Reading Time: 1 min 36 sec

I hope the next 19-ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.

4 THOUGHTS

1. A Universal Way to Reduce Any Stress Reaction

“Every time you breathe out, your heartbeat slows a little. Exhaling taps the brakes on your fight-or-flight response so that your heart rate can’t get dangerously high. That’s why—across hundreds of human cultures and even other species—a long, slow outbreath is a universal way to begin reducing any stress reaction.”
- Martha Beck,
Beyond Anxiety

Nothing to add to this one 👌

2. The Subtle Habit That Keeps Us from Feeling at Ease

“Unfortunately, the pleasure principle also makes it difficult for us to just be. In virtually every moment we’re attempting to adjust our experience, trying to hold on to pleasant moments and avoid unpleasant ones. This makes it very difficult to relax fully and feel at ease or satisfied.”
- Ronald Siegel, PsyD,
The Mindfulness Solution

Definitely guilty here. And while mindfulness doesn’t instantly (or ever completely) fix this, it does make it easier to be with how things are rather than how we wish they would be 🙏

3. Thoughts, Thinking, and Insights

Thoughts: What your mind produces naturally. We can’t stop them; only allow them to arise and go on their own.
Thinking: Engaging with thoughts. This is usually what we mean by “mind wandering,” and it’s where rumination, worry, and anxiety typically pop up.
Insights: Valuable thoughts. They are the spontaneous sparks of wisdom that arise without thinking.

This distinction is one of my favorite parts of my new ebook on Wisdom Meditation. In it, I explore how this simple reframe can significantly enhance how we relate to our meditation practice.

4. There Is No Need to Worry

“If there is a solution, there is no need to worry, and if there is no solution, there is no reason to worry either.”
- Matthieu Ricard,
found in The No-Nonsense Meditation Book

This quote has been said by many different people in different ways, but it’s always a welcome reminder of the futility of worrying.

1 Quote

“Our capacity to control our breathing and to breathe consciously is very beneficial to the brain. That’s why I like breathing meditation so much.””

— Steven Laureys, MD

1 GOOD BOOK

The No-Nonsense Meditation Book by Steven Laureys, MD

This is a great book on the science of meditation (along with many fun anecdotes and practical suggestions). There’s even a whole chapter on breathing 😊

In good breath,

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

P.S. inner applause

Wisdom Meditation: Bridging the Second Gap

Wisdom Meditation is a simple, science-grounded practice designed to change how you actually live. In just 12 minutes a day, it helps you encode wisdom into your nervous system so calm, clarity, and better choices show up in real life.

Learn more here.

Treat Yourself to Less Stress & Better Breathing

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.