A last word on slow breathing. It goes by another name: prayer. When Buddhist monks chant their most popular mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, each spoken phrase lasts six seconds, with six seconds to inhale before the chant starts again. The traditional chant of Om, the 'sacred sound of the universe' used in Jainism and other traditions, takes six seconds to sing, with a pause of about six seconds to inhale. - James Nestor
Each breath we draw in should take about three seconds, and each breath out should take four. We’ll then continue the same short inhales while lengthening the exhales to a five, six, and seven count as the run progresses. - James Nestor
It turns out that when breathing at a normal rate, our lungs will absorb only about a quarter of the available oxygen in the air. The majority of that oxygen is exhaled back out. By taking longer breaths, we allow our lungs to soak up more in fewer breaths. - James Nestor
16th Century doctors used the flesh of a freshly hanged man beaten into a powder as a cure-all for sickness. - James Nestor
67% of people who ate a bit of certain British cheeses before bed reported totally staggering lucid dreams. You can too. - James Nestor
Ancient Egyptians and Chinese cured illnesses with different colored light. Modern ultrasound works on the same premises. - James Nestor
Ancient Greeks and Newton were fans of phosphene highs – the psychedelic patterns produced when pressure is applied to the retinal glands. - James Nestor
Ancient Greeks used dill to make love potions (i.e., roofies) that would lull (i.e., drug) dates into caring arms. - James Nestor
Moon Breath: To de-clutter your mind, cover your right nostril with your right thumb and breathe in 30x with your left nostril. - James Nestor
Relax your tongue. No, really. Literally relax your tongue. You will feel your mind quickly calm and pulse soften within mere moments. - James Nestor
Sixty percent of doctor visits are related to stress. Relax. Breathe in and out thru your left nostil, mouth closed, 30x once a day. Do it. - James Nestor
The same ingredient that gets cats bonkers off catnip is in red ants, and was the reason Native Americans ate ants to get high. - James Nestor
Thomas Edison and Einstein used the lucid wakeful/sleeping state of 'hypnagogia' to solve problems. You can too. - James Nestor
To energize, cover your left nostril and breathe in 30x quickly through your right nostril for 'sun breath'. - James Nestor
When stressed breathe in to count of 4, hold 4, exhale 6, hold 2 and repeat 10x. Millions of people do this everyday. It works, man! - James Nestor
William Bates, M.D. argued you could improve eyesight by covering your eyes and shaking your head back and forth. - James Nestor