Inevitably when someones brings up breath work to me they mention they heard they should breath in their nose and out their mouth.
This seems to be the most common style just thrown around in pop culture.
So why is this and is it even good to do?
Well the reason it’s likely spread so widely is because it works. But at the same time any form of slow breathing does something.
This style in particular though will help to reduce one’s anxiety or stress as needed, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a daily practice.
It does this because it both slows down your breathing rate and lets off plenty of CO2. Slowing your breathing down will help make you feel more calm. Simultaneously blowing off extra CO2 (which can cause stress) will create a sense of relaxation.
Those two effects are great in a time of great need. But remember something you use on an as needed emergency basis is not usually prescribed for daily use. People with allergies hopefully don’t use epipens daily after-all.
Instead try to slow your breathing down on both the inhales and the exhales while breathing only through your nose. This is a great practice to incorporate daily. It too will make you feel more calm while also making the nose in mouth out practice more effective when you truly need it.
