Permission to Go Sympathetic

An interesting thing happens when someone not just learns – but experiences ­– how breathing through their nose, instead of through their mouth, can radically alter how they feel. Consider it an invaluable life hack, activated. Like, Oh! You mean I can make myself calmer, at any time, in just a few breaths through my nose? (Uh, yeah.) Needless to say, it’s a charming thing to witness.

Here’s the deal: breathing through your nose increases parasympathetic tone, the rest and digest mode of your autonomic nervous system. This knowledge is empowering, particularly when you acknowledge that you already have the capacity to alter your mood through breath – at any time, too. Oh, and not only is this skill readily accessible, it’s FREE!

However, a reminder: A life blissed out in the mountains, singing kumbaya all-day-everyday, is neither the goal, nor the most functional expression of breath control.

By all means, breathing through your nose as often as possible is extremely beneficial to your health. Additionally, downregulating yourself using intentional breathwork is also highly beneficial. Keep doing both!

ALSO, it’s okay to breathe through your mouth, given appropriate context. And, equally so, it’s okay to choose to upregulate yourself – to elicit a more sympathetic state, the fight or flight response – in order to navigate your way towards “better”. 

Did Usain Bolt run the world record in the 100-meter dash with nasal breathing? Sure didn’t…

To better understand how and when to breathe to breathe optimally, in a way that objectively and subjectively is most optimal for YOU, I invite you to join me for the next Breath & Exposure Seminar. Mark your calendars now for Sunday, September 13!