Patrick McKeown, breath expert, reveals 5 ways breathing through your mouth hurts your health and leaves you stressed. Learn how nose-breathing improves memory, back pain, and immune system. Discover simple exercises for better breathing. Harness the power of breath to reduce stress, improve sleep, and enhance presence in life.
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Quick takeaways
Nasal breathing improves overall health by increasing oxygen uptake and delivery to the body, reducing stress, and promoting relaxation.
Mouth breathing can lead to various health issues, including dental problems, bad breath, and dry mouth.
Engaging in breathing exercises can help induce relaxation and reduce stress levels.
Deep dives
Importance of Nasal Breathing for Health and Well-being
Nasal breathing improves overall health by increasing oxygen uptake and delivery to the body, reducing stress, and promoting relaxation. Breathing in and out of the nose, as opposed to mouth breathing, improves sleep quality, focus, and mental well-being. Nasal breathing also helps prevent snoring and sleep apnea, and it enhances physical performance during exercise. Practicing nasal breathing during rest and physical activity can have a profound impact on overall health and quality of life.
The Risks of Mouth Breathing
Mouth breathing can lead to various health issues, including dental problems, bad breath, and dry mouth. Breathing through the mouth activates a stress response in the body, increasing fight-or-flight signals and cortisol levels. Mouth breathing during sleep can worsen sleep apnea and disrupt sleep quality. Additionally, mouth breathing leads to shallow, inefficient breathing, reducing oxygen levels in the body and triggering a sympathetic nervous system response.
Breathing Techniques for Relaxation and Stress Reduction
Engaging in breathing exercises can help induce relaxation and reduce stress levels. Techniques such as breath holding, slow exhalations, and under-breathing can activate the body's relaxation response, slow down the heart rate, and calm the mind. By training the body to breathe less air and focusing on nasal breathing, individuals can cultivate a sense of calm and improve their ability to manage stress. These techniques can be incorporated into daily routines, including before bed, to promote a restful sleep.
Using Nasal Breathing to Improve Sleep Apnea
Breathing through the nose and keeping the mouth closed during sleep can significantly reduce the severity of sleep apnea. Nasal breathing improves the upper airway's stability, prevents throat collapse, and promotes normal respiratory function during sleep. By adopting nasal breathing habits during daily life and using mouth taping techniques during sleep, individuals with sleep apnea can improve their breathing patterns, increase oxygen intake, and enhance sleep quality.
The Power of Breathing for Mind-Body Connection
Breathing is a powerful tool that can enhance the mind-body connection and overall well-being. Slowing down the breath, focusing on nasal inhalation and exhalation, and engaging in breath-holding exercises can help calm the nervous system, increase mental clarity, and improve attention and focus. By directing attention to the breath, individuals can tap into their body's natural intelligence and optimize their physical and mental health.
In today’s episode, the incredible Patrick McKeown, international bestselling author of ten books on breathing and founder and CEO of The Oxygen Advantage, a world-leading breathwork training program, breaks down all things breathing.
This is not a lecture; it is a masterclass. His decades of research will blow you away, so let’s slow down and learn from the best in class.
You need this, and I need this. Why? Because you and I have been breathing all wrong.
Today Patrick is revealing the 5 ways breathing through your mouth hurts your health and leaves you feeling more anxious and stressed.
You and I are getting coached by the world's leading expert on functional breathing for better health, more focus, less pain, better sleep, and, honestly, a better you.
This is information that should be shouted from the rooftops. AND taught to parents, teachers, and health professionals everywhere.
These steps are so simple, and yet they’re incredibly impactful on ALL parts of your life: your work, your ability to play and have fun, and your relationships.
Best of all, this advice is ZERO-cost to you.
You will learn:
What happens when you breathe through your nose.
How breathing through your mouth stresses you out.
How breathing through your nose improves your memory and focus.
What your breath has to do with back pain.
How nose-breathing boosts your immune system.
What sleep apnea in children has to do with special education needs.
3 simple yet powerful exercises that will leave you breathing easier.
Why the hell should you want to tape your mouth shut.
The study that found shallow breathing can lead to anxiety.
An exercise that will help you get more oxygen into your lungs.
Why your exhalation is the most important part of relaxation.
How breathing the right way can stop snoring.
Why the way you breathe during the day impacts your sleep at night.
The science proves that the quality of your breath determines the quality of your life.
So let’s dive in.
Xo, Mel
In this episode:
3:15: Why do we breathe, anyway? Seriously.
4:50: HOW are we supposed to breathe?
5:30: Ok, so what are we doing wrong when we breathe?
6:45: So what’s so important about breathing in through your nose?
7:55: Here’s what happens when your brain doesn’t get enough oxygen.
8:30: The antiviral gas only produced when you breathe from your nose.
10:00: How mouth breathing increased a child’s need for special education.
12:45: This statistic about breathing and anxiety is still blowing my mind.
16:00: 3 breathing exercises you’re not going to want to miss!
24:00: The incredible results I had after trying these breathing exercises.
25:20: Listen to what happens when I tape my mouth shut.
28:00: Breathing out through your mouth tells your brain this.
30:00: The study that found your breath is linked to anxiety.
31:15: How many times should you breathe in one minute?
32:00: Patrick coaches me into a proper BIG breath.
39:00: Why your exhalation is most important when it comes to reducing stress.
43:00: Why you should keep your mouth closed when you exercise.
45:00: What mouth breathing has to do with snoring.
51:00: Can better breathing help with sleep apnea?