Why we breathe through the nose

Mouth breathing is a habit. Nasal breathing is a practice. The difference matters more than most people realise.

Your nose filters, warms, and humidifies air before it reaches your lungs. It produces nitric oxide — a vasodilator that improves oxygen uptake by 18%. It paces your inhale and exhale into a natural rhythm that signals safety to your nervous system.

Mouth breathing during exertion or sleep is associated with chronic dehydration, snoring, dental crowding, and elevated cortisol.

In class, we breathe through the nose for nearly every pose — even during demanding sequences. It feels harder at first. After a few weeks, it transforms how you move on and off the mat.

Try this: at your desk, right now, breathe in through your nose for four counts, out through your nose for six. Repeat for five rounds. Notice what shifts.