So how are YOUR tubes?
I was lucky enough to attend a talk given by this man, Buteyko trainer Roger Price, at a Yoga Anatomy & Physiology workshop I did some years ago with Simon Borg Olivier.
It was fascinating.
I invite you to watch this 23 minute video, that gives a simplified version of how the lungs work, how we should breathe for optimum quality of life, and perhaps dispelling some myths we may have about it all.
This explanation expands on why, at Pure-Li Yoga, I emphasize the importance of diaphragmatic breathing and consciously taking in only small amounts of air through the nostrils in our yoga practice. I am so excited and inspired to share what I have learned with Simon and indeed Roger.
Being conscious of how we breathe is where we start.
Noticing how we breathe on and off the mat, you might agree, is a worthwhile practice. If we are aware that we tend to breathe more, and shallowly, when we get stressed, we may be able to take control of that in the moment, and practice diaphragmatic breathing, in turn bringing ourselves out of the sympathetic nervous system, and so lessening the effects of stress and perhaps even the stress itself.
I recently experimented with this;
For two weeks, every night I went to bed with tape over my mouth, keeping it shut while I slept. Despite the reactions of friends when I told them what I was at, I didn’t feel scared or trapped or anxious about it an any way.
On the contrary, I actually really liked it. As soon as that strip sealed my lips, a strange sense of security and calm came over me. Maybe it was my nervous system having an instant response to nostril breathing? The familiarity from my yoga and meditation practice, the calming effect that these practices have on me? I don’t know but whatever it was, I slept BETTER!
I went to bed feeling more relaxed and I woke feeling more relaxed.
It came about after one of my regular visits to my dentist, after a discussion we had on the benefits of nostril breathing and the negative effects of mouth breathing, to include dental problems! He said it usually only takes two weeks of taping, to train the body to sleep with the mouth staying closed by itself. However this was not so for me, I think I need to keep it up for a bit longer! It’s not, as it turns out, the best bedtime look, haha! So perhaps the dark of winter is a good time to experiment with this folks!!
I’m sure there are those out there with an argument for the contrary, and there is nothing in this video about those who actually can’t nostril breathe due to an obstruction of some sort, but perhaps there would be more on that at the Breathing Well website. And I would recommend Robert Price if you were interested in looking into it more deeply. Results of nostrill breathing include: it stops bed-wetting in children, waking in the night with the sensation of a full bladder, snoring, sleep apnoea, tiredness, stress and lots more.
I can vouch for at least THREE of these (no not bed-wetting!).
For me, the outstanding reason to practice nostril breathing, is the dramatic effect it has on the nervous system.
Would you like to improve the quality of your life? Sleep better, stress less, feel less hungry so often?
Ask yourself – are you breathing through your mouth or your nostrils? Are you using your diaphragm to breathe? And go from there … I hope to bring more calm and less stress to your lives by sharing this post …
If we are less reactionary and more responsive in life, we can navigate our way through with less suffering and more awareness, and perhaps a clearer sense of reality.
Don’t forget … I T ‘ S A P R A C T I C E !
And as always, have fun with it!
Love Li xo
Feel free to comment or ask questions in the comment boxes below!