Breathe Easier & Better: The Healing Power of Breath
- Lauren Joy
- Mar 26
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 17
How breathing consciously, correctly & deeply positively influences weight loss, ADHD, asthma, digestion, blood pressure, anxiety & depression
Before you get the wrong idea, I'm not much into wellness fads or health hacks (even the word "hack" sounds really unpleasant).
Although, there was a time in my early 30s when I tried some whacky things in the name of better health, but I'll leave that to another blog.
Occasionally, a gold nugget of health-inspiring info crosses my path, and I feel compelled to try it and share it.
That brings me to the subject of this blog and a brief backstory of what inspired me to tape my mouth closed.
When I was younger, my brother called me Darth Vader...
I didn't get that nickname from wearing black capes or wielding imaginary lightsabers, I got it from the heavy mouth-breathing sound I made when I was sleeping.
I think I earned the title after falling asleep on one too many family car trips, with my mouth gaping open, making laboured breathing sounds.
I may teach breathwork now, but when I was younger, I had a really disconnected relationship with my breath.
Back then, I was an anxious little chest breather and mouth breather, who hated and feared Cross Country Sports Day, which involved running for waaay too long.
Breathing easier now - so what changed?
In my late 20s, I started working with a somatic practitioner, and that kickstarted a process of reconnecting with my breath and my body that is continuing to this day.
Using my own body as a guinea pig, I made two fascinating breath-related discoveries:
Healing unresolved trauma had a knock-on benefit when it came to naturally deepening my breathing; I literally breathed easier
My cardiovascular ability improved at least *50%, not from doing more exercise, but from focusing on conscious breathing
(*Not an exact figure, but it's my way of saying I switched from having the endurance of a mildly asthmatic child to the robust lungs of a healthy Surf Life Saving Nipper!)
In other words, I'm already a breath convert, that is, I know firsthand the extraordinary healing power of breath.
That's why James Nestor's Breath book already had me at the title!
The Breath book blew me away! (pun intended)
There was chapter, after chapter, of such compelling science-backed discoveries about the healing power of breath that I was regularly asking myself (and whoever was in the room) in exasperation: How is this not part of mainstream medicine or public knowledge?
Verified accounts of people healing from seemingly incurable conditions, such as: emphysema, asthma, lung disease, high blood pressure, severe digestive issues, sleep disorders and even scoliosis! Along with evidence that breathing consciously and correctly positively influences weight loss, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and more conditions than I can list here.
I was also fascinated at how mouth breathing, instead of nose breathing, literally alters the shape and structure of the human face, and even contributes to crooked teeth and tooth decay.
The book cited an orthodontist who recommended taping the mouth closed at night to patients who were chronic mouth-breathers; it's also something the author of the book underwent to reverse the damaging physical affects of mouth breathing.
After reading this, I was inspired to conduct my own strange-but-true breathing experiment.
Nose breathing experiment: How I taped my mouth closed...
For two weeks, before going to sleep at night, I applied a postage-sized amount of surgical tape across my top and bottom lip, like a small Charlie Chaplin moustache that's slid down.
My partner, who is as open-minded as he is supportive, donned the tape too in the name of wellness curiosity and shared experience. (Yes, we were quite the sight!)
Then, after waking in the morning, we'd apply a bit of water and remove it.
VERY IMPORTANT Note: The purpose of this blog is NOT to encourage you to replicate this experiment (especially if you have medical considerations); rather, the aim of this blog is to inspire you to reflect on your own breathing style, and to motivate MORE conscious nose breathing throughout your day!
What health issue motivated us to go to this extreme?
Late last year, we both came down with a flu that really affected our lungs and breath, particularly of a nighttime.
Although it had eased greatly, my partner was still having some really unpleasant and scary episodes of coughing and choking at night.
Both of us felt like we were predominantly nose breathing during the day, but at night, particularly in the very early hours of the morning, something seemed to be going awry.
Prior to this breathing experiment or even reading this book, I had already noticed that the mornings I felt groggy were the same mornings I woke up with my mouth open.
Nose breathing the WHOLE night - what we noticed:
Fresher and more energy (regardless of whether I got my usual 7-8 hours)
Deeper sleep (more vivid dreams) and less wakefulness
Less urge to go to the bathroom at night
No snoring (not that I snore!) or choking episodes
Breathing more deeply through my nose during the day
Emotionally calmer throughout the day
Healing power of breath: Let's get back to basics!
You don't need to tape your mouth closed to improve your relationship with your breath or to harness the healing power of breath.
Simply inhaling more through your nose and regularly extending the length of your exhalations is a powerful start.
If there is one message I'd like to leave you with it's this: If you're overwhelmed by the smorgasbord of health and wellness options out there, then come back to basics. And it doesn't get more basic - or more beneficial - than your breath.
If you'd like to discover the healing power of breath for yourself, email hello@laurenjoywilson.com or call 0401 924 156 for more information about one-on-one consultations (in-person / online) or breathwork class options in Cairns.
Keep listening to your body and trusting your wise self,
Lauren x
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