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This Daily Breathing Technique Will Transform Your Body & Mind | James Nestor Re-Release #268

May 7, 2022 1h 59m 31 insights
In today’s episode, we’re revisiting one of our most popular episodes with James Nestor. Breathwork is where my personal and professional interests collide. How we breathe affects every body system we have and I’m excited to welcome James Nestor, science journalist and author of the book Breath, which explores the data behind this ancient, but some might say lost, art. And yes, it is an art. As we discuss, it doesn’t matter whether you follow a new or ancient technique to harness the potential of your breath, the principles are the same. What I love about James’ approach is he has no agenda to push. He hasn’t developed his own breathing technique, theory or product. He’s a journalist with an enquiring, sceptical mind. By his own admission, he came from a place where – like many of you, perhaps – he thought, ‘What’s all the fuss about breathing? It’s automatic, it’s easy, our bodies know what they’re doing’. But do they really? During this conversation, we cover some of the fascinating – objective – insights James has uncovered in his research. He explains the benefits of nasal breathing, the importance of masticating and how diet affects the skeletal development of our children’s mouths. James reveals how learning to chew more, chewing on one side and using mouth tape at night has changed the structure of his own mouth. His airways – and his wellbeing – have never been better. We discuss the long list of conditions breathing may improve; how athletes can benefit. And James reveals the therapeutic process behind some ‘super breathing’ techniques. Whether you’re already practising breathwork, you’re curious or yet to be convinced, James has a no-nonsense, rigorous approach we can all take something from. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! Thanks to our
Actionable Insights

1. Prioritize Correct Breathing for Health

Prioritize breathing correctly, as it is fundamental to health, even more so than diet and exercise, for achieving true well-being.

2. Establish Foundational Breathing Habits

Consistently breathe through your nose, exhale more, breathe less frequently, and breathe slowly to establish a foundational practice for universal health benefits.

3. Cultivate Breathing Awareness

Cultivate consciousness of your breathing, recognizing it as a controllable function rather than an automatic background process, to begin improving your health.

4. Practice Nasal Breathing for Sleep

Prioritize nasal breathing during sleep (a third of your life) to protect your lungs, prevent loosening of throat tissues, and reduce snoring and sleep apnea.

5. Maximize Oxygen with Nasal Breathing

Always breathe through your nose to humidify, pressurize, filter, and condition air, allowing for 20% more efficient oxygen absorption in the lungs and protecting them from environmental elements.

6. Optimize Breathing Rate (4-8 Breaths/Min)

Aim for an optimal breathing rate of 4-8 breaths per minute, as this range promotes coherence in bodily systems, improves blood pressure, circulation, and autonomic nervous system function.

7. Integrate Healthy Breathing Daily

Integrate healthy breathing habits into daily activities, such as sitting, watching TV, or walking, as these simple changes can profoundly transform your health.

8. Control Immune System via Breath

Engage in breathing practices to gain control over your nervous system, which in turn can influence and improve your immune system functions.

9. Manage Anxiety and Depression with Breath

Incorporate a few minutes of slow, healthy breathing daily to help manage anxiety, depression, bulimia, and anorexia by calming the body and reducing stress.

10. Enhance Vagus Nerve Connectivity

Improve vagus nerve connectivity through specific breathing and calming practices to enhance communication between organs and the brain, potentially resolving various physical and mental health issues.

11. Abate Panic Attacks by Slowing Breath

If prone to panic attacks, practice slowing down your breathing to increase CO2 levels, which can help abate an impending attack.

12. Combat “Email Apnea” at Work

Be aware of “email apnea” (holding breath or dysfunctional breathing while working) and consciously remind yourself to breathe regularly and calmly throughout the workday to prevent stress and fatigue.

13. Never Outwork Your Breath

During physical activity, ensure you can maintain correct breathing (preferably nasal breathing); if you find yourself breathing dysfunctionally, slow down and gradually build back up.

14. Recognize Biological Roots of Fear

Recognize that fear and anxiety can stem from physiological states, not just external events, and use breathing techniques to alter your internal biology and reduce these feelings.

15. Chew More for Jaw Development

Incorporate tougher, natural foods into your diet and chew more to support proper skeletal development of the mouth and jaw, which can improve airway health.

16. Chew One Side for Relaxation

Chew specifically on one side of your mouth to tone your airway, develop your face, and stimulate a parasympathetic (relaxation) response, aiding digestion and bone growth.

17. Use Mouth Tape for Nasal Sleep

Use a small piece of tape on your lips at night to train your mouth shut, promoting nasal breathing during sleep, which can reduce snoring and sleep apnea and increase oxygen intake.

18. Improve Digestion with Pre-Meal Breathing

Practice calm, relaxed breathing for a couple of minutes before meals to improve digestion and reduce adverse reactions to food, especially if you experience gut issues.

19. Utilize Transition Times for Calm

Utilize transition times (e.g., before meals, between work and home) for short breathing practices (e.g., 2 minutes of nasal breathing) to shift your body into a relaxed state, improving digestion and overall well-being.

20. Alleviate Cold Extremities with Slow Breath

Alleviate cold hands and toes by slowing your breathing to 6-8 breaths per minute, which can increase circulation and warm the body.

21. Avoid Over-Breathing at Rest

Avoid over-breathing at rest (e.g., 18 breaths per minute), as it causes unnecessary wear and tear on cardiovascular and respiratory systems, increases stress, and negatively impacts overall health.

22. Embrace Pre-Meal Gratitude

Adopt the practice of grace or gratitude before meals, taking a moment to sit calmly and be thankful, as this can scientifically prepare your body for better digestion.

23. Breathing for Athletic Performance

Implement nasal breathing during exercise to enhance athletic performance, achieve a lower heart rate, and improve recovery by increasing oxygen efficiency.

24. Explore Conscious Over-Breathing Practices

Explore conscious over-breathing practices, like the Wim Hof method or TUMO, to purposely stress your body for short periods, which can help regain balance, control your autonomic nervous system, and potentially reduce symptoms of autoimmune diseases.

25. Consider Baby-Led Weaning

Consider baby-led weaning for infants to encourage proper masticatory stress and facial development, rather than relying on soft, processed baby foods.

26. Remodel Facial Bones at Any Age

Understand that facial bones, particularly the maxilla, can be remodeled at any age through practices like specific chewing exercises or palate expansion, which can improve airway size.

27. Breathing as Untapped Human Potential

Recognize breathing as an untapped potential for dramatic benefits; dedicate care and deliberate practice to your breath to unlock its power.

28. Harness Unconscious Breathing Power

Take conscious control of your breathing to harness its power and achieve incredible physical and mental feats, some previously thought impossible.

29. Nose: Use It or Lose It

Actively use your nose for breathing, as consistent use will open up nasal passages and acclimate tissues, making nasal breathing easier over time.

30. Breathing Affects Mind and Body

Consciously alter your breathing to influence thought processing, feelings, emotions, bone density, and even subatomic levels, as breathing profoundly impacts every bodily function.

31. Breathing Improves Many Conditions

Consider breathing practices to potentially improve conditions like obesity, anxiety, depression, poor digestion, cold extremities, sleep apnea, and panic attacks, as these are linked to breathing patterns.