Your breath does not happen automatically, be conscious of it.

Maybe you think that breathing happens automatically but is not, and the way we consciously (or not) breathe has a significant impact on our health. Most of it determined whether we breathe through our nose or mouth. Watch out; mouth breathing can carry unwelcome health issues, while benefits are stacking for nasal breathing.

Nasal breathing vs. mouth breathing

Unlike the mouth, the only function of our nose is breathing. By performing these functions, the nose is fundamental for keeping our body balanced.

From all the benefits of nasal breathing, two of them have a substantial impact on your health. It provides up to 20% more oxygen to your bloodstream versus mouth breathing. Maximizing oxygen intake becomes critical in light of the study of Nobel Prize winner Otto Warburg, who discovered that only oxygen-starved cells in the body mutate into cancerous cells.

The second benefit is the nose acting as a natural filter of bacteria and germs before the air reaches the lungs.

Nasal breathing can help you fight anxiety

When you are breathing from the nose, the brain assumes that everything is fine -as we are supposed to do it from the mouth just in extreme situations, as running for our life.

Breathing through your mouth in non-threatening life situations, you give rise to a fight-or-flight response in the brain, a trigger for anxiety and panic attacks.

If you are susceptible to anxiety and panic attacks, breathing through your nose will activate your parasympathetic nervous system, delivering a message to your brain to remain calm and back to its pre-alerted, relaxed state.

Nasal breathing exercises to try

Go ahead and start training your nasal breathing to get the most of the benefits. Let’s look at the go-to exercise in nasal breathing, the Alternate Nostril Breathing.

Alternate nostril breathing is a yogic breath practice. It can help you to: calm your mind, reduce anxiety and improve overall well-being.

To practice alternate nostril breathing (by Healthline):

1. Sit in a comfortable position with your legs crossed.
2. Place your left hand on your left knee.
3. Lift your right hand toward your nose.
4. Exhale completely, and then use your right thumb to close your right nostril.
5. Inhale through your left nostril and then close the left nostril with your fingers.
6. Open the right nostril and exhale through this side.
7. Inhale through the right nostril and then close this nostril.
8. Open the left nostril and exhale through the left side.
9. You already finished a cycle
10. Continue for up to 5 minutes.
11. Always complete the practice by finishing with an exhale on the left side.

The bottom-line

Be aware of your breathing. It has a fundamental impact on our overall well-being. Use your organs for what they evolve for hundreds of thousands of years. Breath through your nose to increase your oxygen intake, relax your body and mind, and filter allergens. Use your mouth to prepare food for digestion, not to breathe.

Improve your nasal breathing by doing exercises as Alternate nostril breathing.

Be aware.

Breathe.