24. The Language of Breath | Learning to Listen to Your Body

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Mohivate, Dr Mohi Sarawgee explores the science of breathing and why something so automatic can reveal how the body is functioning.We breathe roughly twenty thousand times a day, yet most of us rarely pause to notice it. This episode explores how breathing sits at a unique intersection between physiology and awareness, reflecting the state of the nervous system, stress responses, and recovery.Drawing on physiology alongside traditional observational practices such as Swara Yoga, this conversation explains how breathing patterns, the nasal cycle, and autonomic regulation interact. Long before modern physiology described the shifting airflow between nostrils, traditional systems had already recognised this natural rhythm through careful observation of breath.Set within the wider conversation on metabolic health, the episode explores how breath connects oxygen delivery, cellular energy, and nervous system balance. By learning to notice the body’s signals through breathing, listeners are introduced to one of the simplest ways to understand how the body regulates stress, recovery, and internal balance.References:1. Russo MA, Santarelli DM, O’Rourke D. The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human.European Respiratory Society Journal Breathehttps://breathe.ersjournals.com/content/13/4/2982. Lehrer P, Gevirtz R. Heart rate variability biofeedback and regulation of autonomic function.Frontiers in Psychologyhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00756/full3. Telles S, Singh N, Balkrishna A. Physiological effects of yogic breathing practices.International Journal of Yogahttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6137615/4. Eccles R. The nasal cycle in health and disease.Clinical Otolaryngologyhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1749-4486.2000.tb00239.x5. Jerath R, Beveridge C, Barnes V, Jerath V.Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Medical Hypotheses.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21782306/6. Vidigal-Lopes M, et al.Respiratory modulation of cardiovascular control.The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(18)30403-9/fulltextJust a gentle reminder: this episode is for information, education, and inspiration only. It’s not a substitute for your doctor’s advice. For any personal health concerns, always seek guidance from your doctor.