The Healing Power of the Breath

The American Institute of Stress Your source for science-based stress management information Volume 7 Number 2 June 2018 In this Issue: The Healing Power of the Breath 3 JUNE 2018 CONTENTMENT The American Institute of Stress www.stress.org The mission of AIS is to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence of stress management in education, research, clinical care and the workplace. Diverse and inclusive, The American Institute of Stress educates medical practitioners, scientists, health care professionals and the public; conducts research; and provides information, training and techniques to prevent human illness related to stress. AIS provides a diverse and inclusive environment that fosters intellectual discovery, creates and transmits innovative knowledge, improves human health, and provides leadership to the world on stress related topics. 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Kirsch, PhD, DAAPM, FAIS CONTENTS 4 The Health Benefits of Nose Breathing 10 Healing Power Of The Breath 18 The Setup Breath: Exhaling Deeply First 19 Re-Association: Fusing Awareness and Sound with Deep Breathing Practices 23 Take A Deep Breath 26 Yogic Breathing: Ancient and Modern 32 One-Minute Relaxation Exercise for Busy People 3 JUNE 2018 CONTENTMENT The American Institute of Stress www.stress.org The Health Benefits of Nose Breathing “For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth.” -Sanskrit Proverb By Dr. Alan Ruth, BSc, MA, PhD, MBA, FAIS, FRSB reathing is one of the most breathing continues on its own, fundamental things we do, without our awareness, it does not Bday in and day out. Most necessarily mean that it is always people take it for granted that they functioning for optimum mental and do it correctly. Breathing is the physical health. The opposite is often only human act that we can do true. The problem with breathing is completely consciously or completely that it seems so easy and natural that unconsciously. Most people, of we rarely give it a second thought.” course breathe unconsciously the Although breathing is a tural vast majority of the time. function of human beings, it can be It has been estimated that approximately one-third of people negatively influenced by many factors don’t breathe well enough to sustain of modern living such as stress, normal health. These people do not sitting at a desk all day, eating get enough oxygenation of their processed foods, and excessive cells, tissues and organs. In the talking. book Behavioural and Psychological In the modern world, many people Approaches to Breathing Disorders, continuously over-breathe. Typical Dr. Chandra Patel describes the characteristics of over-breathing problem with breathing as follows: include mouth breathing, upper chest “We start life with a breath, and the breathing, sighing, noticeable process continues automatically for breathing during rest, and taking large the rest of our lives. Because breaths prior to talking. JUNE 2018 CONTENTMENT 4 The American Institute of Stress www.stress.org A Vital and Much Underrated Organ breathing through the mouth most of the time was not nature’s intention. The nose is a vital and much Many studies have demonstrated underrated organ. To realize its that chronic mouth breathing can importance, we only need to reflect result in a number of adverse health on when we last suffered from a bad consequences (see Table 1). cold. Nasal congestion and a runny According to Jefferson (2010): nose have a noticeable effect on our “The vast majority of health care ability to breathe, our energy level, professionals are unaware of the our ability to sleep, and our general negative impact of upper airway ability to function. According to otolaryngologist obstruction (mouth breathing) on Dr. Pat Barelli: “The role of the nose in health and Chronic mouth breathing in respiration has been greatly may contribute to: neglected by physicians.” (Timmons and Ley, 1994, p 47) • Introduction of unfiltered, poorly humidified air into the lungs Nose Breathing Versus • Upper-chest breathing (inefficient and tiring) Mouth Breathing • Chronic over-breathing • Greater incidence of snoring and sleep apnoea “Then the LORD God formed a • Bad breath, dental decay, gum disease man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of • Dysfunction of the jaw joint (Temporomandibular life, and the man became a living Joint Disorders) being.” • Narrowing of the dental arch, jaw and palate -Genesis 2:7 • Crowded and crooked teeth • Open bite, malocclusion (teeth not fitting The human nose was designed for together properly) breathing (and smelling) whereas the mouth was designed for eating, • Greater potential for relapse of orthodontic drinking and speaking. However, it corrections has been estimated that up to • Dysfunctions of the muscles around the jaw 30-50% of modern adults breathe and lips through the mouth, especially during • Loss of lip tone with the lips becoming flaccid the early morning hours. • Noisy eating, speech and swallowing problems Mouth breathing is common in individuals whose nasal passages are • Trauma to soft tissues in the airways blocked or restricted. A deviated • Enlarged tonsils and adenoids nasal septum or small nostril size can Table 1: Possible Adverse Consequences of lead a person to breathe through their Chronic Mouth Breathing. Adapted From mouth instead of their nose. However, Graham, T. (2012) 5 JUNE 2018 CONTENTMENT The American Institute of Stress www.stress.org normal facial growth and physiologic results in pollutants and germs being health. Children whose mouth drawn directly into the lungs. Cold breathing is untreated may develop and dry air in the airways makes the long, narrow faces, narrow mouths, secretions thick, slows the cleaning high palatal vaults, dental cilia, and slows down the passage of malocclusion, gummy smiles, and oxygen into the blood stream. many other unattractive facial Breathing through the nose has features… These children do not many health benefits (see Table 2). sleep well at night due to obstructed According to Cottle (1958), the nose airways; this lack of sleep can has at least 30 health protecting adversely affect their growth and functions/roles. These include academic performance. Many of the following: these children are misdiagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) • It warms, humidifies, and cleanses/ and hyperactivity.” filters air to prepare it for delivery Mouth breathing adversely affects the way the tongue works. It develops to the lungs. a ‘tongue thrust.’ This affects speech, • The structures within the nose swallowing and chewing. A tongue regulate the direction and velocity thrust occurs as a result of the tip of of the air stream to maximise the tongue resting against or between exposure to a network of fine the front teeth, and the tongue is arteries, veins, lymphatics, and positioned low in the mouth. The nerves, and to the mucous blanket. tongue should rest in the top of the mouth (with mouth closed) and • Nose breathing imposes provide an internal support for the approximately 50 percent more upper jaw. resistance to the air stream, as Mouth breathing plays a critical compared to mouth breathing. This role in asthma, especially exercise- results in 10 to 20 percent more induced asthma. In a study published oxygen uptake. There must be in the American Review of Respiratory sufficient nasal resistance during Disease, young asthma patients had inhalation to maintain elasticity of virtually no exercise-induced asthma the lungs. after exercising while breathing through their noses. However, they • Nose breathing results in the air experienced moderate bronchial passing through the nasal airway constriction after exercising while being slowed down by shelf-like mouth breathing. bony structures in the nose called Mouth breathing results in the turbinates. This allows the mixing mouth becoming dry. This increases of the air with an amazing gas the risk of mouth and

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