I continued to read Breath this week. In fact, I went back over key areas around some of the practices.
I’m also interested in going deeper into the science of breathing as I find it a fascinating topic, and I’ve had some profound insights into my own health and habits as a result of simply looking.
For instance, a lack of, or decrease in Co2 can cause the parasympathetic nervous system to shut down – leaving the sympathetic nervous system as the default system throughout your day (and in my case most of the night).
The issue with this is that the sympathetic nervous system, despite the fact that it sounds nice, is not associated with relaxation and restoration but rather the fight or flight system.
I won’t go into the weeds here for fear of the email getting too long.
Suffice it to say, there are times of the day and night when it is preferable to have either the parasympathetic or sympathetic nervous system engaged.
When these are not working optimally you are potentially suffering as a result, and the fix is not all that difficult.
Although I’ve had lots of training on different kinds of breathing meditation, this was something I was completely unaware of.
This little Co2 fact has deep consequences for one’s sleep, digestion, stress levels, and therefore all aspects of your life.
This Weeks Reading List
This work I’ve been reading, Breath by James Nestor.
Do yourself a favor…read it! And start your journey to better health through proper breathing.
https://www.amazon.com/Breath-New-Science-Lost-Art-ebook/dp/B07Z49Z32V/
My Book Project
My book is coming along nicely.
I spend roughly 3 hours a day “going deep” in the writing process before I’m done for the day.
It’s a slow process to be sure, but I want this book to be helpful to many many people.
I have a good chunk of the introduction completed – with the more difficult sections to come.
I suspect this is going to be another larger than expected project.
