pranayama

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Free 5-day Course, an Inspiring Study, and the Heart of Life

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4 Thoughts



1. Yoga Breathing Helps Cancer Chemotherapy Symptoms (+ free science 411)

“Pranayama may be helpful for improving sleep disturbance, anxiety, and mental QOL [quality of life] among patients undergoing chemotherapy.”

- Dhruva et al. (2012)

This is an inspiring pilot RCT that found that a simple breathing practice can help reduce the harmful side effects of chemotherapy.

The study wasn’t perfect and pranayama didn’t magically solve all their problems. But it helped. That’s all we can hope for.

I’ve also made the Science 411 on this paper free for everyone 🙏

***

P.S. Some of you may know that I lost my sister to cancer. I remember how hard chemo was for her. So—even as someone obsessed with breathing—it’s difficult to review a study suggesting that patients should “just breathe,” and it will help. But this study was done over 1 year, and the classes had almost 100% attendance, making me believe the patients found it valuable, which matters the most.

2. Breathing is the Heart of All Life

“In addition, the mental component of breath is a sense of rhythmic expansion and contraction, and I think that connects us to every other living thing because all living organisms breathe. So that same rhythm is at the center of the heart of all life.”

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

Just an elegant reminder that breathing connects us to all living things. It’s the heart of all life 🌎

3. Optimal Mouth Posture at Rest

“The correct oral posture, the one that appears most conducive to jaw development, is (when not speaking or eating) holding the mouth closed with teeth in light contact and the tongue resting on the roof of the mouth.”

- Sandra Kahn and Paul Erhlich, Jaws

I struggle following these guidelines all day, but here is the most succinct description I’ve found on optimal mouth posture at rest.

Maybe it will inspire you to notice your mouth posture more today 🙏

4. It’s Not the Highs; It’s Who You Become

“It's not the highs along the way that matter. It's who you become.”

- Daniel Goleman & Richard Davidson, Altered Traits

 

That’s a perfect rule of thumb for any contemplative practice (like breathing).  Experiencing highs & improving biomarkers of health and wellness is meaningful, but it’s who you become that matters most.

Free 5-Day Email Course on Becoming a Breathing Generalist

Sign Up for Free Here.

Day 1: The Four Paths of a Generalist

Day 2: How to Read Books Efficiently

Day 3: How to Find Science Papers Worth Reading

Day 4: How to Decide Which Books and Papers to Read

Day 5: Become More You, Become Irreplaceable

1 Quote

“If you would foster a calm spirit, first regulate your breathing; for when that is under control, the heart will be at peace; but when breathing is spasmodic, then it will be troubled.””
— Kariba Ekken

1 Answer

Category: Breathing and Brain

Answer: This neural network is critical to generating breathing rhythm.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is the Pre-Bötzinger complex?

In good breath,

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


P.S. Google Maps every time

* 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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Each Monday, I curate and synthesize information from scientific journals, books, articles, and podcasts to share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy!") related to breathing. It’s a fun way to learn something new each week.

 
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Effective Non-Breathing Tool, Equanimity, and an 8 Breath Protocol

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If You Have Diabetes…

Would you mind taking a quick survey? I try to avoid stuff like this, but it will genuinely help me with a project I’m a part of. Thank you!

 

4 Thoughts



1. The Perfect Word for How You Feel from a Breathing Practice

“Equanimity is neither apathy nor indifference: you are warmly engaged with the world but not troubled by it. Through its nonreactivity, it creates a great space for compassion, loving kindness, and joy at the good fortune of others.”

- Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Buddha’s Brain

Equanimity. That’s the perfect word to describe what you get from a breathing practice. It’s what you feel immediately after a session, and it’s a state that gradually becomes a bigger part of who you are.

So here’s to experiencing a little more of it, today.

***

P.S. Of course, I’m nowhere near a permanent state of equanimity (just ask my wife 😂), but it has certainly become more a part of me than it was before.

2. Breathing Got the Best Feedback (+ Dr. Weil’s 8 Breath Protocol)

“Over the years, I would say that of all the techniques that I recommended to people for improving health, the single technique that I get most feedback about in a positive way is the breathwork that I'm going to teach you in this program.”

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

That’s an insanely powerful statement when you consider how many people Dr. Weil has helped and all the tools he has at his disposal.

And here were three exercises he taught in the program that stood out the most:

  1. Breath Awareness: “The very simplest form of breathwork is doing nothing other than paying attention to your breath.”

  2. The Relaxing Breath: This is the infamous 4-7-8 breath. Watch a video demonstration here.

  3. The Stimulating Breath: This is the bellows breath. Watch a video demonstration here.

As a bare minimum, Dr. Weil recommends four rounds of the 4-7-8 breath twice daily. That’s 8 breaths. It doesn’t get any simpler than that, folks. 👏

3. One of the Most Helpful Non-breathing Things I Learned in PTT

Close your eyes and rub your palms together vigorously for a few seconds to create heat. Then, place them over your eyes.

Do it anytime, but especially at the end of a breathing practice. It’s amazing.

***

P.S. This wasn’t really part of the pranayama teacher training (PTT), just a side note that I found unbelievably helpful. If you’re interested in pranayama, I wholeheartedly recommend Eddie and Robert’s training.

4. My Twice-Yearly Rant (with helpful tools, at least)

I’m pretty laidback 99% of the time (equanimity for the win). But nothing frustrates me more than the time change—even the good one, like yesterday.

But instead of ranting like I normally do on how awful the whole idea is, let’s focus on something we can do to support our sleep: yoga nidra.

Here are a few tracks you might find helpful for better sleep or midday resets:

1 Quote

“Since earliest history, virtually every major psychospiritual system seeking to comprehend human nature has viewed breath as a crucial link between the material world, the human body, the psyche, and the spirit.”
— Stanislav & Christina Grof
 

1 Answer

Category: The Airways

Answer: This portion of the upper airways is part of both the digestive and respiratory systems because it carries both food and air.

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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is the pharynx?

In good breath,

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

P.S. An undeniably valid concern/question

Breathing for Diabetes Online Course ($99):

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

 
 

* An asterisk by a quote indicates that I listened to this book on Audible. Therefore, the quotation might not be correct, but is my best attempt at reproducing the punctuation based on the narrator’s pace, tone, and pauses.

Sign Up For The Breathing 411

Each Monday, I curate and synthesize information from scientific journals, books, articles, and podcasts to share 4 thoughts, 1 quote, and 1 answer (like "Jeopardy!") related to breathing. It’s a fun way to learn something new each week.

 
 
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Yoga vs. Prozac, Deep Insight, and 4 Breaths for a Better Heart

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4 Thoughts



1. Why 6 Breaths/Min Improves Heart Health & Quality of Life in Diabetes

I never get tired of talking about slow breathing : )

So, here’s a longer blog about the benefits for heart health & diabetes:

Why 6 Breaths/Min Improves Heart Health & Quality of Life in Diabetes

It’s framed around diabetes, but, of course, it really applies to anyone.

4 Breathing Exercises to Improve Your Heart Health and Extend Life Span

While we’re at it, here’s another guest blog for ResBiotic outlining 4 breathing exercises you can do for a better heart. Two are slow breathing, and 2 are not.

Enjoy!

2. Why Breath Holds Are Mental Resiliency Training

When we’re in a stressful event, we can use our breath to help us cope.

But when lack of breath is the stressful event, we must use our minds.

3. Insight: Just Help Them To Do What Nature Provided Us With

I’m taking pranayama teacher training with Eddie Stern and Robert Moses.

In their exercises script, they (somewhat offhandedly) threw in this deeply insightful message:

“We want to teach people to breathe better so it makes their lives better in whatever way they need their life to improve—we don’t always know what that is (even for ourselves) so we do not want to impose things upon them, just help them to do what nature provided us with better.” (my emphasis)

That is perhaps the best statement ever made about breathing and how it should be used & taught. It’s almost as if they’ve been doing this for a while…

4. Yoga and Breathing Exercises, or Prozac and Zoloft?

“Deep breathing is a potent inducer of the parasympathetic nervous system. The release of acetylcholine not only calms our organs, it also stimulates the release of serotonin, dopamine, and prolactin, the feel-good hormones targeted by medicines like Prozac and Zoloft. But yoga and breathing exercises produce this effect naturally and without side effects.”

- Michael J Stephen, MD, Breath Taking

Sounds good to me : )


1 QUOTE

“We must endeavor with all our resources and strength to become capable of doctoring ourselves.”
— Marcus Tullius Cicero
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Vagus Nerve

Answer: This organ receives the greatest supply of nerves from the vagus nerve, helping explain why deep breathing is so relaxing.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is the diaphragm?

In good breath,

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

P.S. a hero of our time

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

 
 

🎧 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. 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 😁).

***

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.

 
 

The 5 Exhales, Spirit, and How One Word Makes Breath Holds Easier

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. The 5 Exhales of Slow Breathing

Here are 5 different exhales you can try during your slow breathing practice. Give them a shot and see which one brings you the most relaxation.

  1. Nasal exhale

  2. Audible pursed-lips (like blowing out birthday candles)

  3. Barely audible pursed-lips (like blowing on hot soup)

  4. Ujjayi

  5. Humming

I do a mix of these depending on how I’m feeling, but my defaults are 1 and 3.

2. How Changing One Word Makes Breath Holds Easier

Instead of saying “hold” your breath, use (or think) the word “pause.”

Holding implies tension and effort. Pausing is natural and effortless.

It’s a subtle change, but it can make a significant difference.

***

P.S. This idea was inspired by Eddie Stern’s Pranayama Week. He used the word “pause” instead of hold several times, and I found it brilliant.

3. Why Mindless Breathing is Good, Part II

“We now know that somewhere between 40% and 80% of what we do is done automatically … This is the exact strategy the brain uses to conserve energy, but especially if we've got the wrong habits, it can wreak havoc on our lives.”

- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

Coming back to last week’s thought on mindless breathing, here’s another way of looking at it: 40-80%(!) of what we do is automatic. And with breathing, it’s probably 96-99%, depending on how much you practice.

But this isn’t a bad thing—it’s actually a blessing we can put to good use.

If we’re diligent and consistent with our precious gift of breath control, a mindful 1-4% investment can pay dividends on the other unmindful 96+%.

Which comes back to the main point: The goal of mindful breathing is to improve our mindless breathing.

4. A Beautiful Message and NOSEvember

“Breathwork is life changing. Whether reducing stress, controlling or eliminating disease symptoms, improving sleep, or even being a better person at work and at home. I truly believe that the breath is the key to unlocking our bodies abilities to heal themselves and perform at optimal capacity.”

- Dr. Tanya Bentley, HHPF Co-Founder & CEO

A beautiful message from a beautiful human being. Check out NOSEvember and consider supporting HHPF’s phenomenal mission. 🙏

 
 

Extra Thought (minus the bi-annual rant)

We just had another time change. I’ll spare you my normal rant on how almost every sleep scientist on the planet thinks it’s awful to change the time twice a year. But alas, we still do it : )

And if you’ve read this a while, you know I decided to ignore the time change when we “sprung forward” in March (be the change you want to see style). I loved it, and I plan on doing the same again with this one, if life allows…

 
 

1 QUOTE

“It means that breath is the root of the essence and of the soul, the life source and the ruler of the spirit.”

- The Primordial Breath, Volume I

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Exhalation and Nasal Nitric Oxide

Answer: This exhalation technique can increase nasal nitric oxide by as much as 15-fold.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is humming?

In good breath,

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

P.S. The true test of longevity

 
 
 

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.

 
 

Why Mindless Breathing is Good, and a 5-10 sec Boost to Any Breathwork

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. A 5-10 Second Boost for Any Breathing Practice

Here’s a quick way to improve any breathing practice you do: Take 5-10 seconds to notice how you feel afterward.

Sounds pretty freakin obvious, right? But as someone who’s always in a rush to get to the “next thing,” this has truly worked wonders for me. Here’s what I do:

  1. Slow breathing practice

  2. 5-10 seconds observing the effects

  3. Celebration (see #2 last week)

Give it a try and see how you feel—pun intended : )

2. Why Mindless Breathing is a Good Thing

“The autonomic nervous system regulates our survival functions. These happen within us automatically without our having to think about them. … If not for this amazing system, we could not live.”

- Eddie Stern, One Simple Thing

When we start talking about all of the amazing, automatic things our bodies do to keep us alive, I immediately think of mindless breathing.

In fact, I think the goal of breathwork is better mindless breathing.

We consciously use our nose, slow down our exhales, and so on so that it comes naturally when we’re not thinking about it. That’s when the magic happens.

So let’s use this gift of breath control and train ferociously so that we optimize the other 20,000+ unmindful breaths we take each day.

***

Related: Pilot Your Breathing: The Unexpected Goal of a Breathing Practice

P.S. Speaking of breath training, last week I took 3 days of Eddie’s Pranayama Week. It was a nice blend of slow, fast, and alternate nostril breathing, along with breath holds. Highly recommend it.

3. Personality Doesn’t Scale, but Breathing Does

“Personality doesn’t scale.  Biology, on the other hand, scales.  It is the very thing designed by evolution to work for everyone.”

- Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

This is why breathing helps everyone. Breathing is biology. It’s “the very thing designed by evolution to work for everyone.”

So don’t let personality (that is, individual methods) get in the way. Use principles, and do what breathing method is suitable for you, where you are.

Personality doesn’t scale. Breathing does.

***

Related Quote: “What we mean is, in the field of peak performance, too often, someone figures out what works for them and then assumes it will work for others. It rarely does. More often, it backfires.” - Steven Kotler, The Art of Impossible

4. How to Resist Old Age

“To resist the frigidity of old age one must combine the body, the mind and the heart - and to keep them in parallel vigor one must exercise, study and love.”

- Karl von Bonstetten

And breathe slow, sometimes fast : )

***

Related: How to Breathe to Live Longer

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Be devoted to the breath and renounce everything else.”

- Eugene Cash, quote from Neurodharma

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: The First Day of Nosevember

Answer: The roof of the mouth is actually the floor of this.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is the nasal cavity?

Extras and Free Breathing This Week

I haven’t had a bonus section in a while, so there’s lots to share : )

I. Free Breathwrk for 6 Months 🙏

The genuinely awesome people at Breathwrk are sharing 6 months of the Pro version of their app with 411 readers for free. I use the app habitually, so it’s crazy that they’re willing to give it away here 🤯

Here are the breaths I use regularly:

  • High Altitude - The 1:28 or 3:40 setting, and I do it walking.

  • No Worries - The 4:32 setting, post-lunch.

  • Deep Relaxation - The 5:00 setting, before bed.

If you don’t have a regular breathing practice, now you have no excuses : )

Get 6 Free Months of Breathwrk Here

II. Performance Through Health Podcast

Martin is an inspiration to me and a true mixed breathing artist (check out his shared case study a while back). Honored to be a guest on his show.

Episode 54 – Talking Breathwork, Biohacking and Health Tracking Tools with The Breathing Diabetic

III. Unspoken Nutrition

Neeyaz and Sami are warm people you immediately bond with. I love Neeyaz’s holistic approach to wellness and I am honored they had me as a guest.

Respiratory Health & Importance of the Breath with Nicholas Heath


In good breath,

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

P.S. Literally my dream job… — no jokes with this one : )

 
 
 

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.