← Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

BITESIZE | The Power of Breath to Transform Your Life | Brian MacKenzie #288

Jun 30, 2022 11m 34s 13 insights
We react to every single situation in life with our breath and we have the power to choose how we respond to any situation by controlling our breath. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart.  Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 113 of the podcast with human performance specialist Brian MacKenzie. In this clip, he explains how we can use the power of our breath to become more present and help counteract the stresses and constant stimulus of modern-day life. Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore   Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/113 Order Dr Chatterjee's new book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version: https://amzn.to/304opgJ US & Canada version: https://amzn.to/3DRxjgp Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Establish a Breath Practice

Make a breath practice the most fundamental thing you do for yourself, as it’s a powerful tool for self-optimization and personal growth.

2. Daily Breath Awareness

Practice being quietly aware and conscious of your breath for 2, 5, or even 10 minutes daily, as this simple practice is profoundly insightful because your breath is connected to everything.

3. Manipulate Breath for State

Learn to manipulate your breath to optimize your state, whether to bring yourself more present or to downshift and relax.

4. See Everything Anew

Choose to approach every experience, even repetitive ones like a workout or job, as if seeing it for the first time, which is a powerful act of learning and self-actualization.

5. Don’t Take Anything Personally

Actively work towards not taking anything personally, understanding that others’ actions are often an exacerbation of their own internal workings, not directed at you.

6. Eliminate Distractions for Focus

To function at your highest level, shut out external distractions and fully immerse yourself in your current environment and conversation, rather than thinking about future tasks.

7. Cultivate Inside-Out Understanding

Shift your focus from external cues (like phones or heart rate monitors) to internal understanding, starting with your breath, to truly grasp how you feel.

8. Use Breath to Halt Stress

When feeling overwhelmed by stress, use your breath to bring yourself back to the present and stop the physiological ramifications of that stress.

9. Develop Breath Control

Cultivate control over your breath to use it as a ‘shield’ against the constant noise and inputs of a busy environment, helping you survive and thrive.

10. Utilize Breath as a Hack

In modern, non-natural environments, employ breathing as a ‘hack’ to manipulate your internal state and listen to your environment, allowing you to be present.

11. Experiment with Breath

Engage in self-exploration by gaining control of your breath, understanding it, and experimenting with how it impacts your mood and state.

12. Dismantle Limiting Beliefs

Actively work to dismantle beliefs that you’ve boxed yourself into, choosing to prioritize learning and seeing things anew over rigid adherence to existing beliefs.

13. Daily Gut Health Support

Consider taking AG1 daily to support digestion and enrich your gut microbiome with beneficial bacteria, as it contains five clinically tested strains shown to increase beneficial bacteria up to tenfold.