Eknath Easwaran

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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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Breath-Body-Brain, Easily Plant Trees, and the Heroic Heart

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Reading Time: 2 min 11 sec

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

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing 201: The Breath-Body-Brain Link

  1. The motions involved in breathing physically move your entire body. (Fun aside, this is why fMRI scans need to remove breathing “noise,” and part of why archers often shoot at the end of an exhale: to avoid movement.)

  2. Your brain is constantly monitoring these bodily movements, so brain activity naturally synchronizes with each breath.

  3. This breath-body-brain connection may help your brain coordinate movement and sensory perception (like seeing and touching) with your breathing rhythm. Thus, breathing may help your body and brain work together more smoothly.

P.S. If you want to learn how to use this knowledge for better cognitive health, check out the upcoming Breathing for Better Brain Health workshop 🧠

2. Plant Trees While You Breathe or Meditate

My good friend, Colleen Loehr, MD, recently introduced me to the Sattva meditation app. It has an awesome feature: For every 10-day streak you have, they will plant a tree.

It’s a perfect way to link our practice to something tangible (aside from the never-ending benefits we get personally).

Sattva for iPhone

Sattva for Android

P.S. I love Insight Timer (I have an 875-day streak my ego won’t let me let go of 😂), so I simply started running both apps during my morning practice. I’ve planted two trees so far 🌳🌳

3. Slow Breathing is to Meditation What…

“When you are already happy, there is no effort in trying to smile. But when things are slowly beginning to look a little blue, when morale is sagging at the edges and people around you are beginning to irritate you, that is the time to start smiling. In the very act of smiling there seems to be some secret switch that is turned on, and somewhere inside a little fountain of joy begins to play.”

– Eknath Easwaran, The Bhagavad Gita fro Daily Living

I’ve playfully said before that “Slow breathing is to meditation what smiling is to facial expressions.” They both work fast, but sometimes a smile is an easier place to start when irritated 😊

4. An Enjoyable Way to Reshape Your Brain This Week

“Every time you take in the good, you build a little bit of neural structure. Doing this a few times a day—for months and even years—will gradually change your brain, and how you feel and act, in far-reaching ways.”

- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Buddha’s Brain

“Taking in the good” sounds like a perfect practice to try this week (and every week) 😊

1 Quote

“This self is not some fixed body, it’s constantly changing. Every time we take a breath we’re changing. Our consciousness is always changing, too. All the chemical and physical processes in our body are also constantly changing. And yet, everything temporarily takes a form.””
— Kosho Uchiyama

1 GOOD BOOK

The Heroic Heart by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

I got this book solely because it had the best title ever, lol, and I ended up absolutely loving it. This quote sums up its core message perfectly: “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.”

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!


P.S. mid-year reset: let’s see where this takes me



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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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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Brain Blood Flow, Humming Bee Breathing, and an Unhurried Life

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Reading Time: 1 min 58 sec

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

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing 101: How Breathing Affects Brain Blood Flow

1. CO₂ crosses the blood-brain barrier and reacts with water in the CSF to form H⁺ and bicarbonate.

2. The increased H⁺ lowers pH which, through a cascade of cellular and molecular pathways, relaxes the blood vessels.

3. This increases brain blood flow to ensure adequate oxygen delivery to the brain. The reverse is true for low CO₂.

Thus, when we overbreathe, we lower CO₂ and reduce brain blood flow; when we breathe light and slow, the opposite happens, and we increase brain blood flow.

2. Testing Progress on the Spiritual Path

“One of the ways to test our progress on the spiritual path is to see how much we are able to free ourselves from the oppressive pressure of time. The clock is the most eloquent symbol of the tyranny of time.”

– Eknath Easwaran, The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living

This one felt like a spiritual slap in the face 😬 because, despite all my practice, I still catch myself rushing through the day, ruled by the microwave clock. The subtle shift Easwaran is pointing to is not that we escape time, but rather that we free ourselves from the pressure of time. To move with ease, no matter how busy we are. That’s progress.

3. The Science-Backed Benefits of Humming Bee Breathing

“The findings indicated that bhramari pranayama has a positive impact on psychological, cardiovascular and pulmonary health…It is…associated with lower levels of stress, anxiety, depression, sympathetic activity and blood pressure, and higher levels of attention, quality of sleep, parasympathetic activity, vagal activity and pulmonary functioning.

- Chetry et al. (2024)

That’s an impressive list. And while I’ve shared this study before, I recently put together a simple post that sums it up. I thought you might enjoy revisiting it like I did. Click here to check it out.

4. Some Great Advice for the Week

“So look for those little ways in the flow of life to feel a bit more relaxed, protected, strong, and at ease…and a little more grateful, glad, and successful…and a little more cared about and caring, and a little more loved and loving…The more often and deeply you do this, the greater the results.”

- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Neurodharma

1 Quote

“A simple, unhurried life can be full of wisdom and beauty.””
— Eknath Easwaran

1 GOOD BOOK

The Well-Lived Life by Gladys McGarey, MD

I’ve been raving about this book for over a year now—it’s one of my all-time favorites. I’ve received more messages from readers that this book changed their life than any other I’ve shared. Dr. McGarey was 102 when she wrote it, and you can truly feel her wisdom in every sentence. (She has since passed away, back in September, at the age of 103.) I can’t recommend this one enough.

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!



P.S. a modern-day Descartes




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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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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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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Free 5-Day Course, Less Inflammation, and 3 Breath-Focused Quotes

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Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Audio Block
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Reading Time: 1 min 34 sec

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


4 THOUGHTS

1. A Free 5-Day Email Course for Instructors

It’s called: The Mixed Mindful Artist’s Guide: The 5 Biggest Mistakes Coaches Make with Breathing, Meditation, and Mindfulness (and How They Might Be Holding Back Your Coaching Practice).

You can sign up for it here. I hope you enjoy it!

2. Mindfulness Lowers Inflammation

“Mindfulness practice, it seems, lessens inflammation day to day, not just during meditation itself. The benefits seem to show up even with just four weeks of mindfulness practice (around thirty hours total), as well as with loving-kindness meditation…Looks like there’s biological confirmation of what meditators say: it gets easier to handle life’s upsets.”

– Daniel Goleman, Ph.D. & Richard Davidson, Ph.D., Altered Traits

Given that excess inflammation negatively impacts nearly every aspect of health, this highlights just how powerful a consistent mindfulness practice can be for overall well-being👏

3. Three Great Breath-Focused Quotes

Here are three great quotes from The Healing Power of the Breath, which is one of my all-time favorite Book 411s in the Breath Learning Center:

1. “The daily use of breath practices can turn back the tide of stress, counteract disease progression, and improve overall quality of life.”

2. “Once you establish an inner calm, you will transmit it naturally to others.”

3. “In learning breath practices the most important thing to remember is to relax…Self-judgment adds another layer of stress. The less you judge yourself, the easier it will be to relax and experience the benefits.”

4. The First Step on the Path

“Thus the first step on the Path is to know what you want, not what you ought to want. Only in this way can the pilgrim set out upon his journey fully prepared.”

– Alan Watts, Become What You Are

How good is that? It’s a great reminder that a well-lived life is not about figuring out what we “ought” or “should” want. Rather, it’s about finding our own way 👏

1 Quote

“It is an astonishing truth: there is only one person in the world I can hope to control, and that is myself.””
— Eknath Easwaran

1 Answer

Category: Breath and Brain

Answer: This relaxing (and vibrating) breathing practice has been shown to increase gamma brain waves.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is humming?

In good breath,

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

P.S. me following my path

Wisdom that Inspires Action, Mindfulness, and Humor

The Breathing 411 is mindfully created each week to support your journey. If you find it valuable, consider joining the Breath Learning Center. Members gain access to an ever-growing collection of book summaries, science paper reviews, and insights from the greatest teachers and thinkers, designed to help you find your unique path, connect ideas, help others, laugh, and grow as a Mixed Mindful Artist. It also includes ad-free daily emails, guided practices, and more.

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.

 
,

A Mini Life, Breath-Brain, and Helping Everyone Else Relax

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Audio Block
Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more

Reading Time: 1 min 32 sec

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


4 THOUGHTS

1. A Miniature Model of Life

“When we truly observe the breath, we are automatically placed in the present. We are pulled out of the morass of mental images and into a bare experience of the here and now. In this sense, breath is a living slice of reality. A mindful observation of such a miniature model of life itself leads to insights that are broadly applicable to the rest of our experience.”

– Bhante Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English

Yep, that sums it up perfectly. I have nothing else to add but several of these 👏👏👏

2. Breath-Brain: Entire Fields are Dedicated to This

“The brain’s metabolic-energetic coupling to respiration is at odds with how neuroscientists methodologically treat respiration. Respiration-related neural activity is typically considered noise, and entire fields are dedicated to stripping it from brain data.”

– Neuroscience Bulletin (2023)

The breath’s influence on the brain is so pervasive that “entire fields are dedicated to stripping it from brain data.” How crazy is that? 🤯

It’s a powerful reminder that, although we often talk about the breath’s impact on the nervous system, its effects on the brain may be the most profound (yet least appreciated) of all…

3. Three Random Breathing Thoughts

1. Shining your attention on your breath is like a dimmer switch: even if it’s not all the way up, it will still help you see better.

2. Scientific studies of breathing are timely and indispensable; personal experience with the breath is timeless and irreplaceable.

3. Equanimity is when the breather realizes they are the breath.

4. Few Persons Realize

“Few persons realize that health actually varies according to the amount of laughter.”

– James J. Walsh, MD, PhD

Here is our weekly reminder to laugh. It is, after all, the best “breathing exercise” around… 😊

1 Quote

“Pressure is contagious, but so is good will. Just one person slowing down, one person not putting others under pressure, helps everyone else to relax too.””
— Eknath Easwaran

1 Answer

Category: Breath Connection

Answer: Breathing influences this organ over a wide set of frequencies, ranging from as slow as 0.01 Hz to as high as 80 Hz.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the brain?

In good breath,

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

P.S. like I get it

Reminder: A Good New Year Begins Now

Like a good inhale starts with a full exhale, or a good morning starts the night before, a good 2025 begins with how we end this year. So, if you want to start 2025 off strong, consider ending this year by becoming a Mixed Mindful Artist. You can do that by joining the Breath Learning Center. I’ve made it accessible, with options starting at just $5, because I believe the mixed mindful arts should be available to all who seek them. I hope you’ll join us!

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.

 
,

How to Not Get Upset, Robust Science, and the Great Synchrony

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 42 sec

I hope the next 21’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. The Great Synchrony Between Breath, Heart, and Brain

“We term this phenomenon the great 10 second synchrony between breath, heart and the brain.”

– The Brain's Resonance with Breathing

This 2019 study found that slow breathing, particularly at 6 breaths a minute (a 10-second cycle), rapidly synchronizes breath, heart, and brain rhythms, providing insight into how slow breathing exercises may enhance mental and emotional well-being 👏

***

P.S. As always, if you want to nerd out on the full review, check out the Breath Learning Center. We now have reviews of 51 papers, 45 books, and 552 daily messages to help you live better as a mixed mindful artist (and we’re just getting started 😊). We currently have 86 active members…I’d love for you to join us.

2. Get the Best of the Mind: Now Enough Robust Science

“There is now enough robust science to show that mastering the simple movements needed to control the rate, depth and route by which you get air into your body can become a handy tool to steer thoughts and feelings in useful ways. Mastering this range of bodily movements can allow us to dial into the workings of the brain and the rest of the body, change the settings of both and get the very best out of the mind.”

– Caroline Williams, Move

👏 👏 👏

3. Three Random Thoughts on Breathing

1. All life needs to move, and the lungs and airways are perfectly designed to optimize air motion in support of life.

2. A breath practice is a tool—but not a requirement—for a good life.

3. The most common mistake in breathing is using the nose, lungs, and diaphragm, but not the heart.

4. How to Not Get Upset when a Real Trial Comes

“Simply by maintaining a sense of humor and humility, we can teach the mind not to get upset even when a real trial comes.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Conquest of Mind

This one certainly passes the real-life test for me 😊. Give it a try this week and see how it goes.

1 Quote

“Joy seems to be the ‘natural’ state of a unified mind, and the more unified a mind is, the more joyful it is.””
— John Yates, Ph.D., and Matthew Immergut, Ph.D.

1 Answer

Category: Brain Rhythms

Answer: These are brain electrical signals directly related to mental effort and brain excitability, which can become synchronized with respiration during slow breathing.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are slow cortical potentials (SCPs)?

In good breath,

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

P.S. I was born to be Finnish

Our Only Guide is Homesickness

“We have no one to guide us. Our only guide is our homesickness.”

– Herman Hesse

This perfectly captures the essence of becoming a Mixed Mindful Artist. We don’t focus on one method that worked for someone else; instead, we let our homesickness—our own intuition—guide us while using wisdom from great teachers and scientists to support that journey. If you’re ready to find your way home, 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.

 
,

Nasal Breathing, Belly Laughing, and My Favorite Signs of Progress

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 2 min 4 sec

I hope the next 25’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. My New Favorite Signs of Progress

“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

Of course, there are many different signs of progress in meditation (and breathing and mindfulness), but these are my new favorites 😊. They offer a simple yet powerful way to assess whether these practices are truly changing our lives.

2. Majoring in the Minor

“That’s when I learned that people have a habit of looking for the next big thing when they haven’t spent any time mastering the simple thing in front of them….A lot of you are missing the forest for the trees. You’re majoring in the minor. You’re getting in the weeds.”

– Arnold Schwarzenegger

Got any areas of your practice where you’re “majoring in the minor?” (Guilty here 🤚) Let’s use this as a reminder to master the simple tools in front of us—things like slow breathing, meditation, and mindfulness—before we go looking for the next big thing.

3. Three Reminders to Breathe Nasally

1. “The nose is the silent warrior: the gatekeeper of our bodies, pharmacist to our minds, and weather vane to our emotions.”- James Nestor

2. “Nasal stimulation represents the fundamental link between slow breathing techniques, brain and autonomic activities and psychological/behavioral outputs.” - Frontiers (2018)

3. “Obsessed with notions of health, he was fascinated by his breathing. In fact, Kant developed a technique of breathing solely through his nose—250 years before scientists recognized the role of nasal breathing for good health. Kant was so determined to breathe only through his nose that he refused to walk with a companion, fearful that conversation might inadvertently make him inhale through his mouth. Kant lived to just short of his eightieth birthday, a phenomenal age in 1804.” - Annabel Streets

4. Belly Laughing as Good as Crunches

“Break into a full belly laugh and you hit two pillars of stress control in one go. A recent study found that laughing really hard provides a better core workout than crunches.”

– Caroline Williams, Move

We already know that laughter significantly reduces cortisol, but here we learn it might be as effective—or even better—than crunches for our core. Let’s use that as our friendly reminder to laugh this week to support both our physical and mental health 😊

1 Quote

“Breathing is not only critical to sustaining life, but done correctly and consciously, it can be a valuable tool for getting the most out of every human endeavor, from the most demanding physical challenges to the pursuit of understanding life’s deepest spiritual mysteries.””
— Al Lee and Don Campbell

1 Answer

Category: Nasal Breathing and the Brain

Answer: Slow nasal breathing increases these slow brainwaves often associated with sleep, creativity, and relaxation more than slow mouth breathing does.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are theta brainwaves?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Celery with anxiety

Elevate Yourself

Embrace a more thoughtful approach to a happier and fulfilling life: become a Mixed Mindful Artist. Instead of trying to fit into a single method, you can integrate the principles of breathing, meditation, and mindfulness to find a balanced and adaptable practice that supports your well-being in every stage of your life. Learn more.

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.

 
,

It's Possible, Movement for Mindfulness, and Breath is Life

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 39 sec

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


4 THOUGHTS

1. Remarkably, It’s Possible

“Remarkably, it’s possible to use your breath to train your body to react more healthily to stress, both in the moment and over the longer term, by virtue of the way that it changes the level of activity along the vagus nerve. Over time, practicing slow breathing can change your baseline level of stress reactivity to a point where you freak out less often and recover more quickly when you do.”

– Caroline Williams, Move

👏 👏 👏

2. Movement Aids a Mindful Life

“Without a balance between physical activity and meditation, for instance, we may become irritable or restless. Exercise—jogging, swimming, climbing, hard work, and so forth for young people, and walking for just about everybody—can help to solve some of the problems that come as you descend in consciousness.”

- Eknath Easwaran, Passage Meditation

Here, Easwaran reminds us that a mindful life doesn’t require sitting still all day; in fact, it’s the opposite. Physical activity reduces restlessness and eases the mind, helping us “solve some of the problems that come” when we do sit still to practice 🙏

3. Three Reminders that Breath is Life

1. “The fact is that when we focus on the breath, we are focusing on the life force…To contemplate breathing is to contemplate life itself.” - Larry Rosenberg

2. “Only with oxygen and some means of extracting it are all things possible—thinking, moving, eating, speaking, and loving. Life and the breath are synonymous.” – Michael J Stephen, MD

3. “Without the breath, what is there? It’s where you and I and everyone else began. It’s where all life begins.” - Wim Hof

4. This Breathing Exercise Is in Fact Good Medicine

“In conclusion, our results support the ancient knowledge that spontaneous laughter is in fact good medicine (preventive or therapeutic) being associated with greater reduction in cortisol levels as compared with usual activities.”

- PLOS ONE (2023)

Modern science and ancient wisdom agree: laughter is good medicine. Make sure you’re enjoying this most enjoyable of “breathing exercises” this week 😊

1 Quote

“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

1 Answer

Category: Breathing and the Core

Answer: This core muscle connects the spine to the femur and plays a role in breathing through its link to the diaphragm.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the psoas?

In good breath,

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

P.S. the emotional diurnal cycle

A Path to Lasting Change

The Breath Learning Center integrates ancient wisdom with modern science to help us make lasting change.

You enjoy daily wisdom meditations, science and book reviews, workshops, and guided practices, all at your own pace.

Get started for as little as 16 cents a day.

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.

 
,

Breath and Wine, Simplest Movement, and 4 Reminders on Connection

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Announcement

I am excited to be giving a 1-hr virtual workshop tomorrow, August 27th, at 5:30 p.m. Eastern for the nonprofit BeWell in School. It’s donation-based, and all proceeds go to support their mission. They are truly and incredible organization, and I am honored whenever I get to support them. Get signed up here.

On to the newsletter…

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 2 min 0 sec

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


4 THOUGHTS

1. Simplest and Most Unobtrusive of Movements

“Despite centuries of reports from followers of Eastern traditions that slow breathing can improve focus, bring a sense of calm when we might otherwise lose it and even whisk us away to an altered state of consciousness, most of us still don’t take time out from our busy lives to prioritize this simplest and most unobtrusive of body movements.”

– Caroline Williams, Move

If you feel “moved” by this, here is an excellent reminder to take time this week to prioritize the simplest and most unobtrusive movement of all: slow breathing 👏

2. The Only Practice that Matters

“The only practice that matters is the one you consistently do, not the practice of any other artist.”

– Rick Rubin, The Creative Act

A perfect reminder (which also applies to breathing) to follow what’s right for you, not what’s right for someone else. It brings to mind another wonderful quote attributed to Zen Shin: “A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.”

3. Four Reminders that Breath is Connection

1. “To breathe is to absorb ourselves in what surrounds us, to take in little bits of life, understand them, and give pieces of ourselves back out. Respiration is, at its core, reciprocation.” - James Nestor

2. “Living beings differ in appearance and behavior…But all living beings breathe…When we focus on the breath, we become mindful of the universal nature of all beings.” – Bhante Gunaratana

3. “The air I inhale enters my body and becomes part of me. The air that I exhale moves into someone else and becomes part of her. Just by looking at how the air moves, we realize we are all connected to one another, not just figuratively but also literally.” - Haemin Sunim

4. “Each new breath creates a unity of life as all people share the nourishment that the earth’s atmosphere freely offers.” - Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D.

4. The Best of Both Worlds

“The breathing will seamlessly bring you back to the natural mental and emotional flexibility you had as a child, but with the direction and purpose you have as an adult.”

— Richard Brown, MD, and Patricia Gerbarg, MD

Here’s to using our breath to develop child-like mental flexibility alongside adult-like purpose a little more this week 🙏

1 Quote

“Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore, may the relief of laughter rinse through your soul.””
— John O’Donohue

1 Answer

Category: Breath, Brain, and Wine

Answer: The cluster of neurons that generate breathing rhythm is named this after a German bottle of wine.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the pre-Bötzinger Complex?

Wiser than Before Podcast

I was recently a guest on the Wiser than Before Podcast. It was an awesome chat with Josh. If you love breathing, I think you’ll love the show!

Listen: Spotify or Apple,

Watch: YouTube

In good breath,

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

P.S. the ultimate out of body experience

A Path to Lasting Change

The Breath Learning Center integrates ancient wisdom with modern science to help us make lasting change.

You enjoy daily wisdom meditations, science and book reviews, workshops, and guided practices, all at your own pace.

Get started for as little as 16 cents a day.

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.

 
,

Flourishing, Four (more) Reminders, and Get More Brain Power

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 47 sec

I hope the next 27’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing for a Generous and Purposeful Life

“Life is movement, and our breath keeps us going every minute of the day…To bring awareness to that, and to begin to harness that power of movement towards understanding who we are, why we are here, and what we should be doing to live a purposeful, generous, grateful life, is all part of the practice of pranayama.”

– Eddie Stern, Healing Through Breathing

How good is that? Here’s to bringing awareness to the life-giving gift of breathing so we can direct it toward “understanding who we are, why we are here, and what we should be doing to live a purposeful, generous, grateful life.” 🙏

2. Flourishing Under Stress

“But as stress researchers realize, full health is more than just the absence of disease. It means a dynamic harmony of body and mind which allows us to live at our full physical, emotional, and spiritual potential. ... Instead of trying simply to survive stress, we should aim at flourishing under it, making use of anything life brings.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Original Goodness

And happily, this is precisely what breathing and meditation do: help build our resilience so we can flourish under stress and make use of anything life brings 🙏

3. Four Reminders of the Breath’s Power for the Heart

1. “You know that our breathing is the inhaling and exhaling of air. The organ which serves for this is the lungs which lie round the heart. Thus breathing is a natural way to the heart.” - Nicephorus the Solitary

2. “If you would foster a calm spirit, first regulate your breathing; for when that is under control, the heart will be at peace.” — Kariba Ekken

3. “Happiness lies in your own heart. You only need to practice mindful breathing for a few seconds, and you'll be happy right away.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

4. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart, which is, of course, my diaphragm.” - Jill Miller

4. Increase Brain Power with this “Breathing Exercise”

“You can increase your brain power three to fivefold simply by laughing and having fun before working on a problem.”

– Doug Hall

👏👏👏

1 Quote

“Breath is the beginning, the end, and the tether between us all…It’s the wiring between all living organisms that proves we’re not separated or disconnected, but rather that we are being routed through the same network.””
— Finnian Kelly

1 Answer

Category: Ancient Breathing

Answer: This, a combination of two words, refers to the lengthening, expanding, or directing of the vital life force via controlled respiration.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is pranayama?

In good breath,

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

P.S. imagine all the people 🎵

A Path to Lasting Change

The Breath Learning Center integrates ancient wisdom with modern science to help us make lasting change.

You enjoy daily wisdom meditations, science and book reviews, workshops, and guided practices, all at your own pace.

Get started for as little as 16 cents a day.

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.

 
,

Four Reminders, Alternate Nostril, and Tapping into the Life Force

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 45 sec

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


4 THOUGHTS

1. Tapping into the Life Force

“The most universal practice for tapping into the Life Force is really a number of practices—mediation, prayer, reading, journal writing, exercise—that make up the morning rituals that so many people swear by. Rather than preparing you for a single event, like a game, a play, or a public address, the rituals prepare you for the entire day to come.”

- Barry Michels and Phil Stutz, Coming Alive

How good is that? (Well, except that they left off breathing, ha!)

It’s a nice reminder that all our practices help us tap into our Life Force as holistic preparation for “the entire day to come.” 🙏

2. The Benefits of Alternate Nostril Breathing

“This technique provides high level evidence for positive outcomes for the autonomic nervous and cardiopulmonary systems. There is also high level of evidence regarding improvement in cognitive functioning with regular practice of alternate nostril breathing.”

– Ghiya (2017)

This review found that ANB improved nervous system and heart health, lung function, and cognitive ability, suggesting that it is an effective technique for boosting overall health & wellness 🙏

***

P.S. I just released a new Science 411 on this paper in the Breath Learning Center. Sign up for as little as $5 to read or listen now.

3. Four 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. “Just as your mind influences the breath, you can influence the state of your mind through the breath as well.” –Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

4. “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. Wash the Brain with this “Subtle Fluid”

“There seems to be a subtle fluid from humor and fun which penetrates the entire being, bathes all the mental faculties, and washes out the brain-ash and debris from exhausted cerebrum and muscles.”

– Orison Swett Marden, The Joys of Living

1 Quote

“The real meaning of simplicity is singling out what is worth living for, and then shaping our lives around what matters and letting go of everything else.””
— Eknath Easwaran

1 Answer

Category: The Brain

Answer: Between its more than 86 billion neurons, the human brain has over this many connections.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 100 trillion connections?

In good breath,

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

P.S. next time you want to spread some love

A Path to Lasting Change

The Breath Learning Center integrates ancient wisdom with modern science to help us make lasting change.

You enjoy daily wisdom meditations, science and book reviews, workshops, and guided practices, all at your own pace.

Get started for as little as 16 cents a day.

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.

 
,

More Alive, Surprising, and the Key to Lung Expansion (and a long life)

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 30 sec

I hope the next 22’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing Pattern and Mental Status

“Mental status (anxious versus calm) is reflected by breathing pattern and it is believed that conscious regulation is key to achieving control over mind/mental status.”

- Shreya Ghiya, Int. J. Res. Med. Sci. (2017)

Here is an excellent reminder that to regulate our mental states, we must first start by learning to consciously regulate our breathing 🙏

2. Surprisingly, It’s Not During Meditation

“Surprisingly, it is not during meditation that you make progress in meditation; it is during the rest of the day. What you do in meditation is get the power, install the dynamo; the actual work is done after you open your eyes, get up, and go out into the world.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Passage Meditation

What a great reminder that, ultimately, we make progress in meditation (and breathing) by bringing the results into the world. So here’s to carrying the calm, attentive, and joyful state we achieve during practice into our everyday life so we can truly advance 🙏

3. Key to Lung Expansion and a Long Life

“What Stough had discovered…was that the most important aspect of breathing wasn’t just to take in air through the nose. Inhaling was the easy part. The key to breathing, lung expansion, and the long life that came with it was on the other end of respiration. It was in the transformative power of a full exhalation.”

– James Nestor, Breath

What a great reminder of the power of a full exhale. By pushing more air out, we can get more in, improving lung capacity and (hopefully) lengthening life span 👏

4. It Will Lead You Where You Need to Go

“Follow the breath. Lean into it. The breath goes everywhere, and it will lead you where you need to go.”

- Wim Hof, The Wim Hof Method

That sounds like perfect advice to follow this week 🙏

1 Quote

“You’re more alive when body and breath are permeated with the energy of awareness.””
— Larry Rosenberg

1 Answer

Category: The Nose

Answer: Research has suggested that stress hormones oscillate between the left and right sides of the body in connection with this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the nasal cycle?

In good breath,

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

P.S. my worst fear too

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The Breathing App for Diabetes

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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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Going Inward, a New Practice, and Remembering Oneself

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 48 sec

I hope the next 27’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Going Inward to Bring it Outward

“But none of this is the final destination of spinal breathing. We are going in so we can come back out and enjoy our inner qualities in the outside world of our everyday living. So spinal breathing is a practical technique. It is not something we do to escape. It is something we do to arrive completely in the presence of who and what we are. Then we are in a position to live life to the fullest.”

- Yogani, Spinal Breathing Pranayama

Although this is about “spinal breathing pranayama,” it applies perfectly to all contemplative practices. We go in “so we can come back out and enjoy our inner qualities in the outside world of our everyday living.” 🙏🙏🙏

2. Patience Means Slow, Deep Breathing

“Patience means slow, deep breathing; impatience means poor lungs and irregular breathing. … When you are patient, all the vital processes work smoothly.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Passage Meditation

And let’s not forget that it’s a two-way street: When we practice slow, deep breathing, we create conditions that support us being more patient. This will not only help our breathing and lung health, but also help us live more easily in our overly-rushed world.

3. Remembering to Key an Eye on Oneself

“First used in an English translation of a Buddhist text in 1881 at the height of the British colonization of South Asia, the term ‘mindfulness’ came into general acceptance in the Western world thereafter. But the term is a Western invention. The original word in the language of the Buddha’s time was sati. Sati means remembering. Right Mindfulness—or Right Sati—means remembering to keep an eye on oneself.”

– Mark Epstein, MD, Advice Not Given

“Remembering to keep an eye on oneself.” That’s an awesome (and super practical) definition of mindfulness.

So here’s to using our breath and daily reading as a way of “keeping an eye on ourselves” so we can continue to cultivate a well-lived life 🙏

4. Laughfulness

If mindfulness means “remembering to keep an eye on oneself” (see Thought #3), then I propose a new practice:

Laughfulness: remembering to laugh at oneself.

It may be the best contemplative approach to mastering the art of living 😊

1 Quote

“Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.””
— Redd Foxx

1 Answer

Category: Breathing and the Brain

Answer: This gas is critical to breathing but also has a direct impact on brain blood flow, with some studies suggesting that brain blood flow reduces 2-3% for every 1 mmHG reduction in it.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is carbon dioxide?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Get your priorities straight science.

Breathing, Reading, and Meditation for a Well-Lived Life

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.

Start 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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Become More You, Deep Changes, and Benefiting Those We Encounter

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 39 sec

I hope the next 25’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Become More and More You

“The film director David Lynch formulated it most compellingly when he told me ‘The thing about meditation is, you become more and more you.’ So you should not have the slightest concern about meditating in ways that suit you and are to your liking.”

- Steven Laureys, MD,
The No-Nonsense Meditation Book

That’s so good, and it applies perfectly to breathing exercises, too.

With that in mind, we might ask, ‘How could I tailor my breathing or meditation practice to better suit my unique self?’ Remember: it’s about becoming more of who we are, not more of someone else 🙏

2. Getting 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

“As the breath is the link between the body and mind, it can intervene in the activities of either level.” That’s a potent reminder of why the breath is so powerful. Be sure to use it wisely, today 🙏

3. Immediate Influence of the Divine

“Taken more spiritually, inspiration means to breathe life into. An ancient interpretation defines it as the immediate influence of the divine.”

- Rick Rubin, The Creative Act

This is just a reminder that, at any moment, we can experience the “immediate influence of the divine” by bringing all our attention to the act of inhalation via mindfulness of breathing 🙏

4. Benefit Every Person We Encounter

“Breathing, the common, everyday act of inhaling and exhaling a breath, has the ability to be something that benefits not just me or you, it can benefit every person we encounter.”

– Rev Duffy Peet

This is an excellent reminder that our breathing and meditation practices go beyond just our personal wellness. Because these practices make us calmer, joyful, loving, and more attentive, they benefit every person we encounter 👏

1 Quote

“So try to remember every day that you are participating in meditation even at breakfast, at work, at school, in the garden, everywhere.””
— Eknath Easwaran

1 Answer

Category: The Nose

Answer: Physiological reflexes that occur due to changes in body position (such as going from sitting-to-lying or lying on one side) can impact this, and hence nasal congestion.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is nasal airflow?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Me neither

Breathing, Reading, and Meditation for a Well-Lived Life

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.

Start 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.

 
,

Blue Mindfulness, Worry & Hurry, and a Natural Way to the Heart

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 49 sec

I hope the next 27’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Blue Mindfulness

“What science is also revealing is that there’s an additional simple, watery means to mindfulness. Indeed, think of it as Blue Mindfulness.”

– Wallace J Nichols, Blue Mind

This refers to the idea that being around water (and nature in general) can invoke mindfulness. And even if you can’t make it into nature, it turns out that just listening to the sound of water can elicit some of its benefits.

So, this is your nudge to get out into nature or put on some ocean noises during your next breathing or meditation practice to get a little extra “blue mindfulness” 😊

2. A Water Breathing Walk

“Importantly, rain washes away the vestiges of pollution. Air is always cleaner during and immediately after a downpour…As rain tumbles through the atmosphere, each drop attracts hundreds of pollutant particles…Leaving the air bracingly fresh, scrubbed clean.”

- Annabel Streets, 52 Ways to Walk

I’ve shared this one before, but it felt right to re-share after the previous thought. Consider getting out and breathing some freshly cleaned air after the next rain—it’s an effortless “breathing exercise” 😊

3. Why Worry Goes With Hurry

“Worry goes with hurry because people in a hurry don’t have time to think clearly and make clear decisions, so they are always worried about results. … If you slow down enough to think clearly and act wisely, you have no need to worry because you know you are doing your best.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Original Goodness

One way to slow down enough to think clearly and act wisely? Slow, mindful breathing, which slows body and mind, thus reducing worry.

***

P.S. Of course, thinking clearly and acting wisely doesn’t mean we’ll make perfect decisions. It just means we won’t have to worry as much because we’ll know we’re doing our best with what we have 🙏

4. Some Advice to Follow (for the rest of our lives)

“Receive wisdom skillfully. Try it on for size and see how it fits. Incorporate what’s useful. Let go of the rest. And no matter how credible the source, test and tune in to yourself to discover what works for you.”

– Rick Rubin, The Creative Act

Ironically, that advice goes for this passage, too 😊

1 Quote

“You know that our breathing is the inhaling and exhaling of air. The organ which serves for this is the lungs which lie round the heart. Thus breathing is a natural way to the heart.””
— Nicephorus the Solitary

1 Answer

Category: Synchronization

Answer: This refers to the measurement of the interaction between lungs and the heart during sleep.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is cardiopulmonary coupling?

In good breath,

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

P.S. We didn’t think everyone would bring a bag!

Breath Science & Wisdom Meditations for a Well-Lived Life

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.

Start 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.

 
,

Positive Stress, Open Heart, and a Poor Host for Disease

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 29 sec

I hope the next 22’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Slow Breathing as a Positive Stressor

“Slow breathing is, in fact, a type of positive stress in and of itself, because you are making an autonomic function of your body intentional…sometimes, as you might notice, your nervous system might resist a little to the changes you are suggesting, because it is not used to being told what to do.”

– Eddie Stern, Healing Through Breathing

I love this shift in perspective. It reminds us that when we teach or practice slow breathing, there might be resistance. That’s normal. But as Eddie also says, that tension “will melt away with time, practice, patience, and a gentle approach to slow breathing.” 👏

2. An Important Thing to Remember in Learning Breath Practices

“In learning breath practices the most important thing to remember is to relax. … Self-judgment adds another layer of stress. The less you judge yourself, the easier it will be to relax and experience the benefits … Try not to evaluate or judge what is happening. Just go with it.”

- Richard Brown, MD, and Patricia Gerbarg, MD

This reminds me of another gem from another MD—Herbert Benson—discussing the relaxation response: “The less you worry about the results, the better. Just let it happen.” 🙏

3. A Poor Host for Disease

“…this is one of the grandest secrets of health…Research evidence today suggests that emotional immunity to negative states of mind may well be linked to physical immunity, even resistance to disease. A person who is even minded, who doesn’t get shaken if people speak ill of him or excited when they praise her to the skies – such a person, I submit, is a poor host for disease.”

– Eknath Easwaran, Original Goodness

Of course, this doesn’t literally mean we’ll never get sick or that all our ailments will suddenly vanish if we’re even minded. But, I love this idea of training our minds to be steadier—through meditation and breathing—so we can at least become “a poor host for disease.” 🙏

4. An Open Heart to Have Open Eyes

“Ancient meditation texts describe compassion and mindfulness as two wings of a bird—emphasizing that we need an open heart to have open eyes.”

- Ronald Siegel, Psy.D., The Mindfulness Solution

1 Quote

“This is the deepest paradox in all of meditation: we want to get somewhere—we wouldn’t have taken up the practice if we didn’t—but the way to get there is just to be fully here.””
— Larry Rosenberg

1 Answer

Category: Contagious Breathing

Answer: One study found that our brains responds to the sound of this “breathing exercise” by preparing our facial muscles to join in.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is laughter?

In good breath,

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

P.S. me but at my breath memes

Breath Science & Wisdom Meditations for a Well-Lived Life

Learn to think, speak, and act in alignment with the person you want to be.

Start 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.