Last week we discussed the importance of breathing through your nose with your mouth shut.
Nose breathing warms and filters the air, raises oxygen absorption, and boosts nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide is great for whole body health but in terms of immunity it can act as a first line of defense against possible bacterial or viral infections.
To read more about nose breathing and immunity click here.
There is another way to boost your nitric oxide that is surprising and cool!
I promised to share that with you this week.
Drumroll please:
Humming!!!!!!
Humming increases air flow in the sinuses and can boost nitric oxide levels by 15-20 fold!
Humming also reduces stress, induces calm, enhances sleep and boosts a feeling of well-being.
It’s also fun to do!
Maybe this explains why many meditative traditions include humming as part of the meditative exercises.
Notice that when you hum – your mouth is automatically closed.
Here is a humming exercise you can try to boost immunity: (source)
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Breathe through your nose with mouth closed and the tip of your tongue resting behind your top front teeth.
(Note: if you can’t breathe through your nose do the Nose Unblocking exercise first). -
As you exhale slowly through your nose make a sustained “hmmmmmm…..” sound.
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Avoid pushing the air out with force. As with everything to do with breathing this should be done gently.
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Now, breathe in gently through your nose and repeat.
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The sinuses are air filled cavities located around your nose, temples and above your eye sockets. To increase the effect of the exercise you can gently massage those areas while doing the exercise.
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If you have a stubborn blocked nose or sinusitis repeat this exercise for 5 to 10 minutes, two to four times a day for a few days or until symptoms improve.
If you suffer from nasal congestion, recurrent sinusitis, or lingering cough and humming just isn’t enough to get you over the hump- contact me to set up a plan for you the heal your respiratory system!
Give your immune and respiratory systems a boost: breathe through your nose, and hum your way to health!
