smell

Wim Hof vs. Slow Breathing, and How to Start Something Meaningful

 
 

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4 Thoughts


1. How to Start Something Meaningful (hint: exhale)

“If you watch anyone on the verge of starting something that matters, you'll see them settle into the moment by taking a deep breath in and exhaling….It's the body rolling up its metaphorical sleeves and saying, ‘Okay.  It’s time. Let’s do this thing.’”*

- Michael Bungay Stanier, How to Begin

Starting something meaningful this year? Or just sending an important email or text? Roll up those metaphorical sleeves by taking a deep and relaxed breath in, and a relaxed and slightly longer breath out. “Let’s do this thing.”

2. Build Your Best Breathwork Practice

“You don’t have to build the habits everyone tells you to build. Choose the habit that best suits you, not the one that is most popular.”

- James Clear, Atomic Habits

Similarly:

You don’t have to use a breathing technique everyone tells you to use. Choose a method that best suits you, not the one that is most popular.

***

P.S. The next thought shows you why—two different methods, similar results.

3. Wim Hof “vs.” Slow Breathing, Part I: Indirect Comparison for Chronic Inflammation

A 2019 study looked at the full Wim Hof Method (breathing, cold, and meditation) in people with axial spondyloarthritis. They found that it reduced chronic inflammation, concluding:

“…our results are indicative that voluntary modulation of the immune response may not only be possible in acute inflammatory response due to microbial stimulation but also in chronic inflammation related to immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.”

A 2021 systematic review examined HRVB (aka slow breathing) in people with various chronic illnesses. They found evidence that there is an inverse relationship between inflammation and vagal nerve activity:

“…an increase in efferent vagal activity could suppress pro-inflammatory factors suggesting possible anti-inflammatory effects of HRVB.”

The point? Two wildly different approaches, two somewhat similar outcomes. It brings to mind the Chinese proverb, “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same.” Choose which path is right for you.

***

P.S. I put quotations around “vs” because there’s no competition in breathing 😊Also, the word “indirect” in the title is critical. I’m being simplistic here and comparing apples to oranges, but I think the overall message is still helpful.

4. Operationalize Your Breathing Practice

“To make operational. To make ready for ‘live’ or ‘kinetic’ action.”

- Steven Pressfield

That’s Pressfield’s definition of “operationalize,” and it’s exactly what we need to do with our breathing. Make it ready for live action—for real life.

Of course, let’s use our practice as an escape into calmness, but let’s also remember to operationalize it so it’s useful in our everyday lives.

***

P.S. Everyday examples of how I operationalize breathing in my life:

  • Slow breathing while walking the dog.

  • Various slow and fast methods when I’m out surfing.

  • Slow, long exhales when my daughter throws a tantrum.

  • I’m not always successful with these, especially the last one : )

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

“Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can only be done by projecting the ethic of love to the center of our lives.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Category: Nose and Smell

Answer: Cells responsible for scent regenerate this frequently.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is 30-60 days?

In good breath,

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

P.S. when your only friend is busy

 
 
 

* 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.

 
 

Box Breathing for Stress, and the Ancients’ Code to Becoming a Hero

 
 

Listen Instead of Reading

 

This week, you'll learn that breathing is only part of the solution, along with the ancient (and quite unexpected) secret to becoming a hero.

Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 Thoughts


1. Breathing as the XX% Solution

“Consider what life would be like if we gave up the idea of healthy or sick, zero versus one, and replaced it with the idea of multiple continuum. One minute, for example, we might score 60% on one health dimension, 30% on another, and perhaps 85% on yet a third. How would that change our lived experience?”

- Dr. Ellen Langer, Counterclockwise

I love this idea from Dr. Langer. It encourages us to forget “all or nothing” approaches and instead consider everything on a continuum. This perspective also provides a new way of finding solutions to our health problems.

Let’s say I only sleep 5 hours a night. Then, I start mouth taping and begin sleeping 6.5. That’s a 30% improvement. But let’s say you’re already sleeping 7 hours, and mouth tape gets you to 7.5. That’s only a 7% increase. But, that 7% might be all you need to feel your absolute best.

The point is that we’re all unique, and we’re all on different spots on the health continuum. My 80% solution might be your 30% one, and vice-versa.

So, instead of wondering what breathing (or the latest diet, the sauna, etc.) can fix for you, perhaps consider what percentage of the solution it is. “How would that change your lived experience?”

***

Related Quote: “The people I distrust most are those who want to improve our lives but have only one course of action.” - Frank Herbert

2. Test Like a Pro

“You may feel your anxiety turning to panic. … To tackle this, watch your breathing. Just before you might go into panic mode, put your hand on your belly and try to draw air so deeply into your lungs that your hand moves up and down. This deep breathing can allow you to grow calmer and steadier.”

- Dr. Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe, Learn Like a Pro

Last week, we discovered that to learn like a pro, we need to sleep like a pro. This week, Dr. Oakley and Olav Schewe give us their advice for testing like a pro: slow deep breathing.

This technique isn’t just for school tests, either. This is for any big event you’re facing. Of course, sometimes anxiety is good (see Kelly McGonigal’s amazing book, The Upside of Stress). But, in moments when you’re panicking, and it’s hampering your performance, here’s the perfect trick.

Place one hand on your belly and use your breathing to make it move. This activates the calming parasympathetic nervous system, helping you relax and gain mental focus. It’s free, available anytime, anywhere.

Here’s to approaching whatever tests life throws at us like pros, today.

***

Related: A better state-of-mind: deep breathing reduces state anxiety and enhances test performance through regulating test cognitions in children (Check out the last two sentences of the abstract)

Related: This 2-Minute Breathing Exercise Can Help You Make Better Decisions, According to a New Study

3. From the Cleveland Clinic: “How Box Breathing Can Help You Destress”

“Box breathing’s simplicity is its greatest strength”

- Melissa Young, MD, How Box Breathing Can Help You Destress

The Cleveland Clinic is one of the most respected hospitals and research centers worldwide. So, it was awesome to see them release an article on box breathing this past week.

It’s a quick yet comprehensive guide on box breathing. Enjoy!

4. The Ancients’ Secret to Becoming a Hero (it’s not what you might think)

“True heroism, as the ancients understood, isn’t about strength, or boldness, or even courage. It’s about compassion.”

- Christopher McDougall, Natural Born Heroes

Heroes are compassionate. In fact, the word hero itself actually means “protector” in Greek, not “strength” or “courage.” That’s why we call our parents, big brothers and sisters, military, police, firefighters, doctors, nurses, and especially our dogs, heroes. They protect us.

And these heroes don’t just rely on boldness or brute strength, like movies and the news might make us believe. They rely on empathy and compassion for those they are protecting. As McDougall puts it:

“Empathy, the Greeks believed, was a source of strength, not softness; the more you recognized yourself in others and connected with their distress, the more endurance, wisdom, cunning, and determination you could tap into.”

Thus, we can all be heroes because we can all develop these traits. Sitting and breathing, meditating, or doing some yoga will increase your compassion and awareness for yourself and those around you. That’s how heroes are made.

So who can you show compassion and empathy for this week? You might just become their hero.

 
 
 
 

1 Quote

“In a crunch situation, I recommend you collapse your concentration to your breathing while maintaining relaxed awareness of the surroundings. Breathing deeply will greatly reduce the stress, slow your heart rate, and bring your nervous system back into balance.”

- Mark Divine, Retired Navy SEAL Commander

 
 
 
 

1 Answer

Category: Word Etymology

Answer: The word “breath” is derived from the Old English “brǣth,” which has this meaning.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is ‘smell or scent’?

P.S. Thus, the word breath itself is related to the nose : )

In good breath,

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

P.S. wow, respect to these teen parents

 
 
 

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.

 
 

Wim Hof in One Sentence, and A Calming Breath

 

Greetings everyone,

Here are four thoughts, one quote, and one answer for you to ponder this week.

Enjoy!

 
 
 
 

4 THOUGHTS

1. 20 One-Sentence Thoughts on the Wim Hof Method

"Wim Hof breathing doesn’t help with the cold; your belief that it helps with the cold is what helps with the cold."

The Wim Hof Method. For some, it’s easy to point out its flaws. For others, it’s hard to deny its power. But one thing is certain: it’s confusing as hell for just about everyone.

In this post, I share 20 one-sentence thoughts about the WHM. You might still be confused, but at least we can be confused together : )

2. Why Nose Breathing Might Be Especially Important for Diabetics

We have recently learned that inhaled NO is transported systemically throughout the body (a paradigm shift in breathing science). Specifically, we discovered that:

Both of these findings are particularly important for diabetes. For example, people with diabetes suffer from reduced endothelial-derived NO and reduced blood flow. Diabetics also have a tendency to store less NO as SNO-Hb.

Collectively, these papers suggest that inhaled NO might be essential for people with diabetes, providing support that diabetics should be breathing nasally 24/7.

Ultimately, it will require better blood sugars to fix the issues with NO metabolism in diabetes. But breathing might also help here, as it both improves glucose control and helps reverse the harmful effects of high blood sugars.

3. How Breathing Can Calm Us - A Perfect Read

"Instead of trying to think yourself out of feeling anxious, you can do something concrete — breathe slow or fast, in a particular rhythm, or through one nostril — and sometimes find immediate relief." - Feeling anxious? The way you breathe could be adding to it

This TED/UC Berkeley article is a gem. It will be my new go-to for people interested in the calming effects of breathing. Enjoy the excellent read.

4. Breathing is Practical Idealism

"Mahatma Gandhi called this “practical idealism,” which means that it can be practiced in every aspect of life. It doesn’t call so much for great acts of heroism as for a continuing, persistent effort to transform ill will into good will, self-interest into compassion.” – Your Life is Your Message

Breathing is a form of "practical idealism." It’s idyllic in that we can talk about how "breath is life" or how it’s our body’s most important function.

But it’s practical in that it can be used by anyone, anytime, anywhere. It doesn’t call for huge acts, just simple changes like using your nose, slowing down your breath, and extending your exhales.

And, quite literally, it can transform "ill will into good will, self-interest into compassion." Not in some woo-woo way, but in a concrete way, by stimulating the vagus nerve and shifting dominance to your parasympathetic (calming) system.

 
 
 
 

1 QUOTE

"Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

 
 
 
 

1 ANSWER

Answer: Of the five senses, this is our oldest.

…

(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

…

Question: What is smell?

In good breath,
Nick

P.S. They just show up