Reading Time: 1 min 47 sec
I hope the next 22-ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.
4 THOUGHTS
1. The Key to Breath-Linked Mind Control
“Research where people consciously change their breathing rates has shown that different ways of breathing can encourage particular frequencies to dominate across the brain, which can take us to a more alert and focused state or to a more relaxed and drowsy one. There’s only one catch…breath-linked mind control only works if you breathe through your nose.”
- Caroline Williams, Move
Nothing to add to this one 😊
2. The Breath->Body->Mind Pathway
“If mind and body are one, we can do more than change the body by changing the mind; we can change the mind by changing the body.”
- Ellen Langer, Ph.D., The Mindful Body
Although Dr. Langer wasn’t referring to breathing, this principle has been demonstrated perfectly in breath research.
A 2002 study found that emotional states produce similar breathing patterns across people. Remarkably, the opposite was also true: breathing in specific patterns can induce specific emotions.
In other words, we can influence how we feel by changing how we breathe…we can “change the mind by changing the body.”
3. What if Anxiety is Partially Just Over Breathing?
Anxiety isn’t just in your your. It may also be worsened overbreathing.
Here’s how it works:
When we breathe too much, CO₂ drops.
When CO₂ drops, cerebral blood flow drops.
When cerebral blood flow drops, anxiety gets worse.
Slow breathing—when done correctly—helps interrupt that loop.
If you’d like the blueprint and reference sheets on how to do it right, check out The Anxious Person’s Breath Manual.
P.S. Physiology is always more complex than a single sentence. But the CO₂–brain blood flow relationship is so robust that researchers even quantify it: For every 1 mmHg decrease in arterial CO₂, cerebral blood flow reduces roughly 2%. Pretty crazy.
4. The Walking Diabetic
“Another beautiful thing about walking is that it doesn’t require a membership, a monthly pass or a sign-up sheet. Simply put on your shoes and walk out the door.”
- Libby DeLana, Do Walk
Some days, I consider rebranding myself as “The Walking Diabetic” (or “The Reading Diabetic” 😂). But in the end, they’re all part of the same practice.
So this is our friendly reminder to get out and move to complement our meditative practices.
1 Quote
“Because all health conditions have some stress component, it is no overstatement to say that virtually every single health problem and disease can be improved with a mind body approach.””
1 GOOD BOOK
Relaxation Revolution by Herbert Benson, MD
A foundational book in the mind–body world, providing the science and stories on how the relaxation response heals.
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
P.S. no thanks, I’m trying to cut back
Synthesizing 454 studies to provide a structured, research-based breath system for regulating anxiety at the nervous system and brain levels.
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.
