iCalm

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24 Ideas, Favorite Books of 2023, and the Secret to Healing

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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 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 27 sec

I hope the next 22’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. 24 One-Sentence Breathing Ideas for 2024

1. Breathing saves your life 20,000 times a day; mindfulness helps you appreciate this truth.

2. Breathing is 90% mental; the other half is physical.

3. The best healing breathing exercise is laughter.

Read all 24 thoughts here.

P.S. We’ve made it four years straight with this one-sentence idea. Here’s to many more 🙏

2. My Favorite Books of 2023

I read 50 books last year. I’ve made a list of all of them and also broke them into the following categories:

  • My Top 3 Overall

  • My Top 3 on Breathing

  • My Top 3 on Mindfulness

  • My Top 3 on Mindset

Read the lists here.

3. An Incredible Passage on the Power of Breathing to Start 2024

“If you breathe in calmly and hold your breath for a while before exhaling slowly, you will stimulate your vagus nerve, which in turn will have a soothing effect on your body and brain. That is why training in meditation breathing is a formidable tool for controlling and consciously inhibiting unconscious stress reactions. As such, it allows us to modify our brain activity (as we have demonstrated in our lab) to overcome anxiety, to lower blood pressure and sugar levels (and thus reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases), to strengthen the immune and metabolic systems, and to have a positive influence on numerous pathologies.”

- Steven Laureys, MD, The No-Nonsense Meditation Book

4. The Secret Ingredient to Healing (from a 102-year-old doctor)

“Healing, too, takes its own time. More often than not, time is the secret ingredient that allows healing to take place. Sometimes, while we're wishing things would hurry up, they're doing exactly what they should be doing.”

– Gladys McGarey, MD (102), The Well-Lived Life

​

Thats an excellent reminder that with healing, time is our ally, not enemy 🙏

1 Quote

“It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.””
— Francis of Assisi

1 Answer

Category: Funny Breathing

Answer: The number one reason we do this breathing exercise is not because of jokes but actually to bond with others.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is laugh?

In good breath,

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

P.S. a gummy vitamin perhaps

Coaching

Breathing & Mindfulness 1-on-1

Support this Newsletter

If you enjoy getting these each week, consider donating to keep me breathing. Anything helps and is appreciated 🙏

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.

 
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Love, the Gift of Giving, and How Life Gets Measured

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Listen Instead of Reading

Sorry, no audio this week. I got sick on Saturday and couldn’t record. I hope to have it up by Tuesday or Wednesday.

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 😊

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Reading Time: 1 min 38 sec

I hope the next 24’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Any Effort We Put Toward Love

“Just as our bodies are born to breathe air, we are born to love. That's why although it's good to address our fear, it's even better to focus on our love. Any effort we put toward love—truly, any effort at all—will self-perpetuate, bringing joy, health, and well-being into our lives.”

– Gladys McGarey, MD, The Well-Lived Life

One more time: “Any effort we put toward love…will self-perpetuate, bringing joy, health, and well-being into our lives.”

Sounds good to me 🙏

2. How to Practice Right Effort (hint: start with love & joy)

“Without love and joy motivating your efforts, you're not practicing right effort.”

- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete

You can apply breathing & mindfulness for the wrong reasons: to rob a bank, manipulate people, and so on. That’s why right effort is critical.

There are several elements of “right effort,” but Mumford provides a simple starting point: make sure love & joy are motivating your efforts. If they are, you’re likely on the right track 🙏

3. Why Healing Hurts (at first)

Here’s David Goggins discussing a race where he had to take a break to let his thyroid reset:

“I decided to rest with no idea how long that process might take. I’d already run 120 miles. Predictably, within an hour, my body reacted as if the race was over. I started to swell and tighten up as my muscles shifted into recovery mode. … This would be a problem.”

It’s a nice reminder that swelling & tightness usually occur when we stop to rest & recover. Not only in endurance events, but in life in general. Just remember that feeling this pain is part of the process.

4. The Gift of Giving: Two Breathing Metaphors to Apply to Life

Reverse Breath Cycle

Think of the breath cycle starting an exhale, not an inhale. Use this as a reminder to give before you receive.

Extended Exhales

Make your exhale slightly longer than your inhale. Use this as a reminder to always give more than you receive.

1 Quote

“Ultimately, your life will be measured by what you gave, not what you received. Don’t hold out on the rest of us—we need you to contribute.””
— Todd Henry

1 Answer

Category: Oxygen Absorption

Answer: Humans only absorb about this percentage of the oxygen they inhale with each breath.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 5%?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Start off your new year right

Upcoming Workshops

Saturday, Dec 30: Breathing for Better Brain Health

Coaching

Breathing & Mindfulness 1-on-1

Support this Newsletter

If you enjoy getting these each week, consider donating to keep me breathing. Anything helps and is appreciated 🙏

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.

 
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Health & Happiness, and How to Align with Your Life Force

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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 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 33 sec

I hope the next 23’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. You Will Receive All Benefits in Due Course

“If we commit to a twice-daily practice and give it some time to work, the benefits will be there. The beauty in this is that no matter which of the benefits we have come looking for, we will receive all of the benefits in due course – relaxation, good health and, eventually, enlightenment too.”

- Yogani, Spinal Breathing Pranayama

I love that. And although it’s referring to spinal breathing pranayama, I think it applies to any slow breathing practice: We start with the benefits we’re after and let the others come naturally with time and persistence.

2. Playing an Infinite Game

“More to the point, Richie’s lab finds that even among the meditation adepts—all of whom have put in at least 10,000 hours of practice—expertise continues to increase steadily with the number of lifetime hours.”

- Goleman and Davidson, Altered Traits

Translation: there’s no end to contemplative practice. The more you do, the more you grow.

3. Three One-Sentence Thoughts

  1. Meditation is about stopping thinking as much as breathwork is about stopping breathing.

  2. Breathing saves your life 20,000 times a day; mindfulness helps you appreciate this truth.

  3. The greatest skill in breathing (like in life) is knowing when to go with the flow, and when to deliberately change it.

4. How to Align with Your Life Force

“On a very basic level, when we’re consciously aware of the in-breath and the out-breath—or in other words, the act of inhaling and exhaling—we infuse ourselves with that life force and anchor ourselves in our own deep center space.”

- George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete

I have nothing useful to add, except for a few of these 👏👏👏

1 Quote

“Health and happiness are about being so connected to our own life force that we feel we fit into the world around us.””
— Gladys McGarey, MD

P.S. This came from The Well-Lived Life. I’m only about a third way through, but I must say it’s incredible—an absolute must-read.

1 Answer

Category: Breath and Focus

Answer: This state (often achieved through conscious breathing) involves being wholly immersed in an activity, cultivating intense focus and creativity, and losing awareness of time and self.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is flow?

In good breath,

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

P.S. Nice book. Too bad it was…

Upcoming Workshops

Saturday, December 23:

Saturday, December 30:

Coaching

Breathing & Mindfulness 1-on-1

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.

 
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Life, Humor, and a Great Truth You Should Know about Yourself

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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 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 43 sec

I hope the next 26’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. An Affirmation of Life

“Breath is life. It sustains us and it is an expression of the life force within us. The fact that we are breathing is an affirmation of life.”

- Yogani, Spinal Breathing Pranayama

This is just a beautiful reminder: “The fact that we are breathing is an affirmation of life.” 👏

2. Not You: A Great Truth You Should Know about Yourself

“The first thing to remember is that the truth about anxiety and worry, even about panic, is that they are not you. They are actually only conditions that flow in and out of the present moment. Confusion arises when the intensity of these conditions leads you to begin to identify with them and become lost in a reaction to them.”

- Jeffrey Brantley, MD, Calming Your Anxious Mind

This is a primary goal of living mindfully: To recognize that emotions aren’t us, only conditions flowing in & out of the present moment.

Of course, we’ll never be perfect, but even small steps in recognizing this truth will significantly improve our well-being.

3. Kryptonite & Why Slow Breathing Complements Mindfulness Perfectly

“Attention is fragile. It can be rapidly depleted under certain circumstances…When we experience stress, threat, or poor mood—the three main things I call ‘kryptonite’ for attention—this valuable resource is drained.”

- Amishi Jha, Ph.D., Peak Mind

This is why combining slow breathing with mindfulness, or doing it just before meditation, is so powerful.

It counteracts these “attention kryptonites:” It reduces stress, improves mood, and quiets the threat regions of the brain. These changes make mindfulness more accessible physiologically.

4. Humor is an Essential Part of Life

“Humor opens closed hearts.
Humor can free us from the grip of our thoughts.
When we smile, we feel we can accept things we previously could not.
We feel we can forgive those who have wronged us.
Humor is an essential part of life.”

- Haemin Sunim, The Things You Can See Only…

Just a reminder to seek out humor this week, as laughing will always be the most therapeutic breathing exercise.

1 Quote

“The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one’s work seriously and taking one’s self seriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous.””
— Margot Fonteyn

1 Answer

Category: Breathing Muscles

Answer: Although the diaphragm is thought to be primarily a breathing muscle, there is evidence that it plays a critical role in preventing this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is acid reflux?

In good breath,

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


P.S. “flight sacramento receipt 2023”

Upcoming Workshops

Saturday, December 16:

Saturday, December 30:

Coaching

Breathing & Mindfulness 1-on-1

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.

 
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Cry More, Full Victory, and Three Gift Ideas for Breathers

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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 😊

Reading Time: 2 min 4 sec

I hope the next 31’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Full Effort is Full Victory

“The result is not the point; it is the effort to improve ourselves that is valuable. There is no end to this practice.”

– Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

This is a nice reminder that we can only control our effort, not the outcome. And fortunately, it’s the effort that counts.

This brings to mind Gandhi, who says, “Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory.”

2. Choosing Effective Responses for Healing

“By learning to be present and to stay connected with your body and mind and what is happening in the present moment, you have your best chance of understanding your own experiences ... Out of that understanding, you will make the most effective response for healing.”

- Jeffrey Brantley, MD, Calming Your Anxious Mind

This is perhaps one of the most powerful benefits of any breath-focused practice. By teaching you to stay connected with your body and mind, you find clarity in the present moment, allowing you to “make the most effective response for healing.” 👏👏👏

3. Cry: Your Breathing Will Thank You

Did you know there’s a natural neti pot—a natural way to flush your nose with warm salt water? Yep, it’s crying.

Tears go through a duct draining into the nose (which is why people often need a tissue when upset). In fact, the solution of neti pot mixes is supposed to match the composition of tears:

“To capitalize on this fact, the nasal wash should be done with water that is of the same composition as tears. It should be exactly that salty, and it should be at body temperature.”

- Rudolph Ballentine, MD

That blows my mind. So, the next time you need a cry, let it out. Your breathing will thank you 😊

4. Three Gift Ideas for Breath Nerds Like Us

Treat yourself or ask a loved one for one of these:

  1. ViO2 Mouth Tape: Honestly the best tape I’ve used. Super neat design. They sent me some to try and now I’m a fan. I will definitely buy them from now on.

  2. iCalm: By now, you know I love these (I buy monthly). If you make a one-time purchase, use NICK20 to get 20% off. If you set up a recurring subscription, you automatically get 20% off.

  3. Breathing is Cool Sweater: A must-have for winter. I wear mine every chance I get. I have even been asked where I got it twice while at the grocery store, which made my day both times 😊

1 Quote

“The great lesson from the true mystics…is that the sacred is in the ordinary, that it is to be found in one’s daily life, in one’s neighbors, friends, and family, in one’s back yard.””
— Abraham Maslow

P.S. and I would also add in one’s breath : )

1 Answer

Category: Philosophy

Answer: Perhaps by mistaken etymology, Plato and Aristotle at one point related this to the soul or process of thinking.

…

(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. Venn diagram of my life

Upcoming Workshops

This Saturday, December 9:

Saturday, December 16:

Saturday, December 30:

Coaching

Breathing & Mindfulness 1-on-1

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.

 
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Free 5-Star Resort, Transferring Passion, and Breathing in the Rain

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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 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 37 sec

I hope the next 25’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

4 THOUGHTS

1. A Rainy, Effortless Breathing Exercise

“Importantly, rain washes away the vestiges of pollution. Air is always cleaner during and immediately after a downpour…As rain tumbles through the atmosphere, each drop attracts hundreds of pollutant particles…Leaving the air bracingly fresh, scrubbed clean.”

- Annabel Streets, 52 Ways to Walk

Next time it rains, go out and breathe some freshly cleaned air. It’s the most effective & effortless “breathing exercise” you can do 😊

2. What Can Be Transferred is Passion

“That's really where the power of meditation lies, and it's not something that can be transferred from one person to another. What can be transferred is the passion for it.”

- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Meditation for Optimum Health

This made me think if I could sit down and do slow, mindful breathing for you, I would. But alas, our bodies don’t work that way…

However, I hope these newsletters and my workshops & coaching can at least transfer some of my passion for these practices to you 🙏

3. The Spiritual Essence of Human Beings

“I think that really is the power of breath. It is the spiritual essence of human beings; when we look in that direction, we are doing spiritual work.”

- Andrew Weil, MD, Breathing: The Master Key

Of course, doing breathing exercises doesn’t require any spirituality.

But because breathing is “the spiritual essence of human beings,” just focusing on it can become a spiritual practice if we so choose 👏

4. Checking Into a Free 5-star Resort

“When you focus for a short time, gently brushing aside any intrusive thoughts, your mind and body suddenly become a five-star resort in which all the service personnel make your restoration and health their priority and are especially concerned with alleviating the harmful effects of stress.”

– Herbert Benson, MD, Timeless Healing

Sitting or lying down, slowing down, and focusing on your breath is like checking into a five-star healing resort: “all the service personnel make your restoration and health their priority.”

Make sure you check in a few times this week.

1 Quote

“You should keep your mind on your breathing until you are not aware of your breathing.””
— Shunryu Suzuki

1 Answer

Category: Receptors & Nerves

Answer: Pulmonary stretch receptors respond to excess lung stretching by sending a signal through this nerve to stop inhalation.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the vagus nerve?

In good breath,

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


P.S. feeling visited enough

Is Your Advice Being Ignored?

Consider giving the gift of calm to someone you care about (maybe that person you’ve tried to convince to do breathing exercises, but they just won’t listen 😉):

Use discount code NICK20 for 20% off.

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.

 
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An Incredible Study, Meaningful Change, and Gratitude Right 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 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 43 sec

I hope the next 26’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Carve a Canyon: How to Produce Meaningful Changes with Breathing

“Rather, I think the power of breathwork to change the function of the nervous system can be compared to the way water cuts a canyon through rock. It’s the constant stimulus, the constant pressure, that produces huge changes, so that what appears to be a very gentle force produces very large results.”

- Andrew Weil, MD, Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing

This analogy is why I appreciate gentle and easy breathing exercises.

Of course, intense sessions can provide rapid transformations.

But one strong thunderstorm rarely carves a lasting canyon.

It’s the gentle, constant force of simple techniques, applied over years & years, that often produces the most meaningful change.

2. There’s Something in the Air (this is truly an incredible study)

In The Mindful Body, Ellen Langer, Ph.D., describes an incredible study. Participants were led into an empty room. Beforehand, one of three things had happened:

  1. Meditators had meditated for 45 minutes and then left.

  2. People had watched a stressful video for 45 minutes, then left.

  3. Or the room was just empty for 45 minutes.

Participants entering after the meditators or stressful video watchers found the room more appealing and enlivening <—that’s pretty neat.

But wildly, only the group entering after the meditators improved their reaction time in a mindfulness test.

As Dr. Langer summarized, “These mysterious results suggest that somehow our mindfulness leaves a residue in the air and as such may affect the mindfulness of others.” 🤯

3. What Sets Breath & Mindfulness Apart: They Empower You

Breathing and mindfulness for people (with diabetes) are different than most approaches.

Instead of focusing solely on blood sugar control and doing everything “perfect,” these practices empower you to reduce stress, improve mental and emotional health, and cultivate resilience.

The goal isn't perfect numbers; it's peace of mind and lifelong agency.

4. Experience Gratitude Right Now

I shared this breath last year, but we can never do it too much 😊

Take a few conscious breaths and think to yourself: “This is great! I have an abundance of the most valuable resource known to our species, and I don't even have to work that hard to get it.”

1 Quote

“We die with each out-breath, only to be breathed back to life with the next in-breath.””
— Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D.

1 Answer

Category: Cognitive Function

Answer: Slow breathing (and mindful breathing) both improve this, allowing us to better resist distractions.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is inhibition or impulse control?

In good breath,

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


P.S. My two rules are:

iCalm for Focused Relaxation

I know I’m a broken record, but I can’t recommend iCalm enough. I take 1/2 shot before my coffee and absolutely love it. Give it a try!

Use discount code NICK20 for 20% off.

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.

 
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Mindful Sauna, Focus on You, and Singing for Better Breathing

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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 😊

Reading Time: 2 min 15 sec

I hope the next 34ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. How Jon Kabat-Zinn Got Introduced to Mindfulness (it’s not what you might think)

“I would actually say that the sauna at MIT was probably my first and most powerful meditation teacher. And I used to go with some of my graduate student friends and sit in the sauna and crank the heat up as far as it would go. And you'd have to breathe more slowly in the sauna because it was so hot to just not burn your nostrils. And it was helpful if you didn't move around too much because even that took a lot of energy. And it was also helpful if you didn't think all that much.”

- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., Meditation for Optimum Health

This is a neat story for sauna lovers and a nice metaphorical reminder that sometimes stressors help us most in cultivating peace.

2. Sing More for More Efficient Breathing

“Singing provides our lungs with a workout, resulting in enhanced respiratory muscles and more efficient breathing. Researchers call this optimized breathing, and arguably, it’s exactly what we need as we walk, particularly if we sing in rhythm with our feet.”

– Annabel Streets, 52 Ways to Walk

As an overly self-conscious person, I can’t bring myself to sing while walking. But this passage has inspired me to sing more (when no one is listening, of course 😂). I hope it does the same for you.

3. Focus on You: What Sets Breathing Apart from Traditional Diabetes Approaches

Traditional approaches to diabetes often forget that we’re people (with diabetes), not diabetic people. They seem to only focus on our disease, not on us.

Breathing and mindfulness are different. They are about bringing awareness to what’s right with you—what’s already whole.

They build resilience, compassion, and agency despite your condition, enhancing you as a person rather than only focusing on your diabetes.

Sometimes, they do end up helping your diabetes, and sometimes, they don’t. But either way, you have peace of mind and a better life.

4. What Matters is That We’re in the Water

Here’s a memorable passage from Tsoknye Rinpoche on how to deal with the ups and downs of our contemplative practice:

“Remember that meditation experiences keep rising and falling, like our moods or the stock market. Sometimes we feel clear, light, and elated, like we’re making rapid progress. Other times we feel sluggish or agitated, like we’re not getting anywhere, like anything but meditation would be better. Just keep going without getting too caught up in our shifting experiences. … In the end, our experiences are like waves in the ocean, but despite their ups and downs, what matters is that we're still in the water.”

👏👏👏

1 Quote

“I think that working with the breath can be a very powerful technique to center the mind. To help you work more effectively. To help you deal with all of the challenges that life throws in your way, every day. And to really turn your direction away from the material world toward the non-physical world.””
— Andrew Weil, MD

1 Answer

Category: The Nose

Answer: Nasal congestion is generally caused by this, which makes breathing more challenging and reduces the nose’s ability to clear mucous (which exacerbates the congestion further).

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is inflammation of the nasal mucosal?

In good breath,

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


P.S. No just that one thing

iCalm for Focused Relaxation

I know I’m a broken record, but I can’t recommend iCalm enough. I take 1/2 shot before my coffee and absolutely love it. Give it a try!

Use discount code NICK20 for 20% off.

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.

 
,

How to Actually Increase Well-Being, Waves, and the Power of Breathwalk

,

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 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 23 sec

I hope the next 21ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Without Wind, There Would Be No Waves

Imagine if we tried to understand ocean waves by studying the internal makeup of the water (without first examining the winds).

Yet we often try to understand the body by looking at all its intricate details (without first examining the breath).

Without winds, there would be no waves to study. Without breath, there would be no body to marvel.

2. The Well-Being Equation

In this eloquent equation (created by philosopher Arne Næss), “glow” refers to passion or fervor. It’s squared. This means a slight increase in glow will drown out increases in physical and mental pain.

It’s a nice reminder that, instead of always focusing on what’s bad, sometimes it’s better to simply create more good 🙏

3. There’s Something about Breathwalking

“There's something about walking to the rhythm of one's own breath, as if we can walk on and on, into the horizon and beyond.”

- Annabel Streets, 52 Ways to Walk

This book had an excellent chapter on the power of breathwalking (called “Afghan walking”). The above quote summarizes it nicely: By synchronizing our breath and steps, we feel we can walk forever.

Give it a try next time you walk around the office or to and from your car: Inhale 4 steps, exhale 4 steps (or whatever pace is comfortable for you). Simple yet extremely powerful.

4. One Could Spend a Lifetime

“Hence it is that one can spend decades, or even a lifetime, delving into the subtleties and implications of the process of breathing.”

– Science of Breath

Thank you for joining me on this seemingly endless journey 🙏

1 Quote

“So the problem is not so much to see what nobody has yet seen, as to think what nobody has yet thought concerning that which everybody sees.” ”
— Arthur Schopenhauer

1 Answer

Category: The Nose

Answer: This represents the natural congestion of one nostril and reciprocal decongestion of the other occurring throughout the day.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the nasal cycle?

In good breath,

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


P.S. a quick hack for reading

iCalm for Focused Relaxation

Not trying to sound salesy, but if you haven’t tried iCalm yet, you should. It’s amazing. I take 1/2 shot with my coffee and absolutely love it. So much so that it’s the first time I’ve ever become an affiliate. We have the same mission, but different approach (and they are honestly some of the nicest people on the planet running it).

Use discount code NICK20 for 20% off.

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.

 
,

Heroes, the Healing Power of Breathing, and the Key to Living Longer

,

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 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 46 sec

I hope the next 27ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. A 2023 Review: Mindfulness Slightly Improves HbA1c in Diabetes

“Previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have shown that mindfulness interventions are effective in improving glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. The reduction in HbA1c levels is approximately 0.3%”

- Hamasaki (2023), Medicines

A 0.3% improvement is not super meaningful. However, they also found that mindfulness helped reduce stress, anxiety, and depression in people with diabetes. Together, that’s still pretty neat 👏

2. But Mindfulness Helps in Less Quantifiable Ways, Too

For diabetes (or any condition), mindfulness helps in less quantifiable ways, too. Perhaps the most important is that, with increased awareness, we begin to notice variability in our symptoms. This gives us back some control over our condition:

“Put plainly, paying attention to variability helps us see that symptoms come and go, which helps us home in on the situations and circumstances that might contribute to these fluctuations so that we might exert some control over them. Having that kind of increased control gives rise to solutions that otherwise would not be forthcoming, as well as more optimism and less stress, which give rise to greater health in general.”

- Ellen Langer, Ph.D., The Mindful Body

Sounds good to me 👏👏👏

3. Nasal Breathing while Walking: The Key to Living Longer?

I feel obliged to share this amazing passage I read on Thursday morning in 52 Ways to Walk (such a good book, too):

“Obsessed with notions of health, he was fascinated by his breathing. In fact, Kant developed a technique of breathing solely through his nose—250 years before scientists recognized the role of nasal breathing for good health. Kant was so determined to breathe only through his nose that he refused to walk with a companion, fearful that conversation might inadvertently make him inhale through his mouth. Kant lived to just short of his eightieth birthday, a phenomenal age in 1804.”

4. The Healing Power of Breathing

The healing power of breathing is less about actual physical healing (although it can do that) and more about giving us back agency.

Controlling our breath shows us that we can control our mental and physical state, and this provides a sense of agency in all of life.

By controlling our breath, we become our own healers (and heroes).

1 Quote

“In order to heal, you may wish to become your own hero.””
— Gabor Maté, MD

1 Answer

Category: Slow Breathing & Pain

Answer: Slow breathing is thought to increase the release of these, which help explain its pain-reducing effects.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are endorphins?

In good breath,

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


P.S. thank u for coming to my ted talk

iCalm for Focused Relaxation

If you haven’t already, try iCalm. They called it “meditation in a bottle”…I gave in and bought…and now I use it almost daily, lol. Use discount code NICK20 for 20% off.

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.

 
,

When Laughter Occurs, Choosing Joy, and a New Favorite Passage

,

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 😊

Reading Time: 2 min 19 sec

I hope the next 35ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. This May Be My New Favorite Passage on Mindfulness

“Cultivating mindfulness is a way to pour energy in the form of attention, awareness, and acceptance into what is already right with you, what is already whole, as a complement to, not a substitute for, whatever help and support and treatments you may be receiving or need—if you need any at all—and see what happens.”

- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., The Healing Power of Mindfulness

I could read that all day. And I can think of no better motivation for practicing mindfulness than that passage 👏

2. When Laughter Occurs…

“When laughter occurs, respiratory exchange processes are enhanced, blood pressure is reduced, and the body produces endorphins which act not only as mood enhancers, but also as a natural pain killer. Psychological enhancements include reduced anxiety and stress as well as increased self-esteem and self-efficacy”

- Brett Bartholomew, Conscious Coaching

Just a reminder to laugh a little bit today…it’s the most therapeutic breathing exercise : )

3. How Breathing Impacts Whole-Body Energy

“The nose, trachea (windpipe), lungs, circulatory system, and their attendant muscles all act to transport or modify oxygen from the surrounding air to make it readily available to individual cells. Each of these organs plays a crucial role in determining oxygen supply, and therefore energy availability, to cells at various levels within the body. Consequently, a change in functioning in any one of these systems could potentially alter the course of energy production within the entire body.”

- Alan Hymes, MD, Science of Breath

Sometimes, it seems crazy that breathing can have such a profound influence on our bodies and minds. Then, you read a passage like this from an MD and realize it’s not so crazy after all.

Because our breathing determines oxygen supply (and therefore energy availability), any change we make “could potentially alter the course of energy production within the entire body.” 👏

4. Choose Joy to Make It Effortless

“Almost anything can be made pleasurable if we don’t tell ourselves we have to do it. When we make it fun, trying becomes unnecessary. Consider how odd it sounds to try to eat something you like eating or do something you like doing. ... If we enjoy doing something, it will feel effortless. When we’re mindfully engaged, we don’t notice the presence or absence of effort.”

- Ellen Langer, Ph.D., The Mindful Body

This is a nice reminder that if we find a way to make our breathing/mindfulness/(whichever wellness practice you do) more enjoyable, it will become effortless. And if it’s effortless & enjoyable, we’ll be more consistent, and we’ll get much more out of it.

Deal of the Week: ResBiotic

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If you’re looking for an effective and simple way to support gut and lung health, check them out. They're offering 411 readers 15% off with the code BREATH411 at checkout.

Let me know what you think if you try it out!

1 Quote

“You didn’t come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here.””
— Alan Watts

1 Answer

Category: Oxygen Transport

Answer: Approximately this percentage of total oxygen transported in the blood is carried by hemoglobin, with the remaining dissolved directly in the plasma.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 98%?


1 Spots Left

I have 1 spots left in October for my 8-week program for overcoming stressful life setbacks. Email nick@thebreathingdiabetic.com with subject line “breath” to learn more.

In good breath,

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


P.S. hey sorry i overreacted

iCalm for Focused Relaxation

If you haven’t already, try iCalm. They called it “meditation in a bottle”…I gave in and bought…and now I use it almost daily, lol. Use discount code NICK20 for 20% off.

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.

 
,

One Solution to Stress, Getting More, and the Best $0.99 I’ve Spent

,

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 😊

Reading Time: 2 min 12 sec

I hope the next 33ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. The Most Ubiquitous Form of Stress (and one solution to it)

“Our bodies get worn down more quickly under chronic stress, and chronic uncertainty is the most ubiquitous form of chronic stress.”

- Elissa Epel, Ph.D., The Stress Prescription

Our greatest, “most ubiquitous form of chronic stress” is uncertainty. (This statement holds up in my life. It’s mind-blowingly obvious, yet I’ve never realized it.)

One of Dr. Epel’s Solutions: Accept and embrace uncertainty as an unavoidable part of life. Easy to say, harder to do.

My Way of Doing It: Practice mindfulness of breathing, learning to cultivate an attitude of nonjudgmental acceptance as you receive each breath exactly as it is. This mindset will transfer to your perspective off the cushion, too.

2. A Simple Way for Getting More Out of Your Practice

Before you start:

“Take a moment to reflect on your motivation, making sure that the wish to practice for the benefit of all beings is present in the mind.”

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

It only takes 5-10 seconds, and you can adopt this beautiful mindset for any wellness practice you do 👏

3. Mindfulness is Contagious (you can make others healthier)

“As more than forty years of research has shown, mindfulness is good for our health. The research on mindful contagion suggests that one person’s mindfulness may increase another person’s mindfulness. Thus, I think it may be the case that the people around us with whom we interact may actually be having a positive effect on our health.”

- Ellen Langer, Ph.D., The Mindful Body

✅ Mindfulness is good for our health.

✅ Our mindfulness can increase another person’s mindfulness.

Thus, deductive logic tells us that, by practicing mindfulness, we may be able to positively impact the health of those around us 🙏

4. Becoming Your Own Island

“You don’t need a course in silence or relaxation to be able simply to pause. Silence can be anywhere, anytime—it’s just in front of your nose.”

- Erling Kagge, Silence

That’s amazing by itself, but it got even better. Kagge went on to say, “Sure, we are all part of the same continent, but the potential wealth of being an island for yourself is something you carry around with you all the time.”

“An island for yourself” <– That’s so good 👏

Here’s to using our breath to create our own island of silence, today.

BONUS: The Best $0.99 cents I’ve Spent

This gentle, fade-in alarm clock: Progressive Alarm Clock (this is iPhone specific, but it looks like Android has other good options).

P.S. I just Googled “gentle alarm clock” and found this one. Perhaps there are better ones out there, but this does the trick for me.

1 Quote

“I recommend breathwork to almost all patients that I see because, in my experience, stress is a primary cause (or an aggravating cause) of most cases of illness. And even if people have diseases that clearly have organic physical causes, relaxation can nonetheless benefit them and help their body’s healing system work better.””
— Andrew Weil, MD

1 Answer

Category: Respiratory Tract

Answer: The upper & lower respiratory tracts are lined with this, which can trap small particles, thus helping to filter incoming air.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is a mucous membrane?


3 Spots Left

I have 3 spots left in October for my 8-week program for overcoming stressful life setbacks. Email nick@thebreathingdiabetic.com with subject line “breath” to learn more.

In good breath,

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


P.S. achieved full enlightenment

iCalm for Focused Relaxation

If you haven’t already, try iCalm. They called it “meditation in a bottle”…I gave in and bought…and now I use it almost daily, lol. Use discount code NICK20 for 20% off.

* 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.

 
,

Mind-Body Unity, the Real Power of Breath, and a Beautiful Resilience

,

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 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 55 sec

I hope the next 30ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. After a Breathing, Mindfulness, Yoga/etc. Session, Ask Yourself this:

“How does it feel to be like this? Does it feel natural? Is this a way you would want to continue to be in your life?”

– Rosamund Oliver

Then, if it is a way you’d like to continue to be in your life, use it as motivation to carry that feeling into the rest of your day 🙏

2. Slow Breathing: External vs. Self-Paced

You can choose a rate (say, 6 breaths a minute), use an app, breathe at that rate, and feel great. I’ve done this for years.

However, you can also let your body set the pace: you can voluntarily breathe slowly without using an external pacer.

Here’s a great explanation of why this works from Yogani. He’s talking about spinal breathing, but it applies to slow breathing in general:

“The time it takes will be different for each person. It can be different for the same person from day to day, depending on the course of purification occurring in the nervous system. It can even vary in a single spinal breathing session we are doing. Duration is a function of our inner neurobiological processes and our metabolism, which change as the processes of inner purification and opening are occurring. // In spinal breathing we comfortably favor slow deep breathing, whatever that is for us in the moment. That is what determines the duration.”

3. If Mind and Body are One, Then…

“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

And this is precisely the power of breathing. It’s the most direct path to realizing this mind-body unity.

Change your breathing, to change your body, to change your mind.

4. But the Real Healing Power of Breathing Lies Here

The real healing power of breathing lies in metaphor:

  • When we accept the breath as it is (mindfulness of breathing), we learn to accept life just as it is, helping us see reality more clearly.

  • When we control our breath (breathing exercises), we discover a locus of control over our body and mind in any situation.

  • And when we examine the breath with curiosity, we learn that everything—all the mundane, everyday, overlooked aspects of life—can become interesting with mindful awareness.

P.S. We deeply explore and apply these metaphors (along with the actual physical & emotional benefits of breathing) in my 8-week coaching for overcoming stressful setbacks. Email me at nick@thebreathingdiabetic.com with subject line “breath” and I’ll send you more details.

1 Quote

“Laughter is a beautiful form of resilience, one that evinces a generosity of spirit.””
— Erika Sánchez

1 Answer

Category: Involuntary Breathwork

Answer: These are repeated spasms of your diaphragm accompanied by sound from your vocal cords.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are hiccups?

In good breath,

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


P.S. up for the October challenge?

iCalm for Focused Relaxation

If you haven’t already, try iCalm, an awesome product made by a mindful and loving company (use discount code NICK20 for 20% off).

* 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.

 
,

3 Simple Lessons, Why We Practice, and the Most Important Determinant

,

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 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 57 sec

I hope the next 30ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Breathing Exercises Reduce Oxidative Stress: 2023 Meta-Analysis

“Breathing exercises can improve the main biological indicators of OS [oxidative stress] toward the direction of antioxidation and improve the OS state by increasing the levels of antioxidants and reducing those of oxidative markers.”

– Li et al. (2023), Frontiers in Medicine

This 2023 meta-analysis examined 10 studies, finding that breathing exercises of all kinds (fast, slow, inspiratory muscle training, and so on) significantly reduce biomarkers of oxidative stress. Breath practices also increase the body’s antioxidant capacity, which may benefit both healthy and disease states 👏

2. The Most Important Determinant & the Mother of Mindfulness

Ellen Langer, Ph.D., put the word mindfulness on the map in western psychology (she’s even referred to as the “mother of mindfulness”).

I’m reading her latest book (she’s one of my favorite authors), The Mindful Body, and I felt obliged to share this passage because it’s so good. Enjoy:

“But my use of the word “mindfulness” also, importantly, refers to a condition of the body. Indeed, I believe our psychology may be the most important determinant of our health. I’m not just speaking of harmony between mind and body. I believe the mind and body comprise a single system, and every change in the human being is essentially simultaneously a change at the level of the mind (that is, a cognitive change) as well as the body (a hormonal, neural, and/or behavioral change). When we open our minds to this idea of mind-body unity, new possibilities for controlling our health become real.” (my emphasis)

3. Three Simple Lessons about Breathing

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

  2. The best healing breathing exercise is a good dose of laughter.

  3. And the best time of day for breathing exercises is always right now.

4. Experiencing Wholeness: Why We Practice

“Through ongoing practice, we can come to live in a more integrated way from day to day and from moment to moment, in touch with our own wholeness and connectedness and aware of our interconnectedness with others, with the larger world in which we find ourselves, and with life itself. Feeling whole, even for brief moments, nourishes us on a deep level.”

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

That’s why we practice: it brings us wholeness. And even if we only experience wholeness briefly, it still “nourishes us on a deep level” 🙏

1 Quote

“The silence around us may contain a lot, but the most interesting kind of silence is the one that lies within. A silence which each of us must create.””
— Erling Kagge

1 Answer

Category: Breathing 101

Answer: This is the clinical name for shortness of breath.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is dyspnea?

In good breath,

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


P.S. how to make parties more interesting

iCalm for Focused Relaxation

If you haven’t already, try iCalm, an awesome product made by a mindful and loving company (use discount code NICK20 for 20% off).

* 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.

 
,

Mindful vs. Slow Breathing, and How to Know the Nature of All Beings

,

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 😊

Reading Time: 2 min 3 sec

I hope the next 30ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. How to Become Mindful of the Nature of All Beings

“Moreover, breathing is not exclusive. Living beings differ in appearance and behavior. They eat various kinds of food. They sleep in many types of beds. But all living beings breathe. … When we focus on the breath, we become mindful of the universal nature of all beings.”

– Bhante Gunaratana, The 4 Foundations of Mindfulness

Just a thoughtful reminder that breathing unites all living beings, so when we focus on it, it can help us appreciate this universal connection 👏

2. An Excellent Summary of Some Benefits of Mindful Breathing

I found this summary by Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., in Why We Meditate and loved it. I hope it inspires you to practice as much as it did me 🙏:

“People who practice simple mindfulness of the breath, for instance, become more relaxed in their daily lives and recover from upsets more quickly than non-meditators. The method seems to calm the amygdala, so that we are pitched into the fight-or-flight state less often. And the more time over the years you put into this mindfulness method, the less reactive you become. Troubling events trigger you into an upset state far less often. If you are triggered, your upset is less strong. And—maybe the biggest calming benefit—you recover more quickly than you did formerly.”

3. An Excellent Summary of Some Benefits of Slow Breathing

In that same book, Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., also had a wonderful summary of the key benefits of slow breathing:

“To summarize all the studies: Along with this healthy variability in time between heartbeats, people doing slowed breathing reported feeling ease and comfort, being more relaxed, as well as having positive energy and a general feeling of pleasantness. …

Slowed breathing also seems to bring a significant change in brain function. …(EEG) studies found that slower breathing was accompanied by an increase in synchronized alpha waves, which signify the brain has gone into a state of rest, like a car idling. This shift in brain state was associated with benefits like lessened anxiety, anger, and confusion, and an increase in feelings of vigor.”

The natural question: Should I practice mindful breathing or slow breathing?

My super scientific answer: The choice is yours 😊

4. Why Breathing Brings Us to the Present Moment

You can’t retake a previous breath you’ve already taken. You can’t take a future breath you haven’t taken. You can only take the breath you’re currently taking.

That’s pretty darn obvious, but it’s crucial for why breathing brings us to the present moment. When you focus on your breathing, you cannot be anywhere but here and now.

1 Quote

“That is the point. You sail out across the sea, but it’s when you make your return that you may discover what you have been seeking is in fact inside yourself.””
— Erling Kagge

1 Answer

Category: The Human Body

Answer: Your bone marrow produces 2-3 million of these every second.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are red blood cells?

In good breath,

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


P.S. a conversation with God

Become happier, healthier, and more mindful.

Let’s go beyond standardized approaches that do not account for your unique circumstances. I’ll meet you exactly where you are and serve as your coach and accountability partner on your journey toward living a happier, healthier, and more mindful life.

Learn More about One-on-One Coaching.

* 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.

 
,

Laugh More, Buddha’s Breathwork, and How to Find Inner Silence

,

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 😊

Reading Time: 1 min 51 sec

I hope the next 28ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Laugh More: Laughing Reduces Cortisol by More than 30%

“These analyses demonstrated the potential therapeutic role of laughter-inducing interventions as a complementary strategy to improve everyone’s well-being and highlight the need for further research aiming to improve our collective sense of humor.”

– Kramer and Leitao (2023)

How’s that for the best quote ever published in a science article?

This recent meta-analysis analyzed 8 studies and found that spontaneous laughter reduced cortisol by 31.9%, making it a potentially powerful tool for improving wellness.

It certainly corroborates our saying: The best and most therapeutic form of mouth breathing is laughter 😊

***

P.S. Sign up at BreathLearning.com to get my 4-page and 12 min 39 sec podcast summary of this one, which includes three ways to incorporate more laughter into your day using Spotify, funny videos, and Instagram.

2. Did the Buddha Do Breathwork?

Yes he did, apparently. But then he gave it up:

“After his enlightenment, the Buddha described how he had previously practiced extreme self-discipline by manipulating his breath in arcane and special ways. But he discovered that he could not get rid of impurities by holding his breath or altering his breathing. So he gave up breath-control exercises and followed his own middle way.” - Bhante Gunaratana

And what was that middle way? Mindfulness of breathing. It’s what ultimately led the Buddha to enlightenment.

It gives me hope that one day I’ll give up breathing exercises and reach enlightenment, too 😂 😂 😂

3. How to Find Your Inner Silence

“I believe it’s possible for everyone to discover this silence within themselves. It is there all the time, even when we are surrounded by constant noise. Deep down in the ocean, below the waves and ripples, you can find your internal silence.”

– Erling Kagge, Silence in the Age of Noise

One way to find that silence is to breathe deep down into your belly, below the restlessness of your noisy mind. There, you’ll discover your ever-present and always accessible internal silence.

***

P.S. Thanks to Dr. M. for recommending this incredible book 🙏

4. The Gravity of Breathing

With consistent practice, the breath creates its own gravity, naturally pulling your attention toward it in every situation.

1 Quote

“To control the breathing is to control the mind. With different patterns of breathing, you can fall in love, you can hate someone, you can feel the whole spectrum of feelings just by changing your breathing.””
— Marina Abramovic

1 Answer

Category: Lung Measurement

Answer: This is generally a measure of the lungs’ ability to expand due to changes in their pressure.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is pulmonary compliance?

In good breath,

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


P.S. what makes us human

Work with Me

Or, create your own relaxation with iCalm (use discount code NICK20).

* 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.

 
,

A Smile, Perfect Advice on Methods, and I Was Happy Until this Moment

,

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 😊

Reading Time: 2 min 1 sec

I hope the next 30ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.


4 THOUGHTS

1. Science of Breath: A Practical Guide

“There is no such thing as an involuntary system if the student learns to regulate the motion of the lungs. For by doing so, a vast portion of that system is brought under his voluntary control.”

– Swami Rama, Science of Breath

That is, in a nutshell, the science of breath. By controlling the breath, we gain control of involuntary processes (via our autonomic nervous system), giving us access to better physical, mental, and spiritual health 👏

***

P.S. Of course, there’s a lot more to the science of breathing. So, if you’re interested, I can’t recommend this book enough (I’m ashamed it’s taken me this long to read it). If you don’t have time to read all day, you can also sign up at BreathLearning.com to get my 6-page and 21-minute podcast summary of this one (and many others).

2. That’s a Smile of Enlightenment

“The moment you wake up, right away, you can smile. That’s a smile of enlightenment. You are aware that a new day is beginning, that life is offering you twenty-four brand-new hours to live, and that that’s the most precious of gifts.”

– Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Breath

I began doing this after reading the book, and it’s genuinely life-changing (even if it’s an awkward smile with my mouth tape, lol).

Try it tomorrow morning (or anytime, really) and see how you feel 🙏

3. Perfect Advice on Methods and Teachers

“While you practice a particular method, it can be helpful to believe that your technique—or your teacher or lineage or meditation center—is the best. You feel fortunate. This mobilizes energy and often inspires strong practice. But as you grow on the path, more ingenuity is called for. You have to become self-reliant and see what you need from moment to moment.”

- Larry Rosenberg, Three Steps to Awakening

This is so good. I love how Rosenberg acknowledges the power of believing your approach is the best…“This mobilizes energy and often inspires strong practice”…while simultaneously recognizing that it will eventually change 👏

I hope it helps you wherever you are on your path, too.

4. Our Intrinsic Wholeness is Still Here

“Wholeness and connectedness are what are most fundamental in our nature as living beings. No matter how many scars we carry from what we have gone through and suffered in the past, our intrinsic wholeness is still here…”

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

That is all 🙏

1 Quote

“It’s a mistake to think too much about the goal and to ask too often about it. I was happy on those hikes with my parents. ... Happy until the moment when I started asking how much farther it was.””
— Erling Kagge

1 Answer

Category: Cellular Respiration

Answer: This is defined as the volume of CO2 produced divided by the volume of O2 absorbed during cellular respiration.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the respiratory quotient?

In good breath,

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


P.S. I will not be awkward today

Get Calm & Focused w/o Meditating

I take 1/2 a bottle of iCalm every morning, just before my first sip of coffee. It’s amazing.

In fact, although I don’t have much disposable income right now, I prioritize these each month because they’re so helpful.

If you’d like to try them, use the code NICK20 to get 20% off 🙏

Get the iCalm Relaxation Shot

 
 

* 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.

 
,

Is this Amazing or Dangerous, Longevity, and How to Create More Time

,

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. Yoga Breathing, Meditation, and Longevity

“By inducing stress resilience, breath work enables us to rapidly and compassionately relieve many forms of suffering.”

– Brown and Gerbarg (2009)

Here’s my take-home from this excellent narrative review 👏

Yogic breathing and meditation are complementary practices that may enhance longevity by improving nervous system health and stress resiliency, boosting emotional health, enhancing brain health, and reducing suffering associated with disasters.

***

P.S. Sign up at BreathLearning.com to get the PDF & podcast summaries for this one, and tons of other science articles & books.

2. Amazing or Dangerous? Mindful Breathing Preserves Focus After Multitasking

I’m not sure if this finding is (1) just amazing or (2) potentially dangerous, lol. But it’s too neat not to share 😊

“For instance, research at Stanford University found that if you are focused on an important project and then stop to answer a text or email, and end up browsing the web, when you finally return to your important project your focus has dimmed. It takes you some time to ramp up your concentration to the previous level. Unless you did ten minutes of mindfulness of your breath a couple of times that day—then you have little or no loss of concentration after ‘multitasking.’”

– Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., Why We Meditate

3. Affecting Deep Physical and Psychological Changes

“As the breath is the link between the body and mind, it can intervene in the activities of either level. With increased awareness and control of the subtle aspects of breathing, these interventions can affect deep physical and psychological changes.”

- John Clarke, MD, Science of Breath

Just a compelling reminder of how powerful breathing exercises and simple mindful breath awareness are. Because the breath literally and metaphorically links the body and mind, such interventions “can affect deep physical and psychological changes.” 👏

4. Don’t Have Time to Breathe or Meditate? (maybe this passage will be inspiring)

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that one saves time travelling only two hours from one point to another instead of spending eight hours on the same journey. While this holds up mathematically, my experience is the opposite: time passes more quickly when I increase the speed of travel. My speed and time accelerate in parallel. It is as if the duration of a single hour becomes less than a clock-hour. When I am in a rush, I hardly pay attention to anything at all.”

- Erling Kagge, Walking: One Step at a Time

Although this passage is about travel and walking, it applies perfectly to breathing or meditation.

By taking time out of your already busy morning to meditate or breathe, you actually create more time because you slow things down.

So, instead of thinking, “I don’t have time to do this,” think, “I create time by doing this.”

1 Quote

“Sometimes, you get lucky in life, when the most important thing you need to do turns out to also be the simplest. One example is breathing. Breathing is the most important thing we need to do in our lives, and for most of us, it is also the easiest thing we ever do. If you belong to the population of people who can breathe effortlessly, you are so lucky!””
— Chade-Meng Tan

1 Answer

Category: Nasal Drainage

Answer: These eventually go down the nasolacrimal duct, draining into your nose, often causing people to need a tissue.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are tears?

In good breath,

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


P.S. so true

I Take 1/2 Bottle Every Morning

I take 1/2 a bottle of iCalm every morning, just before my first sip of coffee. It’s amazing, and I absolutely love them.

In fact, although I don’t have much disposable income right now, I prioritize these each month because they’re so helpful.

If you’d like to try them, use the code NICK20 to get 20% off 🙏

Get the iCalm Relaxation Shot

 
 

* 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.

 
,

HIIB?, a Trick for Being Present, and Becoming More Joyous

,

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. High-Intensity Interval…Breathing?

Here’s why we should add intensity of intention to mindful breathing:

“[T]he more intensely you are attending to the present moment, the more temporary freedom you gain from regrets about the past and worries about the future. Furthermore, the more intensely you practice, the longer the benefits linger after the practice.”

- Chade-Meng Tan, Joy On Demand

So, the more intensely you focus on the breath, the greater joy you experience, and the longer the benefits linger. Sounds good to me.

Practically, one way of doing this is through what we might jokingly call High-Intensity Interval Breathing: Instead of a continuous 20-minute mindful breathing session, break it into four “intense” 4-minute sessions, with a 1-minute break between each.

Give it a try and see if you like it 🙏

2. Make a Good First Impression

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

– Will Rogers

Each morning, when we wake up, we meet a new day. We can make a good first impression by doing our breathing practice first thing.

The day will like you more (and treat you kinder).

***

P.S. Aim for consistency: Each day you meet is different, and today doesn’t remember yesterday’s introduction 😊

3. Picturing Trampolines: A Trick for Staying Present

Here’s a trick the staff psychologist for British Rowing offered in the 2003 World Championships to help the rowers focus on the process instead of the outcome:

“The rowers were instructed to picture a trampoline at the finish line, tipped onto its side so that any thought of theirs that jumped ahead to the outcome would bounce back to the present moment. They bought into it and it worked.”

– Matt Fitzgerald, The Comeback Quotient

That seems like it would be a helpful visualization in all of life 👏

4. Becoming More Present, Joyous, and Warm-Hearted

“The benefits of quieting the mind include becoming more calm and clear. But resting in pure awareness goes a step beyond this sense of quiet. Richard Davidson, who studied the brains of highly advanced yogis who had attained this level, tells me that he had never met any group of people so present, joyous, and warm-hearted.”

- Daniel Goleman, Why We Meditate

In my opinion, that last sentence answers the book title: We meditate (or do breathing, yoga, etc.) to become more present, joyous, and warm-hearted.

1 Quote

“I can only meditate when I am walking, when I stop I cease to think; my mind only works with my legs.””
— Jean-Jacques Rousseau

1 Answer

Category: Stress Hormones

Answer: This “breathing exercise” has been shown to significantly reduce cortisol, one of the primary stress hormones.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is laughter?

Don’t forget to get your dose today : )

In good breath,

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


P.S. Meditation in a nutshell

Try iCalm 20% Off

iCalm is a relaxation shot with just 4 ingredients: Taurine, L-Theanine, Lemon Balm Extract, and GABA. I absolutely love them.

If you’d like to try them, use the code NICK20 to get 20% off 🙏

Get the iCalm Relaxation Shot

 
 

* 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.

 
,

How Gratitude Works, Fast Breathing, and Coming Home in a Loving Way

,

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. Mindful Breath Awareness Improves Impulsivity and Brain Dynamics

“In sum, we show that a relatively short period of mindfulness practice…significantly changes brain dynamics related to the internal monitoring of response conflicts and related errors.”

– Pozuelos et al. (2019)

Using cognitive tests and EEG, this study found that practicing mindful breath awareness for 17 minutes, five days a week, for three weeks improved impulse control and brain dynamics related to metacognition.

As the authors say, “These findings contribute to clarifying the mechanisms through which mindfulness meditation practice promotes positive outcomes.” 👏👏👏

2. That’s How Gratitude Works…

“That’s how gratitude works, transforming not reality itself but how reality is seen.”

– Matt Fitzgerald, The Comeback Quotient

If you’ve ever finished a mindful, slow breathing practice (or any contemplative practice) and noticed that everything around you seems more peaceful and beautiful, this is why.

These practices naturally cultivate gratitude, which doesn’t change reality, but how reality is seen.

3. Fast Walking as a Breathing Metaphor

Two questions for you:

  1. Have you ever walked really fast to catch a flight?

  2. Have you ever walked fast just as exercise?

The first creates stress and anxiety.

The second creates attainment and flow.

Same process, different outcome.

That’s what deliberate versus unconscious fast breathing is like.

If you’re doing it purposefully and safely as an exercise, it can be beneficial (and even life-changing for some).

But if you’re doing it unconsciously or to “get somewhere fast,” it’ll have the opposite effect.

4. The Only Thing that Works for Improving Attention

“You cannot simply decide to pay attention ‘better.’ No matter how much I tell you about how attention works and why, and no matter how motivated you are, the way your brain pays attention cannot be fundamentally altered by sheer force of will…Instead, we need to train our brains to work differently. And the exciting news is: at long last, we’ve actually figured out how.”

- Amishi Jha, Ph.D., Peak Mind

And what did they figure out works? Mindfulness of breathing. As she says, “mindfulness training was the only brain-training tool that consistently worked to strengthen attention across our studies.”

1 Quote

“Breath is your means of bringing yourself back home to your body in the most loving way, to tailor your connections to yourself so that you feel less fractured and fragmented and more solid and whole.””
— Jill Miller

P.S. This came from Jill’s new book, Body by Breath.

1 Answer

Category: Meta-Awareness

Answer: The ability to monitor your actions and progress toward a predefined goal is known as this metacognitive skill.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is response monitoring?

In good breath,

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


P.S. Can’t sleep. Let’s see if this works

Try iCalm 20% Off

iCalm is a relaxation shot with just 4 ingredients: Taurine, L-Theanine, Lemon Balm Extract, and GABA. I absolutely love them.

If you’d like to try them, use the code NICK20 to get 20% off 🙏

Get the iCalm Relaxation Shot

 
 

* 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.