite part, as it felt like Burkeman was expressing thoughts I’ve had but never known how to articulate. I’ve never felt so much resonance with a book. Check it out if it sounds interesting to you!

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!

P.S. this may be my calling

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
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Art Of Being Wise, Not Most People, and Deep Psycho-Physical Changes

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Reading Time: 1 min 41 sec

I hope the next 20’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.

4 THOUGHTS

1. Most People Don’t Realize This

“…most people don’t realize the profound potential the breath has for mental health.

How we breathe impacts our heart rate, blood pressure, emotions, and memory. Our breathing patterns influence the function of many critical areas of the brain. Breathing influences how we perceive the world, think, pay attention, remember, and feel.

Our neurons respond to the rhythm of our breath: When we alter our breathing, we can control the activity of our brain cells. Research shows you can rapidly change your emotions using just your breath.”

– Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., Sovereign

Of course, if you’re reading this, you’re not most people—and you probably know most of this. But it’s always refreshing to read it from a slightly different perspective 👏

2. Try to Be Better?

“It is easier to try to be better than you are than to be who you are.”

– Marion Woodman, found in Meditations for Mortals

What a perfect reminder: Instead of always striving to improve ourselves, we can instead seek to simply be ourselves. That is, after all, what breathing, meditation, and mindfulness are all about 🙏

3. Deep Physical and Psychological Changes

“As the breath is the link between the body and mind, it can intervene in the activities of either level. With increased awareness and control of the subtle aspects of breathing, these interventions can affect deep physical and psychological changes.”

– John Clarke, MD, Science of Breath

I’ve shared this one before, but it’s an excellent reminder: Because the breath connects body and mind, it can elicit powerful changes in both.

4. Enjoying the Symphony

“Do you want to enjoy a melody? Do you want to enjoy a symphony? Don’t hold on to a few bars of the music. Don’t hold on to a couple of notes. Let them pass, let them flow. The whole enjoyment of a symphony lies in your readiness to allow the notes to pass.”

– Anthony de Mello, Awareness

Same with life 🎵

1 Quote

“The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook.””
— William James

1 GOOD BOOK

Passage Meditation by Eknath Easwaran

If you’re tired of reading the same old things about meditation, here’s an approach I can almost promise you haven’t encountered. And even if you don’t adopt Easwaran’s 8-point program, his profound yet practical wisdom is sure to change how you think and live 🙏

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!

P.S. Imagine hating on me and…

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
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MBSR Course, Reducing Anxiety, and a Funny Quote about Negative Feelings

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Reading Time: 1 min 54 sec

I hope the next 23’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.

4 THOUGHTS

1. MBSR 8-Week Course Starting Soon

“Mindfulness is a way of befriending ourselves and our experience.”

- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D

My good friend, mentor, and all-around awesome human Paul Hunt is leading an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course starting on April 15th.

MBSR is a world-renowned program that changed Paul’s life, so now he shares it out of genuine care and passion. He even offers a pay-what-you-can option to ensure finances don’t hold you back.

If you’ve ever been curious about learning MBSR, this is a perfect way to begin.

Click Here to Learn More

2. Less Caught Up in the Noise of the World

“When you’ve immersed yourself in meditation, silence, breathing, and wisdom, then you’ll find it is so much easier not to get caught up in the noise of the world, the agendas, stories, and opinions. And even when you do get caught, you’re rarely fully entangled because there’s a part of you that notices you’re getting caught. So you can extricate yourself more easily.”

– Emma Seppälä, Ph.D., Sovereign

Just a reminder that when you immerse yourself “in meditation, silence, breathing, and wisdom” (like what we do here 😊), you become naturally shielded from the world’s noise. And with that security, you find a little sense of sovereignty.

3. Slow Breathing Helps Anticipatory Anxiety

“Through slow breathing exercises, participants’ responses to the emotional stimuli of an impending uncertain threat were diminished. It may be that slow breathing prepares the individual physically and psychologically for future anxious events.”

– Nature Scientific Reports (2025)​

​

​A new study found that just 30 seconds of slow breathing helps with anticipatory anxiety—the worry we feel before something stressful actually happens. In the experiment, slow breathing lowered self-reported anxiety, reduced heart rate, and slowed brainwaves, all of which may help the mind and body better handle uncertainty 👏

4. On Other’s Actions Controlling Your Feelings

“You’d better behave as I have decided, or I shall punish myself by having negative feelings.”

- Anthony de Mellow, Awareness

Ha! So good. Let’s do our best to stop punishing ourselves for the ways others act 😊

1 Quote

“It is easier to give up our material clutter than to shed our psychological baggage. Pride, ego, fear, and anger clutter our souls and minds in the same way that piles of clothes, furniture, and other belongings clutter our homes.””
— Satish Kumar

1 GOOD BOOK

Breath by Breath by Larry Rosenberg

Even if you’re not into meditation, this book is worth the read for all the great quotes, stories, and analogies about the breath. It’s one of the first “non-breathwork” breathing books I read many years ago that opened my eyes to the power of the breath as an analogy for life.

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!

P.S. Technology has gone too far

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
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A Funny 1-Minute Story, Instant Calm, and Creating Hope & Contentment

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Reading Time: 1 min 40 sec

I hope the next 20’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.

Reminder: SKY Breath Course Starts Today

There is still time to sign up for the SKY Breathing Course starting today. My good friend (and all-around wonderful person) Colleen Loehr, MD, is co-leading it, and it's bound to be a great experience. If you’re interested, check it out!

4 THOUGHTS

1. Immediately Observable Calming Effects

“Since sitting silently in meditation – as in traditional mindfulness practices – may be challenging for anxious people with high degrees of physiological arousal, breathing may be preferable because it engages the participant in a structured activity (i.e., controlled breathing) that leads to immediately observable calming effects.”

– Seppälä et al. (2014)

Just a great reminder that if you’re naturally anxious (like me), or work with people who are, breathing exercises can be an excellent alternative to traditional meditation for calming the body and mind 🙏

2. Creating a Sense of Comfort, Hope, and Contentment

“Well, here is the thing: the most generous act we can make is to take time to focus on our own wellbeing as soon as we wake up (in most cases, that is the morning). There is something about a morning ritual that creates a sense of comfort, of certainty, of hope, or contentment.”

– Libby DeLana, Do Walk

I’m a huge fan of starting the day with breathing, meditation, or [insert your favorite practice]. And while this passage is about walking, it perfectly captures why morning rituals like these are so powerful: They create “a sense of comfort, of certainty, of hope or contentment.” 👏

3. Three Breathing Ideas that Aren’t About Breathing

1. Don’t go around air expecting not to breathe.

2. If you follow your breath, you may actually end up where you’re going.

3. We can be lost in the breath, without knowing we have been breathing.

4. Humor and Wisdom: A 1-Minute Story with Insight

If you want a deep insight wrapped in humor and laughter, listen to this funny story about an unexploded bomb from Anthony de Mello (it’s about 1 min long, from 1:32:05 to 1:33:10). Enjoy!

1 Quote

“Artistry in living begins with learning to be flexible for the sake of those around us.””
— Eknath Easwaran

1 Answer

Category: Breath-Brain Connections

Answer: In one study, paced breathing stabilized oscillations in this eye measurement, which is linked to the brain’s attentional system.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is pupil diameter?

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!

P.S. it’s a daily coin toss

Smarter Coaching. Stronger Practice. Lasting Impact.

Being a great coach or practitioner isn’t just about knowing more, it’s about being a Mixed Mindful Artist: applying the right knowledge in the right way.

The Breath Learning Center gives you concise, practical, and powerful tools to do this, deepening your understanding, strengthening your coaching, and transforming your practice—without fluff or overwhelm.

Get Started Today.

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!

Learn more here.

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.

 
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Intelligent Control of Breathing, Humming, and Stopping to Think

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If you enjoy listening, you can listen to dozens of past episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible 😊

Reminder for Instructors:

Don’t forget to sign up for the free 5-day email series: Help More People by Avoiding These 5 Mistakes Holding Back Your Breathing and Mindfulness Coaching

Reading Time: 1 min 34 sec

I hope the next 19’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Intelligent Control of Breathing

“An intelligent control of our breathing power will lengthen our days upon earth by giving us increased vitality and powers of resistance, and, on the other hand, unintelligent and careless breathing will tend to shorten our days, by decreasing our vitality and laying us open to disease.”

– Yogi Ramacharaka, Science of Breath

Just a simple (but always welcomed) reminder of the power of our breath. By using it intelligently—which often means nasal, slower, deeper, and quieter—it can help us lengthen our days and support our vitality and resilience 👏

2. The Power of Humming

“Bhramari pranayama practice is found to be associated with higher levels of attention, quality of sleep, parasympathetic activity and pulmonary functioning and lower levels of stress, anxiety, depression, sympathetic activity and blood pressure across the included studies.”

- Exploring the Health Benefits of Bhramari Pranayama (2024)

This paper provides a well-rounded look at the evidence supporting bhramari as a formal breath practice. As you can see from the quote, the findings showed a wide range of impressive health benefits.

Read the full paper for more, or get my review and practical takeaways when you become a member of the Breath Learning Center.

3. Three Short Thoughts on Mindful Breathing

1. Breathing saves your life 20,000 times a day; mindfulness helps you appreciate this truth.

2. Breathing, with awareness, is gratitude.

3. The shortest definition of mindfulness is breath.

4. I Dare Not Stop…

“Someone once said, ‘I dare not stop to think, because if I did, I wouldn’t know how to get started again.’”

– Anthony de Mello, Awareness

Just a funny quote on how hard it can be to pause sometimes. But let us take it as a reminder that occasionally “stopping to think” may actually help us start back even better.

1 Quote

“The important thing is not to worry about what is going to happen to us but to create inner strength to deal with whatever does happen.””
— Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

1 Answer

Category: Lung Connections

Answer: The existence of this two-way communication system between the gut and lungs suggests that breathing-related factors may influence the gut microbiota.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the gut-lung axis?

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!

P.S. little secret about me

Smarter Coaching. Stronger Practice. Lasting Impact.

Being a great coach or practitioner isn’t just about knowing more, it’s about being a Mixed Mindful Artist: applying the right knowledge in the right way.

The Breath Learning Center gives you concise, practical, and powerful tools to do this, deepening your understanding, strengthening your coaching, and transforming your practice—without fluff or overwhelm.

Get Started Today.

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!

Learn more here.

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.