Breathing – it's something we all do without even thinking about it, keeping us alive and kicking. But have you ever stopped to think that maybe we're not making the most of it?
There's so much more to breathing than just filling our lungs with air. It can be a powerful key to unlocking amazing benefits for our mind, emotions, and body. It's also super quick at helping us shift how we're feeling and help us manage stress.
So, it makes you wonder, doesn't it? Are we missing a trick on how to breathe right?
Aside from the obvious - what is the purpose of breathing?
Breathing is as natural as blinking, something we do all day, every day, without a second thought. I bet you’re wondering, why should we even bother thinking about how we breathe? Well, as a certified breath work practitioner I can explain this to you.
Perhaps we should start at the beginning…
Did you know our noses are the unsung heroes of breathing? Picture your nose as a personal air conditioning system – it warms, filters, and adds just the right amount of moisture to the air we breathe, making sure it's optimum before hitting our lungs.
Plus, our nasal passages have this nifty trick of releasing nitric oxide, which boosts blood flow and ramps up oxygen absorption in our bodies by a whopping 20% more than when we breathe through our mouths. That means more oxygen for our cells to make energy with.
This is why breathing pros are all about nasal breathing to help us sleep better, feel more energized, stay alert, and keep anxiety at bay.
Here’s a question for you… Have you ever woken up with a dry mouth? That could be a sign you're a mouth breather at night, which might mean less of that restorative deep sleep, more snoring, and feeling tired or having trouble sleeping.
It turns out, about half of us are mouth breathers, hinting that a bunch of us could really boost our wellbeing just by tweaking how we breathe. Quite the thought, right?
So where do we go from here…
Meet Patrick McKeown, the breath guru behind the Oxygen Advantage method. He's a bit of a legend when it comes to breathing “correctly” and has some interesting ideas - that might sound a bit backwards at first…
Patrick champions nose breathing as the gold standard, steering us away from those bad habits we've all picked up like shallow chest breaths that just ramp up our stress levels, and those big, deep breaths that can make us feel more panicked than peaceful.
Now, you might be thinking, "Hang on, aren't big breaths supposed to be good for us?". It turns out, they can do more harm than good by tightening our blood vessels, messing with our blood and oxygen flow, and leaving us feeling a bit light-headed after a deep-breath marathon.
So, what's Patrick's big secret? It's all about going back to basics with our breathing - slowing it down and not being afraid of a little carbon dioxide. It sounds weird, but our bodies need a bit of CO2 because it helps our blood release oxygen to our cells, making sure our tissues get a good dose of oxygen. Patrick's exercises are all about helping us get comfortable with a bit more carbon dioxide, leading to happier cells and a happier you.
Let’s cut to the chase, let me tell you about the benefits of breathwork and why should you do it…
Techniques like taking deep breaths right from your diaphragm and letting out long, slow exhales does wonders. It nudges our body into the "rest and digest" mode, melting away stress, clearing up our mental fog, and bringing our emotions into a happy balance.
But that's not all. Incorporating a strong breathing technique for whenever you feel stressed can be a game-changer in many ways, from boosting endurance and slashing anxiety levels to ensuring a good night's sleep.
Wondering where to begin?
Considering all the great points we've talked about, the first step towards better breathing is about getting into the habit of nose breathing.
Now, it might sound a bit out there, but using mouth tape during sleep is a trick that can help with this. This method helps you to retrain yourself to breathe through your nose naturally.
Yes, the idea of taping your mouth shut at night might make you raise an eyebrow, but there are products out there that are designed just for this. It's true that it might feel a bit odd for the first few nights, but most people find they get used to it pretty quickly.
It’s important to note that this isn’t for everyone – especially not after enjoying a drink, if you're feeling sick, or if you have serious health issues.
From my personal experience of mouth taping and focusing on nose breathing particularly during exercise (which is really difficult!) was that it improved my singing a lot - most likely because it opened my airways up!
Once you've got the hang of nose breathing, there are loads of other breathing techniques you can explore.
Other techniques include:
Diaphragmatic Breathing
This technique is all about using your diaphragm for breathing, instead of your chest. Give it a go by sitting up tall or lying down in a cosy spot. Let your shoulders drop and relax, then place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest.
Now, take a slow, deep breath in through your nose, aiming to fill your abdomen so you can actually feel it rise under your lower hand. Try to keep your chest still, not letting your upper hand move too much. Then, gently breathe out and feel your stomach gently sink back down. What will surprise you is that you might start to notice how calming this can be in just about five minutes.
Box Breathing
This easy breathing technique is a favourite among the military and tactical personnel for its power to handle stress, boost focus, and keep emotions in check. It helps them stay cool and collected even when the pressure is on.
Here’s how it goes: you take a slow breath in, hold it, breathe out slowly, and then pause, all to the count of four seconds each. Keep this up for about five minutes. It's a straightforward way to bring a bit of calm into any situation.
Resonance Breathing
This method is all about taking it easy and breathing deeply, at a pace that gets your heart rate and breathing pattern to sync up beautifully. Think of it like a rhythm between 4.5 and 6.5 breaths per minute. It's a bit like magic for your heart rate variability, lifting your mood and even helping with blood pressure.
Want to give it a whirl? Just sit up nice and straight, breathe in slowly through your nose, making sure to get your diaphragm involved, for about five or six seconds. Then, gently exhale for the same amount of time. Keep this up for up to ten minutes. It's a peaceful little break that can do wonders for your well-being.
Light Breathing
Nasal breathing is a big deal in the Oxygen Advantage world, focusing on creating just a slight sense of "air hunger" - that little nudge of wanting to take a deeper breath. This helps your body use oxygen better, calms your nerves, and makes your breathing overall more effective, not to mention giving your lungs a bit of a workout.
Here's how you do it: sit up nice and straight, take a gentle breath in through your nose, pull the air down into your belly with your diaphragm, and then let it out slowly and softly. As you keep going, pay attention to your breaths in and out, and try to take them more and more slowly. McKeown suggests doing this for 30 seconds, then breathing normally for a minute, and repeating the whole thing five times. It's a simple way to feel more relaxed and get your lungs in tip-top shape.
So now over to you!
If this is a topic that you’re interested in and wish to learn more about then I’d highly recommend reading Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor*.
I have also created several videos too, you can take a look at them here. Additionally if your goal is to reduce your stress levels take a look at my Stress Management mini course this may be of interest to you.
It’s important to note these techniques aren't just pulled out of thin air - they're backed by science. As James Nestor comments, “Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance, rejuvenate internal organs, halt snoring, allergies, asthma, and autoimmune disease, and even straighten scoliotic spines. None of this should be possible, and yet it is.”
As we keep discovering more about the wonders of breath work, slipping these easy, cost-free practices into our everyday routine could be a game-changer, helping us grow into stronger and more balanced people.
Why not give it a try, what have you got to lose? Let me know how you get on, I hope it makes a difference to your life once implemented, I’d love to know if it does.
* Next to something means I’m a fan, and/or a customer, AND an affiliate. If you use my link, I’ll get affiliate credit, and that would be very nice. :-)