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I hope the next 23’ish breaths are the most nourishing of your day.
4 THOUGHTS
1. Slow Breathing Syncs Respiration, Brain, and Heart
“Here, we show for the first time, that decelerated breathing at a rate of 6 cycles/minute has a strong influence on the slow cortical potentials (SCPs) of the brain. At this rate a maximum synchrony between breathing, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (heart rate variability), and the SCPs occur.”
SCPs are shifts in electrical brain activity that reflect its baseline excitability. This study showed that slow breathing quickly influenced SCPs, bringing them into sync with our respiration and heart rhythm. It’s another neat example of how our breathing rate can harmonize many of our body’s systems.
2. The Rhythm of the Mind
“Another change which takes place in deepening meditation is the slowing down of the breathing rhythm. According to the great mystics, especially in Hinduism and Buddhism, the breathing rhythm is closely connected with the rhythm of the mind. We know, for example, that as we are getting angry, the rhythm of the mind changes…our breathing becomes stertorous.”
– Eknath Easwaran, The Bhagavad Gita fro Daily Living
That passage is a perfect follow-up to our previous thought. It shows that while science reveals the mechanisms (things like SCPs, breath-brain harmony, and others), ancient wisdom reveals the practical meaning. Both views support the path to a meaningful life 👏
3. Being Inspired by the Spirit
“If we would be inspired by the Spirit at all times and in all places, we must first let it inspire us at set times and in set places. This is one justification of meditation. For all inspiration rises out of the inward deeps of our nature. We cannot compel it, but we can invite it.”
- Paul Brunton, Instructions for Spiritual Living
What better way to (literally and metaphorically) be “inspired by the Spirit” at set times and in set places than through a regular breath or meditation practice? With time, patience, and consistency, this “planned inspiration” begins flowing at all times and in all places 🙏
4. Did the Fall Hurt You?
“There’s the story of Paddy, who fell off the scaffolding and got a good bump. They asked, ‘Did the fall hurt you, Paddy?’ And he said, ‘No, it was the stop that hurt, not the fall.’”
– Anthony de Mello, Awareness
1 Quote
“When your intentions are clear and strong, the appropriate actions naturally follow.””
1 GOOD BOOK
The Mind Illuminated by John Yates, Ph.D., Matthew Immergut, Ph.D., and Jeremy Graves
This is an incredible book on the stages of meditation. I absolutely loved the first half or so…after that, a lot of it was beyond my understanding (simply because I haven’t progressed that far in my practice). However, I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the mind and its transformations through meditation.
In good breath,
Nick Heath, T1D, PhD
“Breathing is the compound interest of health & wellness.”
Enjoy these posts? Donate to say thanks!
P.S. we all can dream
The Breathing App for Diabetes
This is the first program specifically made for people with diabetes to help manage their stress through breathing and mindfulness practices. In addition to the amazing program inside the app, we have some really neat things coming up, so sign up now!
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.
