Nose for Breathing, Mouth for Eating

I am a good sleeper. I go to bed and usually wake up eight hours later. But last night was different. I couldn't sleep very well. I woke up several times during the night, feeling somewhat restless. The reason was obvious: my nose was clogged, and I couldn't breathe through it, so I had to breathe through my mouth. It felt awful. In the morning, my mouth was dry, my throat a little sore, and my body and mind were tired.

In the book ‘Science of Breath,’ the Yogis explain why breathing through our noses is key to our health. When we breathe through our mouths, we are violating one of nature's laws and inviting disease into our bodies.

Your nose is designed for breathing, your mouth is designed for eating. The nostrils serve two functions:

1. They warm up the air before it enters your lungs.

2. They filter out substances that might harm your breathing passages.

We can only filter air through our nose. When we breathe through the mouth, there is nothing from the mouth to the lungs to filter the air or catch the dust. Dirt or impurities have a clear path to the lungs.

The Yogis understood this centuries ago, and now there is substantial scientific evidence confirming that mouth breathing is detrimental to our health. You can find more information in the book ‘Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art’ by James Nestor, which is filled with research, studies, and experiments explaining the benefits of nose breathing and the health consequences of mouth breathing.

Remember, your body is intelligent. Your nose should be used for breathing, and your mouth for eating. You wouldn't try to eat a sandwich through your nose, would you?

Stop breathing through your mouth then. Use what nature intended for you to use: your nose.

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