Issue #317: An Inspiring Breathwork Session
Good morning. It’s Saturday, March 16th.
Stat of the Day
The number of breaths per day for the average person. That’s just under a breath every 4 seconds or roughly 8.03M breaths per year. If you could get to the perfect breath (5.5 breaths every minute) then you’d reduce your number of breaths by 60%. (Source)
Revisit
This week we dove below the surface to see how what you eat is more impactful on your skin health than what you put on it.
Issue #315 - collagen is crucial for more than just your skin. The protein impacts bones, tendons, and overall health
Issue #316 - how to remain youthful looking - focus on gut health, overall diet, limit your sun exposure, and check out matcha
Click HERE to check out the entire Thrive25 archive.
Inspire
Live Breathwork Session
You know things are changing when dozens of people - at a tech conference - are willing to sit (or even lay down), close their eyes and go through a 25 minute breathing exercise.
There were no walls, no doors - just an open area of couches in one of the hallways in the arena that’s home to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
I can only imagine what some people were thinking as they walked by seeing a group of 50+ people hyperventilating with their eyes closed.
So what was this breathing exercise?
First let me just say - I’m not a very good breather. Apparently I’ve become what’s known as a shallow breather.
After slowing down with a few deep breaths, we all took in deep inhales and then forcefully exhaled out our mouth - about 30 times. This was at a pretty quick pace and I was having trouble keeping up.
It’s so fast in fact that one of the potential effects is the feeling of light-headedness - which, according to breathwork expert, Hannes Bend, just means that’s “it’s working.”
Now the reason for the dizziness is that you’re pushing out more carbon dioxide than you’re taking in. The irony is that with less carbon dioxide, the more your blood vessels constrict and the less oxygen gets pumped to all the parts of your body.
Then after 30 breaths - you hold your breath for as long as possible. Somehow I was holding it for over 2 minutes. Now this wasn’t anywhere near the world record of almost 12 minutes, but it was pretty amazing for me.
As I stuck with it for a second round of 30 breaths - I found myself to be way more present and alive than I had during any time I’ve tried meditating. I was only thinking about breathing and not about where I just came from or what I had to do right after.
Which was pretty amazing because right after the session I had to get up and go do a live interview.
Remember that carbon dioxide restriction - it creates a crazy feeling when the blood starts pumping again.
As I was walking to my interview I felt this weird sensation all over my body. It’s really tough to describe, but it was like being able to feel the blood getting into every inch of my body.
It wasn’t a throbbing like a thumping of my heart beat - it was just that I was aware of it. I actually felt really alive.
Then I went to this media interview that I hadn’t prepped for at all and felt both calm and energetic. In that moment I was all in and my brain just seemed to be firing.
All from a little breathing.
Lung capacity is actually a highly correlated metric with longevity. We lose 12% of this capacity between the ages of 30-50 and most of us don’t use the full capacity of lungs to begin with.
Our lungs have the surface area of a tennis court - think about that. And we can change how much of it we use through active training. The lungs are just like any muscle in our body - we can make them strong or let them become weak.
Many people are like me and breathe into their shoulders and upper lungs. But we don’t engage our diaphragm into our belly. This actually changes our posture, and can even put us at higher risk of heart disease.
But the real problem is in the exhale. You probably don’t think about exhaling unless you’re working out. But the exhale is key - this is when we get all the stale air and carbon dioxide out of our body and a full exhale inflates the 500 million alveoli - those tiny air sacs in our lungs - 2x compared to taking a normal breath.
This is also why we involuntarily sigh 5 times every hour probably without even noticing it - it’s our body forcing us to push out this stale air.
Bottom Line: focus on your breath and not the people who walk by and think you’re a little crazy.
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
Primal Kitchen believes in using real, high-quality ingredients so you can enjoy your favorite classic sauces, dressings, condiments and pantry staples - with confidence.
Enjoy a 10% discount off your entire order at Primal Kitchen. Don’t miss out - click HERE to claim your discount today!
Explore
Dublin+
Where could be better to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than Dublin? (I guess Chicago and London??)
Dublin’s not just Guinness and Jameson, but there’s plenty of that. The city and surrounding countryside is also full of non-alcoholic history…and outdoor adventures. You can go on walks throughout the city, in the mountains and on coastal cliffs, take bike rides pretty much everywhere, and climb the Dalkey Quarry.
There’s also the Healing Forest, or join 300 locals for a run on Saturday morning in Marlay Park, or check out the Sea Sauna (maybe after a frigid plunge in the Irish Sea).
But perhaps the most recognized activity in Ireland is the golf. With over 3K kilometers of sand and rocky coastline, Irish links are second to none. The Fried Egg took a trip this past week to check out Royal County Down, Portmarnock and Royal Portrush (site of next year’s Open). Check out the Fried Egg’s new podcast on their travels to help plan your next trip.
Royal County Down
Laugh
St. Paddy’s Day
Why no kids?
Brain Games
Ancient Gods
There are four Greek gods in this logic problem. Without Googling, you have to associate them with their respective Roman gods, weekday and domain to answer this question: Who was the Greek god of poetry?
Neither Aphrodite nor the God of War were called Mercury
Zeus was worshiped the day after Hermes and the day before Venus
Either Ares’ domain was War, or he was known as Jupiter
The god of poetry was either called Aphrodite or was worshiped on Wednesday
Friday and Tuesday weren’t good day for poetry
Jupiter’s day was two days after the god of War’s day
Credit: Brainzilla
**For answer, scroll to the bottom of the post
Product Recs
♨️ The Caraway spring promo is here! Spend $95+ in March and receive up to $200 off your next purchase. Non-toxic cookware made modern - non-toxic cooking surfaces and thoughtful design lead to cleaner cooking. Click HERE to cook with confidence
🔋+🛌 Impossible - elevate your performance with Impossible performance drinks - gain Energy to crush your workout and get deep Sleep to do it again tomorrow. Click HERE and use code THR25 for 20% off your next order
💪 TMAC Fitness - say goodbye to equipment and hello to an invigorating routine that combines fitness and meditation in the comfort of your own home. Transform your body and mind with TMAC's exclusive program. Get started with TMAC today!
🌎 Zero Acre Farms - seed oils can have real negative effects on our health - but they’re in almost everything we eat. Made by fermentation, not deforestation, Zero Acre Farms cultured oil uses 85% less land than canola oil, emits 86% less CO2 than soybean oil, and requires 99% less water than olive oil. Get 15% off your order with code THRIVE25 today!
Thanks for another great week!
Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel
Got feedback, recommendations or stories to share? Tell us what’s on your mind here
Want this direct to your inbox? Sign up here
** Brain Games Answer **
Hermes!
Why Thrive25
We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.
To health!
Sign up for free:
The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.