Listen Instead of Reading
4 Thoughts
1. Feedforward vs. Feedback: How to Breathe Yourself into Being Happier
“Therefore, it is widely accepted that emotions arise within the brain, which provides feedforward signaling … [But] The emotional and neurological changes that arise during pranayama and meditation illustrate the effects that feedback from the body can have on emotions, the ANS, and neurological activity.”
- How Does the Body Affect the Mind? Role of Cardiorespiratory Coherence in the Spectrum of Emotions
I love this distinction, “feedforward” vs. “feedback.” Feedforward is when an emotion arises in the brain and “feeds” its signal to the rest of the body. Feedback is when your physiological state influences your feelings.
This paper hypothesizes that the feedbacks from slow breathing, namely the ones on the nervous system and brain, can elicit positive emotions.
That is, you might be able to breathe yourself into being happier.
I know I feel most joyful and optimistic after my morning breathing practice. It feels like magic, but I guess it’s just physiological feedback at its finest : )
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Related Quote: “It's rarely a mysterious technique that drives us to the top, but rather a profound mastery of what may well be a basic skill set.” - Josh Waitzkin, The Art of Learning
2. Breathe Fast, but don’t Hyperventilate
You can breathe fast while staying present and in control. But when you chronically hyperventilate, it’s unmindful and unchecked.
When you’re breathing fast with control, it can be therapeutic. But chronic, unrestricted hyperventilation is illness in disguise.
So breathe fast, but don’t hyperventilate.
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P.S. Of course, physiologically, fast breathing is hyperventilation, but the key distinction here is control. And I gotta be a little provocative now and then 😂.
P.P.S. This thought was inspired by James Clear’s recent idea on moving fast vs. rushing. It’s an excellent analogy for breathing.
3. The Three Stages of Wim Hof, in Chronological Order
You love his charisma, and you think he’s a genius.
You realize he’s crazy and that his method makes no sense.
You love his charisma, and you think he’s a genius.
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Related: 20 One-Sentence (& light-hearted) Thoughts on the Wim Hof Method
4. Breathing Haiku
“Haiku is about delivering powerful imagery in the fewest of words (usually between 11 and 17 syllables). Similarly, limiting breaths as you've mentioned leads to a more powerful, healthy life. It seems indeed, that the oft used adage in design "less is more" rings true here as well.”
- Benjamin C., 411 Reader
Absolutely beautiful.
I could go on and on about how perfect this analogy is. But instead, how about we fully express our poetic selves through a little breathing haiku, today.
1 QUOTE
“Or, more accurately, breathing should be returned to what was natural before we got stressed out by years of running around a hectic world and internalizing bad habits.”
- Josh Waitzkin, describing his Tai Chi instructor’s thoughts on breathing, The Art of Learning
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
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Each Monday, I curate and synthesize information from scientific journals, books, articles, and podcasts to share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy!") related to breathing. It’s a fun way to learn something new each week.