The Space Between Breaths

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There's something just stunningly sacred and stilling about the space in particular after the exhale, so much so that i sort ofl develop my own breathing exercises over time. I will linger without force, without a closed glatus, just with an open throat. There is something where i almost feel like there's this transcendent state that i reach momentarily for ten seconds or so in the space after they exhale. We know so little scientifically. And people western medicine does not, you know, hardly any appreciation there is more and more now. Even though sleep is the most natural healer that we have, when you're a patient can't get it because doctors don't sleep. So

When was the last time you felt truly at peace? Relaxed, physically and emotionally at ease? How can you downregulate your mind and body and reclaim control over everything from your current state of mind to your sleep, risk of illness and even how fast or slow you age? What if you had so much more control over these than you imagined, no matter what seemingly breathless circumstance swirls around you?

Turns out, we do, and it’s all about understanding our nervous system and how to actively bring ourselves into what my guest today, Professor Sara Mednick, calls the downstate. Sara is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine and author of the powerful new book, The Power of the Downstate: Recharge Your Life Using Your Body's Own Restorative Systems. She is passionate about understanding how the brain works through her research into sleep and the autonomic nervous system.

In fact, her seven-bedroom sleep lab works literally around the clock to discover methods for boosting cognition by napping, stimulating the brain with electricity, sound and light, and pharmacology. Her research findings have been published in such leading scientific journals as Nature Neuroscience and The Proceedings from the National Academy of Science, and covered by major media outlets, in no small part because of their importance and practical application in helping us feel better, and live healthier, more vibrant lives.

You can find Sara at: Website | Twitter

If you LOVED this episode you’ll also love the conversations we had with Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor about understanding your brain to live a better life.

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