Lots of research has gone in to the benefits of nasal breathing and the harmful affects mouth breathing.  We are innate nasal breathers.  Things like the common cold, allergies and stuffy noses cause us to breathe through our mouths and over extended periods of time continuing in that pattern, facial development changes.  You will notice that habitual mouth breathers tend to have longer faces, narrow palates and crowded teeth.  The natural position of your tongue should be the roof of your mouth, positioned just behind your upper front teeth.  With the tongue resting in the roof of your mouth you are an automatic nasal breather.  Just try it! Catching this pattern early, while teeth are still developing, the teeth can form around the tongue helping to eliminate crowding and promote proper facial structure.

The importance of breathing properly, through your nose, maximizes the oxygenation of your brain, heart and other working muscles.  Patrick McKeown, the author of  The Oxygen Advantage states in his book, “It is a common misconception that breathing in a larger volume of air increases the oxygenation of the blood.  However, it is physiologically impossible to increase the oxygen saturation of the blood in this way, because the blood is almost always already fully saturated.  It would be like pouring more water into a glass that is already filled to the brim.”  He goes on to further explain the role of Carbon Dioxide in our bodies and our incorrect view of how this is harmful to our bodies.  Take a moment to view his introductory video.  You will be surprised how many of us breathe incorrectly or are “overbreathers” and how this can cause serious health issues that can possibly be reversed and quite possibly have been prevented.