emotional

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The Best Morning Breathing Exercise, Air Candy, and Greater Calmness

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Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

4 THOUGHTS


1. Air Candy

Gratitude turns an ordinary breath into air candy.

2. The Best Morning Breathing Exercise

The best morning breathing exercise is a good night’s sleep.

P.S. I had a few nights of poorer-than-normal sleep and noticed that my morning breathing was nowhere near as enjoyable or effective. Which inspired this purposefully playful sentence : )

3. Greater Calmness: How to Choose Effective Responses in Stressful Situations

“When we are mindful of our breathing, it automatically helps us to establish greater calmness in both the body and the mind. Then we are better able to be aware of our thoughts and feelings…And with this awareness comes a feeling of having more room to move, of having more options, of being free to choose effective and appropriate responses in stressful situations rather than losing our equilibrium and sense of self as a result of feeling overwhelmed, thrown off balance by our own knee-jerk reactions.”

- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., Full Catastrophe Living

Beautifully said 👏👏👏

So the next time we need to choose an effective & appropriate response in a stressful situation, let’s first tune into our breath to “establish greater calmness in both the body and the mind,” allowing us to move forward with clarity.

4. This Will Help You in Anything You Set Out to Do

“Working memory is where you hold a goal in mind so you can move toward it. By goal…I mean the micro-intentions and deliberate aim of having a desired outcome for each and every task you engage in—all the decisions, planning, thinking, actions, and behaviors you do over the course of a day: anything you set out to do.”

– Amishi P. Jha, Ph.D., Peak Mind

Based on this description, having good working memory is pretty crucial since it plays a role in “anything you set out to do.”

But it’s relevant here because a 2022 study found that slow breathing significantly improves working memory.

Putting it together: By improving working memory, slow breathing may potentially help you with anything you set out to do 👏

1 Quote

“At this very moment, whether you know it or not, each breath happens right here and right now. Little by little the question becomes, Are you intimate with this breath just as it is?””
— Larry Rosenberg

1 Answer

Category: Breath-Heart Connections

Answer: The heart is connected to this muscle via the pericardium, which is a fluid-filled sac surrounding the heart.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the diaphragm?

In good breath,

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


P.S. It’s a common problem.

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.

 
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More Joy, Long Beards, and Beating a New Type of Gravity

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Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

Breathing for Better Mental & Emotional Health 4-Week Course

There are now 25 students enrolled in the course. Words can’t adequately express my gratitude and excitement 🙏

It begins this Sunday, May 7, so it’s not too late to join if interested.

Learn more and enroll here.

Hope to see a few more of you there!

4 THOUGHTS


1. More Joy: The Nose Should Be Considered Alongside the Vagus Nerve

“The emerging scenario strongly suggests that the effects of SNB [slow nasal breathing], beyond the relative contribution of vagal stimulation, are mainly ascribable to olfactory epithelium stimulation.”

– Zaccaro et al. (2022), Neural Correlates of Non-ordinary States of Consciousness in Pranayama Practitioners: The Role of Slow Nasal Breathing

 

This was a challenging & super fun paper to read. Here is my two-sentence summary of it:

Slow nasal breathing has significantly different effects on the brain than slow mouth breathing, which results in less physical and psychological tension, less anxiety, more joy, and a relaxed yet fully aware altered state of consciousness. Nasal stimulation should be considered alongside vagal stimulation as a primary mechanism behind the benefits of slow breathing.

2. Upward Spirals in Your Life that Lift You

“In fact, science documents that positive emotions can set off upward spirals in your life, self-sustaining trajectories of growth that lift you up to become a better version of yourself.”

– Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., Love 2.0

 

This is the real power of the breath.  By using your practice to regularly elicit positive emotional states—a hallmark feature of slow nasal breathing—you set off upward spirals that “lift you up to become a better version of yourself.” 👏

3. A New “Long Beard” and the Buddha’s Advice

“Years ago, a wonderful Hindu teacher, Swami Chinmayananda, who taught me the Vedanta, said, ‘The longer the beard, the bigger the fake.’ And he, himself, had a beard that almost touched the floor!”

- Larry Rosenberg, Three Steps to Awakening

That makes me laugh. But, it also makes me think of how, in today’s society, our version of “long beards” are our credentials touching the floor: Ph.D., MD, Psy.D., D.O., and on and on : )

We can apply ancient wisdom to handle this modern scenario:

“[T]he Buddha tells us to take the counsel of the wise. We would be foolish to overlook their immeasurable knowledge and skills. But he also tells us to test the teachings in the fire of our own lives. Listen to them, weigh them, and investigate them.”

Sounds reasonable to me…almost as if that Buddha person knew a thing or two : )

4. Beating the Stress of a New Type of Gravity

Gravity is a stressor. But because there’s no way out of it, our bodies have adapted, and we don’t even notice it.

I think we should start treating the external stressors of our modern world (emails, social media, news headlines) like gravity. There’s basically no way out of them at this point.

What we need to do is adapt such that we hardly notice them.

Conscious slow breathing exercises are that adaptation. They’re always available to counter the weight of our new gravity.

1 Quote

“The breath is free from greed, hatred, delusion, and fear. When the mind joins with the breath, the mind temporarily becomes free from greed, hatred, delusion, and fear.””
— Bhante Henepola Gunarantana

1 Answer

Category: Basic Breath Processes

Answer: During exhalation, these “folds” can come together and vibrate to create sound.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are the vocal cords?

In good breath,

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


P.S. Dog owners will know

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.

 
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5 Great Apps, Less Work, and a Simple Way to Laugh More

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Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

A New Breath-Based Stress-Reduction Protocol

A reminder that I’m leading a 4-week course starting May 7th called Breathing for Better Mental and Emotional Health.

Learn more about the course and enroll here.

The course is centered around a super simple yet extremely powerful protocol combining breathing, mindfulness, and remembered wellness.

4 THOUGHTS


1. Leading Mindfulness Researcher: Less Work, More Breathing

“[I]f you come away from this book with anything, I want it to be a clear sense of how important this is. We’re busy. We’re time-pressured. We are always under the gun. But twelve more minutes of work is simply not going to catch you up as much as sitting quietly, and on purpose, with your breath.”

– Amishi P. Jha, Ph.D., Peak Mind

 

I’ll repeat: “But twelve more minutes of work is simply not going to catch you up as much as sitting quietly, and on purpose, with your breath.” 👏👏👏

2. A Simple Way to Laugh More

“Laughing is the most therapeutic breathing exercise.”

I’ve been telling my wife I should make a self-deprecating breathing humor account on Instagram for like a year.

Well, I finally did it. Introducing: The Garlic Breath.

My wife thought of the name and made me a silly icon in like 30 seconds on Canva.

Go follow and share so we can make laughing a part of everyone’s day : )

3. Five Great Breathing Apps

Breathe: This is my current favorite because it lets you set breaths down to the 1/10th of a second. I’m weird and enjoy that kind of control. I use it to do 6-sec inhale and 8.6-sec exhale, which gets me to 4.11 breaths a minute. I’m kind of obsessed : ) (Apple) (Android)

Insight Timer: I use this one for background noise (I use the “Nature’s Melody” track based on what I learned about the power of water sounds in Blue Mind). I also use this app to insert bells periodically throughout my session so I know when to switch exercises without opening my eyes. (Apple) (Android)

The Breathing App: This one has my favorite sound on the planet. It’s so good. And it’s the easiest app to get started with. No emails, no nothing. Just download and start breathing. (Apple) (Android)

The Oxygen Advantage: Tons and tons of exercises and wisdom, all as a gift to the breathing community from Patrick 🙏 (Apple) (Android)

The Breath Source: This is a new one I haven’t used too often because I don’t like guided sessions that much. But if you do, it looks like one of the best ones out there. (Apple) (Android)

4. The Metaphorical Benefits of Belly Breathing for Emotional Stability

“Similarly, when we focus on our breathing down in the belly, we are tuning in to a region of the body that is far from the head and thus far below the agitations of our thinking mind. It is intrinsically calmer. So tuning in to the breath at the belly is a valuable way of reestablishing inner calmness and balance in the face of emotional upset or when you have a lot on your mind.”

- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., Full Catastrophe Living

Although this analogy certainly isn’t true for everyone, I think it’s a neat way of framing the psychological benefits of belly breathing. We focus on the abdomen area because it’s “far from the head and thus far below the agitations of our thinking mind.”

1 Quote

“The next step is crucial: you give relaxed, careful attention to respiration and to the obvious, often neglected fact that each one of us is breathing. In other words, you are alive! Did you know that?””
— Larry Rosenberg

1 Answer

Category: Breathing Reflex

Answer: This breathing reflex typically has a deep inhale, a wide open jaw, and a shorter, more rapid exhale.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is a yawn?

In good breath,

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


P.S. Fellow introverts, try this

* 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.

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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.

 
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One Breath, Three Components, and the Most Effective Stress Remedy

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Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

A New Three-Component Protocol for Reducing Stress

A reminder that I’m leading a 4-week course starting May 7th called Breathing for Better Mental and Emotional Health.

Learn more about the course and enroll here.

The course is centered around a super simple yet extremely powerful protocol combining breathing, mindfulness, and remembered wellness.

As a 411 subscriber, you get a special 55% discount until April 23 using EARLYBIRD55.

You can also share the discount with any friends or family you think will benefit from the course 🙏

4 THOUGHTS


1. Stored Power: A Pretty Incredible Benefit of Slow Breathing

When you regularly practice slow breathing, you store its power away as potential energy in the form of vagal tone. It’s kind of like a bank account for slow breathing.

You then unconsciously draw from it throughout the day.

It might show up as a micro-moment of joy with the gas station attendant. Or randomly laughing with your spouse. Or having more patience with road construction. And on and on.

Thus, slow breathing has not only instant benefits, but also long-term physical and mental ones stored in vagal tone. Pretty incredible.

2. The Most Effective Stress Remedy

“[V]oluntary control of respiration patterns (breath control) is perhaps the oldest stress reduction technique known. It has been used for thousands of years to reduce anxiety and to promote a generalized state of relaxation.”

- Everly and Lating (2019)

 

This was from a chapter in a book called A Clinical Guide to the Treatment of the Human Stress Response.

It’s always amazing to see the power of the breath acknowledged in academic settings, but it was particularly neat to see in a book on the stress response.

Make sure you take advantage of the great gift we’ve been given—breath control—this week 🙏

3. Useful Links: Resistance Breathing Device + Airheads Breathwork Masterclass

Resistance Breathing:

Last week, I shared the Airofit breathing device. A reader responded and said this one is really good, plus it’s cheaper: Breather Fit.

Airheads Masterclass

A friend informed me of this Airheads Masterclass, which looks awesome. They’ve assembled quite an impressive list of rockstars…

***

P.S. Although I don’t know him IRL, I’m a huge fan of one of the hosts’ (one of the “Airheads,” Tom Granger) work with music and breathing. So, just wanna give that music a plug here.

4. A One-Breath Meditation: I’ve Never Seen This One Before

“This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.”

- Maya Angelou

We can use a play on that quote as a one-breath meditation you can say silently in your head anytime, anywhere:

“This is a wonderful breath. I’ve never seen this one before.”

1 Quote

“[A]s long as you are breathing, there is more right with you than there is wrong, no matter how ill or how hopeless you may feel.””
— Jon Kabat-Zinn

1 Answer

Category: Breathing and the Brain

Answer: One way breathing may positively (or negatively) affect our emotions is through its influence on this brain region.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the amygdala?

In good breath,

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


P.S. The Meme-ing Diabetic?

* 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.

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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.

 
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5 Favorite Breathing Products, 4 Favorite Newsletters, and the Here and Now

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Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

4 THOUGHTS



1. The Power of Breath Awareness (a joyful abiding in the here & now)


“The breath accompanies you the full length of life’s road: you learn about the body, feelings, mental formations, the mind itself, and, finally, the lawfulness of impermanence and emptiness of a substantial self.”

- Larry Rosenberg, Three Steps to Awakening


This passage beautifully highlights the power of breath awareness.

And perhaps this power is why the Buddha formally practiced mindful breathing, even after attaining enlightenment:

“Even after full enlightenment, the Buddha himself set aside personal retreat time for the practice of mindfulness of breathing, calling it ‘a joyful abiding in the here and now.’”

Here’s to using our breath to joyfully abide in the here and now a little more this week 🙏



2. Change How You Feel (almost instantaneously)


“Our breathing pattern can have an enormous effect on our psycho-physical state.  This means that changing the way we breathe can literally change the way we feel, almost instantaneously.  Want to be relaxed? Breathe like you already are.”

– Charlie Morley, Wake Up to Sleep

 

I’ve shared passages like this probably a dozen times now.  But it never gets old, because it’s the most powerful part of breathing: we can almost instantaneously change how we feel anytime, anywhere.

Make sure you use this amazing gift at least once today 🙏




3. My 4 Favorite Newsletters


If you’re looking to diversify your wisdom, here are four of my favorite newsletters. There are many I enjoy, but I always read these four:

1. Light’s Daily Dose: This is my favorite one. It’s just a small inspirational wisdom nugget each day. It’s amazing. (Sign Up)

2. James Clear’s 3-2-1: You probably know this one. And of course, I copied his format ~3 years ago to create the “411” 😊 (Sign Up)

3. Brain Food: Random life-changing wisdom. A must-read every Sunday. (Sign Up)

4. Josh Spector’s Daily Email: The shortest email you’ll get. Sometimes it’s an idea, but usually a link to a cool resource. (Sign Up)



4. Five Breathing Products I Love


Although it’s hard for me to believe, people occasionally send me free breathing stuff. Here are some cool products I’ve tried and loved, in no particular order:

ResBiotic: Daily probiotic that targets the gut-lung access for better lung health. (Learn More)

Airofit: A super sophisticated resistance breathing device. (The one I use) (Here’s a cheaper Version that does same thing, just no bluetooth)

AER Filters: Gives our nose filtering a little boost. (UK store.) (If you’re in the US, you can get them on Amazon here.)

Anicca: A mindful breathing device. Don’t think it’s for sale to the public yet, but if you’re therapist of any kind, check it out. (Learn More)

BeWell “Breathing is Cool” Sweatshirt: Do yourself a favor, and go buy one of these right now. It’ll support an amazing cause, and you’ll have one of the coolest sweaters out there 🙏 (Link to Buy)


Breath is Life Learning Center

Learn & integrate different methods, philosophies, and approaches to breathing for better mental and physical health.

Join Today.

$14.99/month or $149/year

1 Quote

“May your adventures be truly great for as long as you take another breath. And may you live long as you seek to discover the wonders and the benefits that each breath has to offer in this, the journey of life.””
— Rev. Duffy Peet

1 Answer

Category: Sneezing

Answer: This reflex is characterized by successive sneezing as the result of exposure to bright light.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the photic sneeze reflex?

In good breath,

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


P.S. why do you have that thing?

* 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.

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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.

 
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Top 5 IG Accounts, “Embreathment”, and Breathing for Emotional Health

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Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

4 THOUGHTS

1. The “Embreathment” Illusion

“This new way of inducing a respiratory bodily illusion, called “embreathment,” revealed that breathing is almost as important as visual appearance for inducing body ownership and more important than any other cue for body agency.”

- Monti et al. (2020)

This was such an awesome, fun-to-read study (and “embreathment” is possibly the coolest thing I’ve seen in a science paper).

They used virtual reality to assess how important breathing is for “corporeal awareness,” the feeling that we own a body, we have agency over that body, and that body occupies a location in space.

As the above quote illustrates, they found that, even without conscious awareness, breathing helps us feel more body ownership and, most significantly, a sense of body agency. Pretty crazy.

Those are the most important things, but this one had tons of other neat and practical results. If you’re interested, consider signing up for the Learning Center to get the full Science 411.

2. Endlessly Ending. Endlessly Renewed

“One of the most remarkable facts of existence is under our noses all of the time.  This is the Now of the present moment: endlessly ending, and endlessly renewed. Radically transient, yet always enduring.”

– Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Neurodharma

 

“Endlessly ending, and endlessly renewed. Radically transient, yet always enduring.”…just like each breath.

I suppose this is why humanity has always regarded breathing as our gateway to presence…because it is presence : )

3. A Thought & Action on Breathing for Better Emotional Health

Thought

We cannot control our emotions with our thoughts (at least, I’ve never been able to). We can, however, regulate them with our actions. And breathing is the most accessible action we can perform anytime to help manage our emotions.

(Related Quote: “The finding that we can change how we feel by using our breath is revolutionary.” - Emma Seppälä, Ph.D.)

Action

Stop and notice where you feel breath sensations in your body, in whatever position you are currently occupying. Note how observing the breath naturally slows it down. Do this for 1-3 breaths, and notice how much better your mind and body feel after.

This is always available to you.

4. Five Instagram Accounts I Love

Here are 5 IG accounts I genuinely enjoy, in no particular order (there are many more, but these were the first to come to mind).

  1. HHPF: Best account for breathing studies.

  2. abc.breathworkforkids: One of the coolest accounts out there if you have kids or work with them.

  3. jaozolins: Brings life-changing wisdom to life with elegant yet simple designs (I could look at these posts all day).

  4. op_e__n: Beautiful designs, lots of breathing posts, and inspiring quotes.

  5. still.life: Awesome designs and inspirational content.

Become the Bruce Lee of Breathing

Learn & integrate different methods, philosophies, and approaches to breathing for better mental and physical health.

Join Today.

$14.99/month or $149/year

1 Quote

“Wherever you go, the breath is with you, providing an anchor. At moments that are right for you, you can turn to it just as you might turn to a good friend, to help you stay alert and cut down on the mind’s habitual, unnecessary thinking that often squanders so much energy.””
— Larry Rosenberg

1 Answer

Category: Aquatic Mammal Breathing

Answer: Dolphins can exhale air up to this fast.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 100 mph?

In good breath,

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


P.S. I’m too witty for this class

* 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.

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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.

 
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Emotional Balance, Why Mindfulness, and Moving Beyond a Calm Mind

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Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

4 THOUGHTS

1. Improve Emotional Balance with the Breath-Wind-Mind Connection

“Each time a gust of wind blows over the ocean, ripples and waves cause movement and agitation on the water’s surface. However, when the air is calm, so is the water. It is just so with the mind. The more often we breathe, the more agitated the energy of body and mind becomes. By breathing less frequently, we begin to achieve elemental harmony.”

- Anyen Rinpoche & Allison Choying Zangmo, The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

This beautiful analogy reminds us that the calmer we breathe, the more peaceful our minds. For this reason, the authors also say:

“As the [breath] is brought into balance and becomes more stable, neurotic tendencies lessen and even begin to disappear.”

Balance our breath, and we balance our emotional states.

***

P.S. Ironically, I find not balancing my breath the most balancing. For example, I often use slightly longer exhales and left-nostril breathing to elicit emotional equanimity. So play with it and find what works for you 🙏

2. The Liberating Power of Breath Awareness

“Breathing awareness is not just about calming the mind—a common assumption among meditators not familiar with this method. Rather, the breath helps you maintain full attention, enabling you to see with greater clarity and accuracy the true nature of all forms: everything that arises passes away. The implications of such insightful seeing can be profound and liberating.”

- Larry Rosenberg, Three Steps to Awakening

Here’s an excellent reminder that breath awareness—the most foundational of all mindfulness techniques—can be used to go beyond just “calming the mind.” It can help us “to see with greater clarity and accuracy the true nature of all forms.”

That sounds like a worthy goal to me 🙏

3. Why Mindfulness is a Part of All Breathing Practices

Almost all breathing practices start with breath awareness (this usually annoys me because I just want to get to the “good stuff,” lol).

But here’s why it’s so important: Without mindfulness, the benefits of the breathing practice will be minimal at best.

  • We need mindfulness to notice when we actually need breathing.

  • We need it to observe how our breathing reflects our emotions.

  • We need it to notice if the practice is actually helping in our lives.

Embrace mindfulness, and watch the power of any breathing method you use grow exponentially.

4. Abraham Maslow’s Teaching Philosophy (how can you use it?)

“Maslow viewed the role of the teacher, therapist, and parent as horticulturists, whose task is to ‘enable people to become healthy and effective in their own style.’ To Maslow, this meant that ‘we try to make a rose into a good rose, rather than seek to change roses into lilies. . .It necessitates a pleasure in the self-actualization of a person who may be quite different from yourself. It even implies an ultimate respect and acknowledgement of the sacredness and uniqueness of each kind of person.’”

- Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D., Transcend

 

I absolutely love this, especially: “We try to make a rose into a good rose, rather than seek to change roses into lilies.” 👏👏👏

How might you apply this philosophy in your life, or in your role as a teacher or parent?

Breath is Life Learning Center

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1 Quote

“And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.””
— Rainer Maria Rilke

1 Answer

Category: Breath Awareness

Answer: Bringing awareness to your breathing uses this sense, which means something like “sensing internal signals from your body.”

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is interoception?

In good breath,

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


P.S. That is such a great deal

* 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.

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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.

 
,

How to Let Go, Breathing for Better Emotions, and Loving Life

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Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing to Reduce Negative Emotions

“In view of the close association between respiration, ANS activity, and emotions presented, it is apparent that individuals possess the ability to alter emotional states using the voluntary control of breathing and mindset.”

- Self-Regulation of Breathing as a Primary Treatment for Anxiety

 

Over the years, the most rewarding benefit of my breath practice has been better mental health. This paper helps explain why.

They propose that slow breathing alters cell excitability by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, making you physiologically less susceptible to negative emotions. That’s pretty neat.

If you’re interested, you can get all the details in the Learning Center.

***

P.S. To apply these findings in your life, consistently use virtually any slow breathing practice to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and increase overall vagal tone 🙏

2. How to Let Go: Brush Your Teeth and Heal

“Try to think of the practice as you would the daily ritual of brushing your teeth … Let your body heal itself without the interference of mind-generated doubts, criticism, and appraisals. … You wouldn’t critique your toothbrushing so don’t analyze this exercise either.”

- Herbert Benson, MD, Timeless Healing

Whether it’s breathing, meditation, or another wellness practice, a reoccurring theme I hear is that we need to let go of expectations. We need to simply perform the exercises without judgment. Judgment and self-appraisals will only take away from their healing potential.

That’s really easy to say, but harder to actually do. That’s why I love this analogy. Each time we find ourselves judging our practice, we can think: “You wouldn’t critique your toothbrushing so don’t analyze this exercise either.” Then, just get back to the practice.

Simple yet powerful 🙏

3. The Power of Breathing in Everyday Life

“[Breath] training not only results in extraordinary wisdom and realization…but it also results in ordinary worldly wisdom. When we have the qualities of calm and relaxation in body, speech, and mind, we are able to accomplish more, and with better-designed plans. We make clear and thoughtful decisions and have more harmonious relationships. We avoid doing things that are at odds with our personal goals and integrity, and do not sabotage our own growth. We avoid making impulsive decisions, or speaking impulsive words, ones we may regret later. When we lack chaos on the inside, the world outside reflects our sense of inner harmony.”

- Anyen Rinpoche & Allison Choying Zangmo, The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

This is a perfect description of how a consistent breathing practice can help our everyday lives in meaningful (yet often immeasurable) ways 👏

4. Loving Life

To genuinely fall in love with life, fall in love with breathing.

***

P.S. I know that sounds cheesy (it even feels cliche writing it), but it’s absolutely true.

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1 Quote

“Waking up is becoming more alive. The aliveness that’s available to all of you is already here in this moment. It’s life in the form of breathing.””
— Larry Rosenberg

1 Answer

Category: Breathing and Emotions

Answer: Contemplative practices like breathing, meditation, and yoga may influence emotions by increasing this neurotransmitter.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)?

In good breath,

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


P.S. Meditation in real life

* 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.

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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.

 
,

Build-a-Breath, How to Work with Emotions, and Carrying Great Power

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

4 THOUGHTS

1. Build-a-Breath: Breath Stages and the Nervous System

“Vagal activity is enhanced during the postinspiratory period and inhibited during the postexpiratory period.” - Kromenacker et al. (2018)

 

When I read this somewhat unassuming sentence, it actually led to a pretty big “aha moment” for me. It means: 

  • Inhalations: Sympathetic

  • Inhale-Pauses: Parasympathetic

  • Exhalations: Parasympathetic 

  • Exhale-Pauses: Sympathetic (I had never actually thought about this one and just assumed it was parasympathetic.)

Let’s apply this to a real-world example: the popular 4-7-8 breath. Using the above relationships, we see that 4 seconds are spent in sympathetic and 15 parasympathetic—no wonder it’s so relaxing.

With this information, you can now assemble and tailor a breath to meet your needs using a simple app like Breathe: iPhone & Android.

The power is yours…have fun with it 🙏

 

2. One Way to Stop Overbreathing: Mouth Tape at Night

“Taping the mouth at night ensures the benefits of good breathing during sleep, allowing you to fall asleep more quickly, stay asleep longer, and wake feeling energized.”

– Patrick McKeown, The Oxygen Advantage

And if that’s not enough, it’s also one way (among many changes we need to make) to train our bodies to breathe less in general.

As Patrick says, “Spending a guaranteed eight hours breathing through your nose while you sleep is an opportune way to reeducate your respiratory center to adjust to a more normal breathing volume.” 👏 👏 👏

***

P.S. If you want more amazing wisdom from The Oxygen Advantage, I just released a Book 411 summary on it in the Learning Center.

3. How to Work with the Root of Emotional Imbalances

“No matter how out of control we feel, how low our energy is, or how large our problems seem to loom, wind energy training is an effective intervention for all emotional imbalances. When we work with the breath, we work with the root of the problem.”

- Anyen Rinpoche & Allison Choying Zangmo, The Tibetan Yoga of Breath

I have nothing to add except to repeat that last sentence: “When we work with the breath, we work with the root of the problem.” 👏

4. A Tiny Thought On Why Breathing Helps Everything

Since no bodily function can occur without breathing, it just makes sense that breathing, in some way, influences every bodily function.

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1 Quote

““For something so simple, automatic, and for most people, unconscious, breathing carries with it great power.””
— Al Lee & Don Campbell

1 Answer

Category: Breathing and Emotions

Answer: Using fMRI, researchers have found that breathing influences activity in this region of the brain, an area associated with emotional regulation and response.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the cingulate cortex?

In good breath,

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


P.S. and I can finally be free

* 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.

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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.

 
,

Is Resonance Overrated, Breathing 3.0, and Feeling More this Week

,

Listen Instead of Reading

If you enjoy listening, you can subscribe to the audio version on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible so you don’t even have to look at the email 😊

 

4 Thoughts



1. The ROI for Our Daily Morning Self-Care Practice

“Think of mindful meditation as a smart investment of your time, offering such returns as being less reactive, less stressed, and more alert, grateful, and content. All of these will help you optimize the rest of your morning and whatever else the day brings.”

- Laurie Cameron, The Mindful Day

Those returns sound good (& really apply to any daily self-care practice you do).

And remember, by being less reactive, less stressed, more alert, and more grateful, everyone you interact with will also profit. 👏

2. Breathing 3.0: Directing our Own Lives

“Motivation 3.0 is all about intrinsic motivation. It’s spurred by Pink’s belief that ‘the secret to high performance isn’t our biological drive or our reward-and-punishment drive, but our third drive—our deep-seated desire to direct our own lives, to extend and expand our abilities, and to make a contribution.’” (my emphasis)

- Peter Hollins, The Science of Self-Learning

This made me think we should create Breathing 3.0: It’s not focused on any one benefit or method. Instead, it’s about “our deep-seated desire to direct our own lives, to extend and expand our abilities, and to make a contribution.”

What better way to do all those than with our body’s most important function?

3. Slow Breathing With or Without Resonance Gives Similar Benefits

“Within the context of this study, we found that breathing at RF or RF + 1 induced significant hemodynamic and autonomic changes but we were unable to detect any differences between the two breathing schemes. This raises the question as to whether precise measurement of the RF is essential for the reported beneficial clinical effects of individualized RF or a standardized paced breathing at 5–7 breaths per min is all that is required.” (my emphasis)

Acute effects of resonance frequency breathing on cardiovascular regulation

Two key points from this paper:

  1. We each have a personal resonance frequency (RF) breathing rate theorized to maximize the benefits of our slow breathing practice.

  2. However, slow breathing at, or close to, our RF gives similar beneficial cardio-autonomic outcomes.

My less scientific but practical takeaway for our daily practice:

  • Don’t stress over finding your “perfect” rate. Just use a comfortable pace that’s less than 7 breaths/min, and enjoy the power of slow breathing.

4. Breathing’s Biggest Benefit is…

“But for me, and for millions of people everywhere, the best and biggest benefits of water are all emotional …. Try as we might, no amount of scientific data, fMRI scans, EEG readings, or carefully designed research projects can really show us exactly what we feel at those moments.” (my bold)

- Wallace J Nichols, Blue Mind

Likewise, I think the same is true for our breathing (or really any contemplative) practice we might use: The best benefits are emotional.

Try as we might, nothing can show us exactly how we feel in those moments.

So make sure you feel more of them, this week 🙏

1 Quote

“I think it’s fair to say that when you have your attention on your breath, it’s in a safe place. It’s like putting your consciousness in neutral.”
— Andrew Weil, MD
 

1 Answer

Category: Breathing Forces

Answer: Our breathing muscles and airways don’t actually move air, but instead create differences in this between the atmosphere and lungs, which forces air into (inhalation) or out of (exhalation) the lungs.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are differences in air pressure?

In good breath,

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

P.S. My worst nightmare

Breathing for Diabetes Online Course ($99):

If you love learning about breathing, want to live a healthier life, or just want to support my work, I think you’ll really enjoy this class (diabetes or not).

 
 

* 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.

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

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.