On The Breath
I began reading “BREATH” by James Nestor over this past weekend — for the THIRD time. This time I am taking notes. Writing down all the facts I want to share with you and, hopefully, have you incorporate into your daily lives.
Basically, the book tells us all the benefits of breathing through the nose, both inhale and exhale. Even when exercising or sleeping, the ability to breathe through the nose is beneficial.
The breath (in my experience) was one of those things I took for granted no matter what I was doing. When running (yes, I did run a marathon - once many, many years ago), or cyling, or working out, the memorable instruction was inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Many of you may have heard similar instruction.
Dr. John Douillard, trainer to many elite athletes, conducted his own studies to examine the benefits of nasal vs. mouth breathing. When mouth breathing, athletes pushed to their limits entered ‘anaerobic overload’ which can lead to lactic acidosis (think exhausted, stomach pain/diarrhea, muscle cramps). (Anaerobic exercise does have its place in short length, high intensity activities.) Dr. Douillard’s conclusion was that breathing through the nose could cut total exertion in half and offer endurance gains.
So, back to the breath - taken for granted, much like a lot of our body and its functions.
What are some of the benefits of breathing through the nose?
blood pressure may be lowered
heart rate may lower
heart rate variability increases, bringing the body and nervous system back into balance
mental clarity improves
That’s just 4 things and there are more - yet to be discovered and chronicled from my THIRD reading of this marvelous book - ‘BREATH’ by James Nestor.
Within the book, Mr. Nestor writes about his own personal experience with forced mouth breathing (in an experiment conducted by Stanford University). And, as he tells us about this journey, he also gives us a historical picture of our evolution (from nose breathers to mouth breathers and why), as well as other cultures’ approach to the breath. For example, Native Americans encouraged nasal breathing - Mothers would breastfeed babies, then hold their mouths closed as they fell asleep; encouraging nasal breathing throughout the day and night. In Puebla, Mexico, school children were chastised for mouth breathing — the belief being that mouth breathing was disrespectful and leads to sickness.
Perhaps someday I’ll get a note from Mr. Nestor, thanking me for promoting his book to almost everyone I meet. It is a keeper and has changed my life in these ways:
BP is 103/60
HR is 57
HRV - I haven’t checked that one
Mental Clarity - well I think it’s better
Buy the book or go to the library (here in Fallbrook, there is an 8-week waiting list for the book). No matter the means, read (or listen to) it.
Take care & breathe through your nose,
