Meditations for Mortals

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Breathing 201, A Better Form of Meditation, and What Wisdom Actually Is

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Reading Time: 2 min 6 sec

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

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing 201: The Nose-Brain Link

  1. Nasal airflow stimulates the olfactory bulb, which is not only associated with smell but also regulates brain rhythms.

  2. The olfactory bulb can directly communicate with the amygdala, hippocampus, and other brain regions involved in emotion, memory, and cognitive function.

  3. Thus, nasal breathing—especially if it’s slow and rhythmic—can help to synchronize brainwaves across these regions, which can aid in emotional and cognitive functioning.

P.S. Note that this is simplified and there are several other pathways working simultaneously: cerebrospinal fluid flow and brain blood flow are being impacted, heart-brain connections may be amplified, among others. But this a good general idea of the nose-brain connection.

2. Which Descends Deep into Our Lungs

“We are all sitting here, breathing in and breathing out the same air. I cannot say, “Excuse me, I don’t want you breathing my air!” Even if we were the bitterest enemies, fighting and shouting at each other, we are actually intimately connected because we are breathing in and breathing out the same air, which descends deep into our lungs.”

– Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, The Heroic Heart

Just our periodic reminder that breathing not only gives us direct access to our nervous system, brain waves, and emotional state—it also connects us (literally and figuratively) to every living thing on this planet 👏

3. A Better form of Meditation than Sitting

“Joshu Sasaki, a Zen master from Los Angeles, tells his students to stand up and laugh for five minutes every morning because that’s a better form of meditation than sitting for a long time getting sore legs.”

– Alan Watts, Still The Mind

Ha! While I enjoy sitting and getting sore legs, this is a perfect reminder that finding time to laugh (even if only at ourselves) should be considered a critical part of any contemplative practice 🙏

4. What’s the Life Task Here?

“The question can be a startlingly powerful one, particularly when you find yourself torn between options, or between external pressures and your own ambitions, or unable, for any other reason, to figure out what to do next: What’s the life task here? Never mind what you want. What does life want?”

- Oliver Burkeman, Meditations for Mortals

That sounds like the perfect practice in awareness (or “mindful living”). When we face a decision and don’t what what to do next, we can ask: What is the life task here? What does life want? It’s surprising how obvious the answer can be sometimes…

1 Quote

“Wisdom is making room for the unknown. The mystical. The creative. As you do that, your mind enters a state of wonder and contemplation. Instead of being weighed down by small petty concerns, it opens up and gains perspective.””
— Emma Seppälä, Ph.D.

1 GOOD BOOK

Do Walk by Libby DeLana

This one instantly became my favorite book on walking. It’s short, easy to read, and overflowing with wisdom on the power of walking. I can’t recommend it enough, and I hope it inspires you to walk more like it did me.

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 total go with the flow person



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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CO2 & Breath Regulation, a Fulfilling Life, and a Great Book on Movement

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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 101: The Role of CO2 in Breath Regulation

1. CO₂ crosses the blood-brain barrier and reacts with water in the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) to form hydrogen ions (H⁺) and bicarbonate.

2. Then, this rise in H⁺ lowers pH, stimulating central chemoreceptors in the brainstem.

3. These chemoreceptors send signals to the brain’s respiratory centers to activate the phrenic nerve, causing the diaphragm to contract, initiating an inhale.

It’s a rather neat and beautiful system 👏

2. A Fulfilling and Accomplished Life

“Yet everyday experience, along with centuries of philosophical reflection, attests to the fact that a fulfilling and accomplished life isn’t a matter of exerting ever more control. It’s not about making things more predictable and secure, until you can finally relax. … The greatest achievements often involve remaining open to serendipity, seizing unplanned opportunities, or riding unexpected bursts of motivation.”

– Oliver Burkeman, Meditations for Mortals

This is the essence of awareness (or “mindful living”): not trying to control every outcome, but instead remaining open to what life offers 👏.

3. Take Your Time in the Morning

“It’s much more pleasant for both you and the day you’re beginning to do the opposite - namely, to take your time in the morning. In many spiritual traditions, this is seen as an ideal time for meditation or looking inward. Such a moment of calm and stillness affects the rest of the day.”

- Paul Loomans, I’ve Got Time

I’m a huge fan of practicing breathing & meditation first thing upon waking, and this passage highlights why. It reminds me of this equally-powerful excerpt from my favorite teacher, Eknath Easwaran:

“The pace you set first thing in the morning is likely to stay with you through the day. If you get up early and set a calm, unhurried pace, it is much easier to resist getting speeded up later on as the pressures of the day close in on you. This simple step has profound effects.” 👏

4. How Long Until Awakening?

“A disciple asks a Zen master: ‘How long does it take to be able to experience Awakening?’

‘Maybe 20 years,’ answers the master.

‘And if I am in a hurry?’ asks the disciple again.

‘In that case, it is 50 years,’ concludes the master.”

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

I think this is the 3rd time I’ve shared this passage. It’s one of my favorites and never gets old—full of wisdom and always brings a laugh.

1 Quote

“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

1 GOOD BOOK

Move by Caroline Williams

Here’s another book I can’t recommend enough. If you’re curious about how movement affects your mind, it’s a must-read. Williams even has a whole chapter on breathing—the most fundamental movement—which is worth getting the book for by itself. Check it out if it sounds interesting!

In good breath,

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

Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!

P.S. how to not get “Sunday scaries”

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.