The Lost Art of Breathing
Book Source: Breath by James Nestor
Notes
- Complex & not binary
- Unconsciously = survival
- Consciously = durability, strength, extension, mindful, longevity, rejuvenate
- The ability to breathe correctly can heal and prevent a lot of life ailments (asthma, snoring, autoimmune disease, scoliosis, etc.)
- Avoid chronic mouthbreathing: Shut your mouth, breathe through your nose: the body is not designed to process raw air for hours at a time, day or night
Highlights
-
Consciously controlling breathing can significantly influence our nervous system function, sleep quality, heartbeat, and blood flow. [pg. 44]
-
In a single breath, more molecules of air will pass through your nose than all the grains of sand of all the world's beaches-- trillions and trillions of them. [pg. 44]
-
Breathing is a power switch to a vast network called the autonomic nervous system - two sections of this system:
(1) Parasympathetic: stimulates relaxation and restoration
(2) Sympathetic: stimulates signals to organs, telling them to get ready for action. heart rate increases, adrenaline kicks in, blood vessels constrict, pupils dilate, palms sweat, mind sharpens. it helps eases pain.
counterintuitive to be in extended state of extreme sympathetic stress
-
Some of us may be genetically predisposed toward one disease or another, that doesn't mean we're predestined to get these conditions. Genes can be turned off just as they can be turned on. What switches them are inputs in the environment. Improving diet and exercise and removing toxins and stressors from the home and workplace have a profound and lasting effect on the prevention and treatment of the majority of modern chronic diseases. [pg. 205]
-
The human body has evolved to be able to breathe through two channels for a reason. It increases our chances of survival. Should the nose get obstructed, the mouth becomes a backup ventilation system. The few grasping breaths Stephen Curry takes before dunking a basketball, or a sick kid huffs when he has a fever, or you take in when you're laughing with your friends--this temporary mouthbreathing will have no long-term effects on health.
Actionable
- Breathe through the nose -> inhale 5.5 seconds, exhale 5.5 seconds == 5.5 breaths a minute for 5.5 liters of air
Feels
"All living organisms are but leaves on the same tree of life - The various functions of plants and animals and their specialized organs are manifestations of the same living matter" -Albert Szent-Gyorgyi