Are You A Mouth Breather?
Being referred to as a “mouth breather” is considered an insult. When I hear it, I think of someone obnoxious, attempting unsuccessfully to process thoughts, mouth agape. And there is a whole book on why that phrase came to be.
Ironically, the breathwork practice I facilitate happens to be through the mouth. So, 2 + 2 = whaa? Can’t be. The question of whether to breathe through the nose or the mouth became a rattling one that I needed answered.
My mouth breath meditation practice is one that’s meant to be choppy and rough, as if going through a stormy sea. Its gentle integration after is when we float in calm waters. With this, mouth breathing accentuates the intake of breath and maximizes the experience. But the other hours in the day, no mouth breath? Hmm.
Before a Wim Hof class at Frequency Mind, the instructor, Avi Greenberg, was chatting with a student about her mouth taping experience.
Mouth taping? I had to look it up. It turns out that mouth taping is a practice done during sleep hours, to train the mouth to stay closed, so all the breath moves through the nose. Mouth breathing does a number on the physical body, causing all sorts of issues incl high blood pressure, dry throat, snoring, and even cavities (source: the book Breath by James Nestor).
Also, our nose is a use it or lose it part of our body, so the best way to prevent congestion? Breathe through your nose.
I consume any solidly researched info I can on breathing, and I was sold on mouth taping, so I bought surgical tape. I thought I might feel claustrophobic doing it, but guess what? It’s oddly comforting. It feels like being tucked into bed by someone you dearly love. I haven’t once wanted to remove it. If you are interested, I suggest doing your own research before deciding to give it a try. I highly recommend reading James Nestor’s book, Breath. It’s well researched and offers plenty of information.