Ever wonder if your meditation is really working?
If you’re like me and need some objective evidence that your meditation practice is doing something, there’s a simple way to tell if you’re making a difference in your body.
The first time doing meditation, I thought I felt a difference but was it just a placebo effect? Some woo woo tree huggin body tingles, or was it real?
You can get a pulse oximeter for less than what you spend on coffee at Starbucks in a week, and it’ll tell you if you are making changes in your body. A pulse oximeter displays your oxygen saturation and heart rate. Both of these give major insights into your current physiological state. Oxygen saturation is the percent of red blood cells that are attached to oxygen, and heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute.
What are optimal oxygen saturation levels?
If you read on the internet or talk to your doctor about oxygen saturation levels, you’ll probably find that 94-99% is normal. When you start doing breathwork and using your pulse oximeter for feedback, you’ll find that you go outside of the “normal” range. And going out of this range is one of the best things you can do for your cells, metabolism, and stress.
Decrease your breathing rate = more oxygen for your body
I hear you–sounds counterintuitive.
When you slow your breath, carbon dioxide builds up in our blood, making it acidic. This leads to a cascade of effects in your nervous system, lungs, and brain. Blood vessels in your brain dilate and you desensitize the nerves in your body. If you suffer from chronic pain and are stressed over dis and dat, there’s a good chance you’ll benefit from doing breathwork. You’ll feel it as calming or even numbing to your body and an alert mind. This is one of the most dope forms of meditation that’ll change your body, mind, and focus.
This is what your oxygen saturation levels should look like.
When you get your oxygen saturations fluctuating like the Cleveland Browns’ offense, you’ll start pumping oxygen into your cells, which is where you want it.
What happens when oxygen levels drop in your cell?
If oxygen levels are chronically low in your cells (indicated by high oxygen saturation levels all day long) due to poor breathing habits, electrons (from the food you eat) back up and NAD+ (nicotinamide riboside) is not regenerated. This combined with eating at the wrong time of the day is a recipe for chronic illnesses like autoimmune dis and dat, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, cancer, vision loss, and heart disease.
Whoaaa? What’s this NAD+ you talkin bout?
You may have heard about NAD+ from anti-aging supplement peddlers.
NAD+ plays important roles in your cells, such as:
- Converting food into energy
- Repairing damaged DNA
- Strengthening your cells’ defense systems
- Setting your body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm
You may have heard about NAD+ from anti-aging supplement peddlers.
NAD+ plays important roles in your cells, such as:
- Converting food into energy
- Repairing damaged DNA
- Strengthening your cells’ defense systems
- Setting your body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm
Nerdy friends, read more here, here, here, here, dope study here, and here. All kinds of brain candy up in here.
As we age, NAD+ becomes more limited leading to more aging. There are a couple different ways that you can be sure that you’re regenerating NAD+. One of the best ways to keep your NAD+ levels high is by keeping oxygen coming into your cells. You can easily do this by keeping your blood oxygen saturation level to fluctuating from high 90’s to high to low 90’s.
“How about if I take a NAD+ supplement?”
NAD+ supplements are touted as a miracle supplement in many anit-aging circles and some research. Although supplements may help increase NAD+, with low oxygen in your cells, it’s like trying to send your bestie a text with your phone on airplane mode.
How to get your oxygen saturation levels to fluctuate
Try this:
- Place one hand in the center of your chest and the other one on your belly. As you breathe, try to avoid breathing from your chest. If you feel your hand on your chest moving, think about breathing more from your belly.
- Start by exhaling FULLY through your nose. Do it SLOWLY.
- Next, take about 3 seconds to inhale fully through your nose.
- Then exhale again but this time try to take 10 seconds to SLOWLY and FULLY through your belly. You’ll feel your lower ab muscle contract. Try to increase the time it takes for you to fully exhale. Shoot for 30 seconds.
- Then inhale for 3 seconds.
- Continue repeating this for 5 minutes. Do it at least daily.
How to get your oxygen saturation levels to fluctuate
Try this:
- Place one hand in the center of your chest and the other one on your belly. As you breathe, try to avoid breathing from your chest. If you feel your hand on your chest moving, think about breathing more from your belly.
- Start by exhaling FULLY through your nose. Do it SLOWLY.
- Next, take about 3 seconds to inhale fully through your nose.
- Then exhale again but this time try to take 10 seconds to SLOWLY and FULLY through your belly. You’ll feel your lower ab muscle contract. Try to increase the time it takes for you to fully exhale. Shoot for 30 seconds.
- Then inhale for 3 seconds.
- Continue repeating this for 5 minutes. Do it at least daily.
How’s your Bob Ross Wannabe 2.0 Challenge going?!!
Every day you leave your house, do this before you walk out the door.
Have an awesome weekend!
Your Cornerman with love,
Dr. Thoma
