Breath, the language of the body- Part 1
Breathing is so much more than just getting air into our bodies. It is the most intimate connection to our surroundings. Journalist James Nestor wrote a well-researched book titled Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. It’s not only informative, but also a gripping read. Some of the highlights follow:
Ancient Greeks and modern researchers alike have recognized the importance of the nose to health. It is respected as the gatekeeper of our bodies, pharmacist to our minds, and weather vane to our emotions. And although we can also breathe through our mouths (having another route provides a survival advantage), nasal breathing is much better for our health and more efficient than breathing through the mouth.
The interior of the nose is blanketed with erectile tissue, so that the nose responds when people are aroused. This tissue also cycles throughout the day (tissue lining one nostril congests while the other opens in 30 minute – 4 hour cycles).
Researchers now know that nasal erectile tissue mirrors states of health—it becomes inflamed during sickness. The right and left nasal cavities also control temperature and blood pressure, and feed the brain chemicals to alter our moods, emotions, and sleep states.
The right nostril is a “gas pedal.” Breathing through this side activates the sympathetic nervous system: Circulation speeds up, the body gets hotter, and cortisol levels, blood pressure, and heart rate increase. Inhaling through the right nostril also feeds more blood to the opposite (left) prefrontal cortex, which is associated with logical decisions, language, and computing.
Inhaling through the left nostril is like applying the “brake system.” It is more deeply connected to the parasympathetic nervous system, and lowers temperature and blood pressure, cools the body, and reduces anxiety. Left-nostril breathing shifts blood flow to the right side of the prefrontal cortex, which plays a role in creative thought, emotions, formation of mental abstractions, and negative emotions.
Kundalini and other yoga practices use nostril breathing techniques to influence the autonomic nervous system. Alternate nostril breathing exercises can balance sympathetic and parasympathetic systems; this pivoting between action and relaxation helps our bodies operate efficiently.
To stimulate the parasympathetic system, try placing your index finger over the right nostril and inhaling and exhaling only through the left for a few minutes. If your energy is flagging in the afternoon, or if you need to make an important logical decision, place your index finger over the left nostril, and inhale and exhale only through the right for a few minutes. Try it, it’s a quick and easy way to calm yourself down or perk yourself up.
A fascinating study looking at breathing was done at the University of California, San Diego. Over the course of three years of recording the breathing patterns of a schizophrenic woman, researchers found that she had significantly greater left nostril dominance when breathing. They hypothesized she overstimulated the right-side “creative part” of her brain, and so her imagination had run amok. They taught her to breathe more through the opposite “logical” nostril, and she experienced far fewer hallucinations.
There is so much more to share, but I’ll end Part 1 with words from a Chinese Taoist text from the eighth century, advising that the nose was the “heavenly door” and that breath must be taken in through it.