Breathing Part 3 - Nose Breathing can have a profound health benefit

With any new learning, I like to grasp a couple of things I can use in practical ways. With a focus on breathing, I am much more aware of how I breathe and when that changes in response to the stressors that pop up during the day.

We usually depend on our 5 sense organs – eyes, ears, tongue, nose, skin…our sense of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch…to tell us what is happening externally so we can determine if any action needs to be taken. This suggests we mostly use our noses to smell aromas or some toxins.

Breathing is our main interaction with the external environment 24/7. When done right, breathing becomes another important ‘sense’ that allows us to adapt to different conditions
such as we would experience climbing a mountain or deep sea diving. This sensitivity becomes a measure of our health and resilience in the presence of less oxygen. It can be much improved with training and awareness.

Without thinking, I might find myself breathing through my mouth. But my mouth has many other jobs including talking, laughing, kissing, singing and eating or drinking. So it is best that I
let my nose do most of my breathing. As you experiment with this, you will notice many things as you shift from mouth breathing to nose breathing. I try to notice in what situations I change
to mouth breathing – it is necessary for extreme exertion and will help blood coagulate if I have an injury – those are some exceptions.

The concept of Diminished Breathing implies that less is better. My air intake through my nose is only 1/6 of what I can take in via my mouth. The first thing I notice is that I retain moisture in my nose, throat and mouth. It takes more energy this way but it is worth it. I feel calmer and use it to avoid a stress reaction until I assess a situation. We have a choice to stay in the parasympathetic mode that is best for most of the day. I think of it as a way to manage my daily energy budget and it costs me nothing but some attention to learn it.

By using sleep tape at night, I have trained myself to nose breathe when I might unconsciously not do that. I find I sleep better, wake earlier and have a moist mouth with no blocked nostrils or sinus cavities like I used to experience. I am sure it has allowed me to get a better quality of sleep in about an hour less than before. What I am I ever going to do with 365 free hours every year? Actually that is how I found time to do some of the exercises.

When I learn something new, I find it interesting to observe others….without being rude or trying to teach them what I just learned. For example, when someone is sick and in hospital, visitors will often ask, ‘How’s your appetite? Did you enjoy your lunch?’ Breathing is much more important than eating but we don’t usually ask, ‘How’s your breathing?’

I am still learning about the balance of components in the air we breathe in, and exhale out. It is quite remarkable to find that nose breathing, with a lesser volume, can actually help deliver vital oxygen to all my cells. The idea, that is suggested by almost everyone, to take in more air is just not scientifically correct for cellular health. It is only by practicing nose breathing that I have proved it to myself – taking less oxygen in allows the carbon dioxide level to rise in my lungs, which in turn releases oxygen in the blood for all the cells. I now know this is true.

Blood tests show that my liver and kidneys are working better and that I have reduced inflammation all over. These are the same vital areas that the doctors monitor to determine our level of health. They just don’t expect positive changes to result from my own actions, from something as basic as a different way of breathing. I don’t think they are asking for that information yet, but I will be ready when that day comes.