Breath is having a moment. I’m seeing more and more breathwork being offered and talked about!
The breath is a tool that helps us manage daily stress and can be used to gain greater clarity and energy.
We breathe from birth and yet we rarely utilize the breath’s full potential. The more I learn about it, the more it blows my mind.
There is a time and place for mouth breathing. There are times when it is beneficial, especially in yoga. But when it comes to sustained and consistent breath throughout the day and when we sleep, nasal breathing is key!
Read below for reasons breathing out of your nose is where it’s at! If this piques your interest, you may want to read James Nestor’s book Breath or at least read about his experience of breathing only out of his mouth for 10 days. It wasn’t pretty.
Effects of mouth breathing 👎
- Increased heart rate
- Fatigue
- Sleep disorders
- Increased blood pressure
- Oral health decline
- Brain fog
- Stress and anxiety
- Long face, narrow mouth
Benefits of Nasal Breathing 👍
- Warms/cools air
- Maintains nose health
- Better sleep
- Activates diaphragm
- Decreased blood pressure
- Increased nitric oxide (Research in Sweden – nitric oxide shows promise against COVID)
- Stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system
- Filters air
Let’s breathe together! I’m hosting a FREE online meditation and breathwork class on Saturday 12/12 from 10-11 CET! It will be held over Zoom. If you can’t make the class live, you will receive a recording of the class. We will try 3 different breath techniques and finish with a guided meditation. A warm welcome to the virtual classroom! 🙂
Email stephsandersyoga@gmail.com to register.
Try to notice today whether you breathe from your nose or your mouth. It’s never too late to make a change…and nasal breathing is a worthwhile one!
Acknowledgement: I have learned much about what I know about the breath and it’s impact on the nervous system from coursework from Kimberly Ann Johnson and Our Breath Collective.
Photo by Tim Goedhart on Unsplash
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