subtle breathing — Blog — The Breathing Diabetic

Let’s continue the tradition this year. Here are 22 one-sentence breathing ideas to kick off 2022. Enjoy!

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1. Demonstrations of breathing are small compared with the great thing that is hidden behind them.

(Inspired by a Khalil Gibran Quote)

2. Breathing doesn’t heal you; it gives your body the environment it needs to heal itself.

3. We can be lost in breath, without knowing we have been breathing.

(Inspired by The Things You See Only When You Slow Down)

4. If you know only one breathing method, then you really know none; if you understand one breathing method, then you really know them all.

5. Breathing is the most direct path to practicing philosophy in our lives.

6. If breath is life, then optimal breathing is optimal living.

7. Science is timely; personal experience is timeless.

8. Every method works when used correctly, but no method works for everybody.

9. What one teacher says is essential, another will say is useless.

10. Breathing is a pair of leather shoes for life.

(Idea from The Tibetan Yoga of Breath)

11. The most practical tip for breathing is this: make it quiet and subtle.

12. To breathe in a “quiet and subtle way” takes deliberate practice—effort leads to effortlessness.

13. Breathing may be my 70% solution but only your 20% solution.

14. Breathe less, sometimes more; breathe slow, sometimes fast.

15. We breathe through each nostril separately so they function better together as a whole.

16. Read about breathing but, most importantly, embody that education through practice.

17. Start by starting; one minute is always better than none-minutes.

18. A simple rule for getting started: 40% of your breath should be inhaling, 60% should be exhaling.

19. Holding implies tension and effort; pausing is natural and effortless.

20. Breath and mind are inseparable: This means you can use your breath, to change your mind, to change your breath for the better.

(A play on this line from Neurodharma: “Neurons that fire together, wire together. This means that you can use your mind, to change your brain, to change your mind for the better.”)

21. The goal of a breathing practice is better mindless breathing.

22. The joy of breathwork is breathing.

Listen Instead of Reading

4 Thoughts

1. The Breath Should Enter Very Subtly

“‘Very subtly’ means that when the nose draws in the outside air, it should draw it very subtly so that the ear should not hear it. Being subtle and fine is the gate to life. … The inhalation should, therefore, be done in a subtle and fine way.”
- The Primordial Breath, Volume I

This is always my #1 tip for breathing: make it quiet and subtle. Remember, “Being subtle and fine is the gate to life…”

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Related: How Breathing Boosts Creativity, Why We Sigh, and Where Rumi’s Soul Lives (see #4 and the 1 quote)

2. Effort Leads to Effortless

“It takes a lot of effort for our fitness to appear natural and effortless. But just because it appears effortless does not mean that no effort was made.”
- Haemin Sunim, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down

The same is true for breathing. To breathe in a “subtle and fine way” takes deliberate practice and effort. I’m still working on it. I hope you are too : )

3. Maybe Loud Breathing is OK in Modern Yoga Classes?

I’m clearly a big fan of quiet breathing : ) Traditional yoga practices are too.

However, if you go to a modern group yoga class, you’ll hear a lot of loud breathing. Physiologically, I’ve always thought it was wrong…

But maybe there’s more to that loud breathing than just physiology?

In The Joy of Movement, Kelly McGonigal tells us that loud breathing during yoga is a critical component of social bonding and group flow:

“Studies show that yoga, like dancing, can create social bonds. … The breath becomes the beat that drives the flow of poses, and the sound of the group inhaling and exhaling in unison provides a satisfying sensory feedback.”

Of course, you’re not going to hear me breathing loudly in class now (I’m an introvert, anyways 😂). But let’s not overlook the social and emotional bonding that it might bring. Perhaps they are most critical in today’s world.

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P.S. Maybe we even naturally began loud breathing during group yoga classes out of a deep yearning for more social connection? Just a thought…

4. Smiling and Breathing, Part II

“Stop. Take three deep breaths and smile everywhere in your body, observing what’s happening in your body. Proceed now with kindness and understanding.”
- Deepak Chopra

To complement last week’s thought on smiling, I was searching for info on the Buddha’s half-smile, when I stumbled across this quote.

At first, it might seem cliché. But, like most great teachers, Deepak simply distilled the science of smiling and breathing into a practical exercise.

Remember what we learned last week:

The act of smiling makes you happier.

Slow deep breathing makes you happier.

So set your breathing timer, put a slight smile on your face (Buddha-style), and “proceed with kindness and understanding.”

1 QUOTE

“Can it really be so simple? Just breathing deeply? Is that it? The answer, friends, is yes.”
- Wim Hof

1 ANSWER

Category: Breathing 101

Answer: This is the volume of air remaining in the lungs after a maximum forceful exhale.

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(Cue the Jeopardy! music.)

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Question: What is residual volume?

In good breath,

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

P.S. which I’m about to elaborate on

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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.