As you move through everyday life, breathing in and out through the nose (rather than the mouth) is beneficial for overall health and well-being.
When practicing Breathwork, or conscious breathing, nose breathing has an effect of relaxation and mouth breathing has an effect of activation. There are benefits of breathing through the mouth that we don’t get when using a pattern that is all through the nose.
When a system is activated in a safe container and the breather understands they are in full control, this activation may be exactly what the breather needs for a release, breakthrough, or transformation. Mouth breathing can aid in healing and release when done for shorter periods of time during a Breathwork practice (different than habitually breathing through the mouth).
Nose Breathing vs Mouth Breathing
Nose Breathing
- Filters air & traps large particles (first line of immune defense)
- Supports posture and diaphragm control
- Naturally slows respiration rate
- Increases level of nitric oxide & CO2 (vasodilators) thereby increasing oxygen transport
- Engages parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation response)
- Reduces likelihood of snoring and apnea while sleeping
Mouth Breathing
- Promotes inefficient upper chest breathing
- Affects overall body posture
- Often results in overbreathing
- With overbreathing, CO2 is reduced and less oxygen is released to tissues and organs
- Engages sympathetic nervous system (activation response)
- Used in breathwork to activate the system and can facilitate release and transformation
Freemyer, A. PhD. (2021). Pause Breathwork Facilitator Training Master Manual (p. 73).
