We know that breathing is critical to life itself (To Breathe Is To Live). Because it functions on its own to keep us alive, it is easy to overlook it as a critical tool for health and vitality. The fact of the matter is that how we breathe is as important as the need for life-sustaining oxygen to fuel all of the cells in our body. Many traditions that emphasize breathing techniques understand the significance of nose breathing over mouth breathing.
Maybe you never thought about it before and do a little of both. Perhaps you have allergies that cause sinus congestion necessitating breathing through your mouth much of the time. But research shows that the air we breathe is meant to be first processed through the nose-- a miraculous filter lined with tiny hairs called cilia. The cilia filter, humidify and warm or cool the air before it enters the lungs protecting our bodies against about 20 billion particles of foreign matter every day (gaiam.com)!
Once air passes through the filtration system of the nose, it goes into the lungs so that oxygen can be circulated throughout the body. As we exhale, the air carries with it the waste from the body in the form of carbon dioxide. Studies show that most people only utilize 10- 20% of their breathing capacity leading to decreased energy levels in the body. But since oxygen is the main source of life and breathing is the key mechanism for eliminating toxins from the body, "poor breathing can contribute to a multitude of health problems, from high blood pressure to insomnia" (gaiam.com).
Nose breathing utilizes all five lobes of the lungs not only increasing oxygen flow and waste/toxin removal, it activates the calming and repairing nerve receptors that are part of the parasympathetic nervous system (sympathetic is the fight-flight stress reaction). It also increases the production of nitric oxide, the Nobel Prize-winning panacea molecule, that increases blood flow to protect the organs from damage (lifespa.com).
And as if these enormous health benefits of breathing through the nose weren't enough to convince you, the olfactory bulbs in the nose are the only direct access from the outside world to the limbic system in the brain. And the limbic system is thought to control emotion and other brain functions related to our instincts and memories; the thalamus is responsible for detecting and relaying information from our senses (where our thoughts come from) and the hypothalamus is responsible for producing multiple chemical messengers called hormones. I consider my acute sense of smell a vital part of my ability to sense the environment around me allowing for clarity of thought and decision-making.
It's been proven that our sensory awareness coming from our healthy connection to our bodies determines the quality of our thoughts and our cognition. In research on the two groups (mouth and nose breathers) to compare recollection and reasoning, "mouth breathing resulted in fuzzier recall and more incorrect answers" (nytimes.com). Also, smelling our world as we breathe increases alpha brain activity present during relaxation or meditation instead of the beta brain waves associated with the stress response that is a result of mouth breathing.
And for all of us fitness aficionados, nose breathing during any kind of exercise has proven less exertion, better endurance and shorter recovery time compared to mouth breathing. I'm in!
By now you're sold on the idea of nose breathing as I am, but what if you are someone who suffers with congestion such that it's difficult to access this important physiological function?
Nasal irrigation tools, such as neti pots, are a great way to free up the nose and sinuses with a non-drug therapy that involves rinsing the nasal passages with a saltwater solution. And even if you are already adept at breathing through the nose, "using a neti pot will leave you feeling invigorated, will decrease drowsiness, and will balance and strengthen the nervous system" (gaiam.com). Not to mention periodically rinsing away the toxins that have been filtered by the nose from the air we breathe.
And parents beware, "children who mouth-breath can develop physical deformities and have poor outcomes in terms of behavior and health. They may develop a smaller chin, have slower growth and give poor school performance due to fatigue and inattention" (theglobeandmail.com). As in the case of sleep apnea, mouth-breathers may not be getting all the oxygen they need, which can lead to fatigue and, in some situations may cause stress to the heart and lungs. In terms of dental health, breathing through the mouth can dry the oral cavity and lead to bad breath, gum disease and tooth decay (theglobeandmail.com). I had no idea just how important nose breathing really is.
The more I delve into and discover about the bodymind-- that mind and body are inextricably interconnected-- the more I am convinced that returning to the natural functioning of the body in all of its dimensions, will allow us to discover our original nature to realize our full potential. Honoring the purposeful design of the breathing mechanism by making full use of our sense of smell not only will promote optimal health, but it will also connect us more fully to the life we live. To that end, let's all wake up and smell the roses!
#followyournose #tobreatheistolive #nosevsmouthbreathing #senseofsmell #breathingandnitricoxide #breathingandlimbicsystem #sensoryawareness #breathingandcognition #breathingandexercise #breathingandchilddevelopement #breathinganddentalhealth #optimalhealth #originalnature #wakeupandsmelltheroses #bodymind #seasonedbodymind #mindyourbody #boomerblogger #babyboomer #healthandwellnessblog
Comentarios