meta-analysis

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Smiling, Heart at Ease, and a Life-Changing Shift in Perspective

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Reading Time: 1 min 43 sec

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


4 THOUGHTS

1. The Mindful Artist

“The artist actively works to experience life slowly, and then to re-experience the same thing anew.”

– Rick Rubin, The Creative Act

I think this could also define someone living mindfully, a mindful artist, we might say, experiencing each breath anew. (Maybe not all day, every day, but at least during their morning practice 😊).

2. Smile Before Putting (and breathing)

“One tip I've shared with many golfers is a simple one: smile a little bit before each putt. Frowning is something your body does automatically when you've engaged your conscious mind to concentrate on a problem. Smiling tends to be something your body does when you're relaxed and happy and your subconscious brain is in control. Smiling can help putting. Try it and see.”

- Dr. Bob Rotella, How Champions Think​​

​

For these same reasons, smiling before (or during) a slow, deep, nasal breath can also be helpful. Try it and see 🙏

3. A New 2024 Meta-Analysis on Slow Breathing

“In conclusion, the current meta-analysis showed that slow-paced breathing had significant immediate beneficial effects on SBP, HR and time-domain HRV (RMSSD and SDNN), but not on DBP or frequency-domain HRV. Slow-paced breathing also had a modest effect in reducing negative emotions, particularly perceived stress.”

- The Effect of Slow-Paced Breathing on Cardiovascular and Emotion Functions: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

Nothing too shocking here, but my overall takeaway was: Slow breathing, at least in the short term, generally had positive effects on cardiovascular and emotional health. Check out the study for more.

4. A Life-Changing Exercise and Shift of Perspective

“The next time you find yourself doing something embarrassing, I encourage you to try to think about how it could be seen as funny. What about your mistake is humorous? What was surprising, silly, or just plain ridiculous? How would someone on the outside see it, and why might they laugh? You’ll be surprised by how often a humorous interpretation is available if you only go looking for it.”

- Gladys McGarey, MD, The Well-Lived Life

Last week, we discussed how laughing is the most therapeutic breathing exercise, tickling your adrenals and thus easing your heart.

Here, we learn a simple practice to help make humor part of our day. I’ve done it several times since reading it, and it’s truly life-changing.

1 Quote

“When the heart is at ease, the body is healthy.””
— Chinese Proverb

1 Answer

Category: Breath Words

Answer: Although less commonly used, this word refers to taking a long, deep breath, like a sigh.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is suspiration?

In good breath,

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

P.S. i won’t rest until i’ve cracked this case!

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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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Breath is Medicine, Slow Breathing in 223 Studies, and "Yes, This Is It"

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4 Thoughts



1. Voluntary Slow Breathing Improves Cardio-autonomic Function in 223 Studies

“By considering the importance of the PNS for health-related issues, … these results encourage the implementation of voluntary slow breathing exercises in health-related contexts, given the low-tech and low-cost techniques they require.” (my emphasis)

-Laborde et al. (2022), Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

That was a concluding remark of a recent 2022 meta-analysis looking at 223 studies on voluntary slow breathing and cardio-autonomic function.

The improvements across all 223 studies were by no means Earth-shattering. But they were significant, with virtually no side effects. Sounds good to me 👏

2. Breath is Medicine

“Medicine and medication both derive from an ancient Indo-Iranian root meaning something like ‘thoughtful action to establish order’; the same root gives us the words measure and meditate.”

- Andrew Weil, MD, Mind Over Meds

If “medicine” means “thoughtful action,” then mindful breathing is medicine.

Let’s not forget to take our dose, today : )

3. Maybe We Should Stop Worrying About Our Feelings?

“Feelings are natural phenomena, like clouds in the sky. Or rain. There are some feelings we like, and some feelings we don’t like. Just like we talk about good and bad weather. But there's nothing we can do about them. And there's nothing that needs to be done about them. Of course, you don't ignore the weather. You don't pretend that it's not raining when it's raining. You take it into consideration, but you don't try to fix it.”*

- David Reynolds, Constructive Living

That passage blew my mind and actually changed how I live.

We often hear about letting our thoughts float by: just watch them, then come back to the breath.

Perhaps sometimes we should do the same with our feelings, too?

4. “Yes, This Is It”

“A few years ago, I was leading a meditation retreat. … At one point, a woman raised her hand and asked: “Is this it? This being with the breath thing? Isn't there something more we can do?”

[Lodro’s response was:] “Yes, this is it.”*

- Lodro Rinzler, Walk Like a Buddha

I have a problem where I’m always searching for “the next thing.” Maybe you do too? But it really just comes down to this “being with the breath thing.”

“Yes, this is it.”


1 QUOTE

“The body’s function of breathing has been regarded by most ancient esoteric religious teachings as the very handle to be used to get hold of, or obtain the control of one’s mind and body.”
— Michael Wurmbrand
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Autonomic Nervous System

Answer: Because this branch of the nervous system innervates almost every organ, any action that reduces its activity will have widespread calming benefits throughout the body.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) nervous system?

In good breath,

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

P.S. “the worst they can say is no”

Breathing for Diabetes:

If you love learning about breathing, or just want to live an overall healthier life, 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.

 
 

"Promising Prospects in Chronic Diseases," plus My Top 3 Books of 2021

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. A First Goal of Pranayama is This

“Hence, through pranayama, one attempts to do away with the effort of respiration; rhythmic breathing must become something so automatic that the yogin can forget it.”

- Mircea Eliade, Yoga: Immortality and Freedom

An excellent reminder that we train our breathing, consistently and deliberately, so we can forget about it. Effort leads to effortlessness. Ancient yogis agree.

2. Slow Breathing Offers “Promising Prospects in Chronic Diseases Management”

A 2021 review of heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB; aka slow breathing) for chronic illness examined 29 studies with over 1100 patients, concluding:

“Given the reported positive effects of HRVB on psychophysiological outcomes in various patient profiles, it is clear that HRVB offers promising prospects in chronic diseases management.”

- Heart rate variability biofeedback in chronic disease management: A systematic review 

It looks like, once again, I’m not as crazy as I sometimes feel with this breathing stuff (and neither were those slow, rhythmic-breathing ancient yogis 😁).

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P.S. A quick rant on HRVB vs. slow breathing for the nerds like me 🤓

3. How to Be Warm-Hearted: Slow Breathing and The 4 Elements of Compassion

In one of my new favorite books, Biofeedback and Mindfulness in Everyday Life, Dr. Inna Khazan tells us that compassion requires 4 physiological elements:

  1. “Ability to orient and bring attention toward the person in need.

  2. Ability to engage socially with others in times of stress.

  3. Ability to feel safe while engaging with others.

  4. Ability to regulate our own physiology.”

Critically, these traits tie back to our hearts, specifically HRV:

“What all four of these points tell us is that HRV is central to the physiological foundations of compassion and self-compassion.”

And, most critically, HRV can be quickly and sustainably increased with slow breathing, helping you become more compassionate:

“doing the structured, straightforward, and easily accessible HRV training will help you in developing and nurturing your ability to express and act with compassion toward others and self-compassion for yourself.”

Sounds good to me : )

4. Remember this Emotional Toil for 2022

“As far as I can tell, the only thing more difficult than the emotional toil of pursuing true excellence is the emotional toil of not pursuing true excellence.”

- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

Breathing certainly isn’t everything. But, it is the starting point for pursuing true excellence in all aspects of our lives. And we wouldn’t want to live with the emotional toil of not doing that : )

Bonus Thought: My Favorite Books of 2021

“We read books to find out who we are.”

- Ursula K. Le Guin

I read 56 books this year, a new record for me. Here’s a list of them, plus my Top 3 for: Overall, Breathing, and Better Living/Philosophy.

I hope the nuggets of wisdom I have shared from some of these have helped your 2021 be better in some way 🙏

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“We are all journeying through the night with plans, breathing in and out this mysterious life.”

– Tara Brach

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: The Airways

Answer: These are the narrowest passageways air goes through before reaching the alveoli.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What are bronchioles?

In good breath,

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

P.S. & won’t be caught slipping again

 
 
 

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.

 
 

Slow Breathing & High Blood Pressure: What it Means for Diabetes and COVID-19

 
 
 
 

“Trees and plants depend on the weather to flourish but I make my own weather, yea I transport it with me.” - Og Mandino

 
 
 
 
 

Recent reports have shown that high blood pressure is associated with negative outcomes from COVID-19.  

As people with diabetes, we already knew we were at higher risk when it comes to COVID-19. But, anywhere from 40%-80% of diabetics suffer from hypertension. That, on top of our compromised immune systems, is why we have to be more vigilant than ever with our health and well-being.

Thus, keeping our blood pressure under control should be a primary focus during these uncertain times.

A 2019 Meta-Analysis Shows Significant Reductions in Blood Pressure

I say this often, but meta-analyses are my favorite studies to read. They synthesize findings from all of the scientific literature on a particular topic in an easy-to-follow format.  

The one I’m sharing this week looked at slow breathing and blood pressure:

Device and non-device-guided slow breathing to reduce blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine, August 2019

(Click Here To Read The Full Summary)

On average, they found that slow breathing reduced systolic blood pressure by 5.62 mmHg. Slow breathing reduced diastolic blood pressure by 2.67 mmHg.

Additionally, the longer participants practiced, the more significant the reduction in blood pressure. For example, in the studies where subjects practiced slow breathing for more than 200 minutes per week, the average drop in systolic blood pressure was 14 mmHg.

These improvements are significant. Blood pressure reductions of these magnitudes have been shown to reduce the overall risk of cardiovascular death. Obviously, there are no studies explicitly looking at COVID-19 yet. Still, it seems safe to assume that these reductions would be beneficial, especially if you have diabetes.

Breathing as a Complementary Therapy

Slow breathing is not a cure-all. As the name of this journal implies (Complementary Therapies in Medicine), it is complementary, not a replacement. But, slow breathing is free and has no adverse side effects, so why not use it as another way of controlling your blood pressure, stress, and anxiety during these unsettled times?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. When Quarantine is Over.

P.P.S. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the amazing moms out there!