It’s no secret that when your breath is restricted it impedes your body’s ability to function at its peak. As a result your energy levels decrease and you find it difficult to sleep. The build up of toxins in your body can lead to long term health problems including cancer as found by Nobel prize recipient and German physiologist, Otto Warburg, in 1931. His findings showed that when the body’s cells are starved of oxygen through poor breathing techniques, those cells can transform into cancerous ones.
When you breathe through your nose, not only does it flush out toxins, but the extra oxygen improves your energy levels and ability to function at your best. Whereas, incorrect breathing through the mouth will dehydrate your mouth causing a build up of bacteria and toxins which can lead to increased illness.
Your breath is the most important tool you have in your health toolkit for maintaining your optimal wellbeing – naturally.
Within your nose passage live olfactory bulbs which are connected to the hypothalamus in your brain. This part of your brain is responsible for some of your body’s automatic functions such as: blood pressure, thirst, appetite, heartbeat and sleep. Your hypothalamus is also responsible for the chemicals released into your brain which influence the memory and regulate emotions.
As you can see, when you practise correct breathing techniques it has a positive impact on your whole wellbeing.
How does nose breathing help you feel at your best?
During correct breathing techniques, your lungs will extract the oxygen on each inhale and exhale. The air exhaled through the nose creates a back flow of air and oxygen into the lungs. As you exhale slowly through your nose, the lungs have more time to extract the oxygen from the air you breathe in.
Do you sometimes feel faint or dizzy?
If you breathe through your mouth, the dizziness is caused by carbon dioxide being lost. Your blood needs to maintain a balanced PH level and it does this through an equal exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide during respiration.
Do you or someone you know snores or suffer from sleep apnoea?
Through nose breathing air flows through the nasal mucosa stimulating the reflex nerves which controls your breathing. When you breathe through your mouth the air skips passed the nasal mucosa causing irregular breaths that lead to snoring and sleep apnoea.
Do you find yourself reacting to stress too often?
When you breathe through the nose it forces you to slow down and take long, deep breaths until your breathing becomes regular and natural. When you breathe naturally it also reduces hypertension and overeating yourself during exercise.
Do you find yourself susceptible to illness?
As you inhale cool air and filter out warm air on the exhale, your sinuses produce nitric oxide which battles harmful viruses in the body. Nose breathing helps to regulate blood pressure and improve your immune system to fight deadly bacteria.