Listen Instead of Reading
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4 THOUGHTS
1. The Smiling of Breathing
Slow breathing is to breath exercises what smiling is to facial expressions.
2. Slow Breathing Might Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s
“As far as we can tell from the published literature and ClinicalTrials.gov searches, this study provides the first evidence of a behavioral intervention that reduces Aβ levels (measured with plasma, CSF or PET) compared to a randomized control group.”
This recently-published study found that 20-40 minutes of daily slow breathing reduces levels of amyloid-β, a key Alzheimer’s biomarker, in younger and older adults, suggesting that it may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and promote healthy brain aging.
Pretty remarkable stuff 👏
3. How to Find the Perfect Practice
If you studied basketball in great detail, you could probably find a lot of health benefits.
If you studied surfing in great detail, you could probably find a lot of health benefits.
If you studied tennis in great detail, you could probably find a lot of health benefits.
Likewise:
If you study slow breathing in great detail, you’ll find a lot of health benefits.
If you study mindfulness in great detail, you’ll find a lot of health benefits.
If you study yoga in great detail, you’ll find a lot of health benefits.
The difference?
People choose sports based on joy and pleasure, but often choose a contemplative path just based on the science and health benefits.
Let’s do our best to balance both, but emphasize joy. If we focus on joy, the benefits of any practice will take care of themselves.
4. Nose vs Mouth: A Mindful Observation of Nature’s Design
You can have your mouth open or closed. But there’s no such thing as having your nose “opened or closed.” Your nose is always open, always ready to be breathed through.
There’s a lesson from nature in there…
***
P.S. Of course, this breaks down if you’re sick, have bad allergies, or have another medical condition blocking it. But you get the idea : )
1 Quote
“Mindfulness lets us see things in a new light and believe in the possibility of change.””
1 Answer
Category: Breathing & the Brain
Answer: Slow deep breathing impacts this fluid, which plays a critical role in “cushioning” the brain and spinal cord while also distributing nutrients and hormones.
…
(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)
…
Question: What is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
The Garlic Breath of the Week
Here is the most-liked post this past week.
* 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.