Sachin Patel is a functional medicine practitioner and breathwork expert. He got into this field after realizing conventional doctors had no answers for chronic illness patients. Breathwork became his passion for integrating simplicity and sophistication in health. In this episode, Sachin explained the health consequences of mouth breathing, including poor sleep, inflammation, and hormonal imbalance. Nasal breathing optimizes air through humidification, warming, and filtration before it reaches the lungs.
Sachin outlined various breathing patterns like coherence breathing and bellows breathing that can induce different physiological states. The "right" way to breathe depends on one's needs in the moment and goals. He recommended finding prompts like checking emails or driving to associate with breath awareness. This helps establish breathwork as a habit. Wearables can also gamify the process and show physiological impacts.
Sachin detailed how mouth taping at night trains nasal breathing, improving sleep, hormones, temperature regulation and more. It strengthens respiratory muscles weakened by devices like CPAPs.
HRV measures nervous system resilience through heart rate fluctuations with breathing. Higher HRV means better stress handling. Breathwork and lifestyle changes can optimize this important biomarker.
Sachin explained how breathwork impacts cell signaling, energy production and the body's intricate systems through oxygenation, CO2 balance and nervous system regulation. Proper breathing is the body's "steering wheel."
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Dr. Christina Bjorndal shares her journey into naturopathic medicine after a suicide attempt left her hospitalized, revealing how conventional medications failed to fully treat her mental health issues. She emphasizes treating patients holistically by addressing their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being, not just symptoms, explaining the four pillars' interconnected roles in health.
Simple changes like reducing sugar, coffee and carbonation intake make a difference by supporting the body's natural functions, while eating nutrient-dense whole foods better nourishes the physical, mental and gut microbiome. Mindfulness practices like recognizing unhelpful thoughts, relaxing into stillness and rephrasing narratives cultivate presence and self-compassion, countering inner critics and core wounds driving self-sabotage.
Dr. Bjorndal unravels cases by considering neurotransmitters, hormones and the immune-gut axis, gleaning insights from symptoms' origins to pinpoint each person's unique macro-system imbalances. Our subconscious dialogues shape our lives, but conscious awareness allows redirecting thoughts to healthier beliefs, as she demonstrated overcoming rejection fears to transform her career path.
