breathe the change

21 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas

 

Breathing ideas are often long-winded, but they don't have to be. Here, are 21 one-sentence breathing ideas to kick off 2021.


1. Breathing is the compound interest of health and wellness.

2. Correct breathing is a keystone habit that forms the foundation of good health.

3. Breathing is not a panacea—you cannot breathe your way out of a Big Mac.

4. We don’t need more complicated breathing techniques; we need to apply simple breathing methods to harder challenges. (Credit to David Bidler)

5. Whether it’s slow breathing, sleep, or exercise, simply using your nose is the 1% that allows the other 99 to occur.

6. Slow, nasal breathing is like driving a Tesla; fast, mouth breathing is like driving a Hummer.

7. Making your breathing inaudible might be the easiest, most practical thing you can do anytime, anywhere, to improve your breathing.

8. It seems counterintuitive, but the point of a breathing practice is to no longer need a breathing practice.

9. The skill of breath is universal, applicable in every domain, available every second of every day.

10. Rather than breathing slowly all the time, we evolved something even more powerful: the ability to control our breathing.

11. Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his breath; strong is he who forces his breath to control his thoughts. (A play on Og Mandino’s quote)

12. You can eat better, workout harder, and take more supplements, but until you optimize your breathing, you’ll never see the true potential of your energy and performance.

13. Taping your mouth at night is the passive income of health.

14. If you spend even 1 minute focused on your breath, celebrate it.

15. Breathing is the most primitive form of taking action, giving you something you can always do that actually does something.

16. Optimal breathing is health and mastery actualized in our body’s most important function.

17. We’re all different, so if you notice a specific breathing method standing out, it’s probably confirming something you already know to be right for you.

18. Mouth breathing is like drinking sugar: it’s easy, and it feels good, but it is detrimental to your health.

19. Breathe the change you want to see (in your body).

20. Where you spend your breath, and thus your energy, shows what your physiological priorities are.

21. The best time to start a breathing practice was 12 months ago; the second-best time is now.


 
 

If you enjoyed this, consider signing up for my 411 newsletter. Each Monday, I share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like Jeopardy!) related to breathing.

 
 
 

P.S. This was inspired by Josh Spector’s excellent post on communication. I highly recommend his For The Interested newsletter.

 
 

Breathe The Change You Want to See (In Your Body)

 

"To say…that a man is made up of certain chemical elements is a satisfactory description only for those who intend to use him as a fertilizer." - Herbert J. Muller

 
 
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When I first started a “breathing” practice, it seemed a bit silly. But then I started seeing dramatic improvements in my sleep, energy, and blood sugars. How could something as simple as breathing do so many things? The more I thought about it, the more I realized it wasn’t silly or crazy at all.  

Close your mouth and pinch your nose.  

In a few seconds, you’ll begin feeling a desire to breathe so strong it’s almost uncontrollable. This simple act of holding the breath helps us appreciate just how important it is.

Why would an urge like this exist? One that can be felt by people who, quite literally, have no fear.  

It’s because there is more to breathing than just breathing. It’s biomechanics and biochemistry. It’s psychology and physiology. It’s in your brain, and it’s in your core. Breathing provides the link between your mind and your cardiovascular and autonomic nervous systems.  

How to Breathe the Change You Want to See

Breathing is also very unique. It’s automatic, yet it is also under our conscious control. It’s up to us whether we want to take advantage of this.

For example, there is a cluster of neurons in your brain that monitors your breathing. If you breathe slowly and calmly, that message is sent to important regions of your brain. If you breathe fast and anxiously, that message is relayed as well.

Want to be anxious? Breathe anxiously.

Want to be calm? Breathe calmly.

Thus, we can consciously choose the messages we send with our breath. And this goes not just for the brain, but the cardiovascular and autonomic nervous systems as well. We can literally breathe the change we want to see in our bodies.

The First Place to Start

One of the most effective ways to “breathe the change” is with slow breathing. Slow breathing improves oxygenation, restores cardio-autonomic balance, increases heart rate variability, and so much more.

Give it a shot today. Breathe between 3 to 6 breaths per minute, for 5 minutes. Try it out for five days straight and see how you feel.

There’s no pill. There’s no money to be made. It’s just simple physiology.  

In good breath,

Nick  

P.S. “Sorry, but you’re going to need a pre-authorization.”