As I write this, my husband is getting a much-needed septum surgery so he can breathe better. I sit here excited for what will open up for him. The nose and breathing have fascinated me since 2009 since certain yogic breathing practices helped me get rid of sinusitis and gave me hits of endorphins such as anandamide that left me feeling high. (anandamide can be naturally produced by the body and has cannabinoid effects).

Since then, my experience, understanding, and awe of the breath and respiratory apparatus has only increased through circumstances and grace.

In 2011 my daughter was born with a posterior tongue-tie that led me through an incredible journey that inspired and became part of an award-winning documentary film. In 2015 I had a tongue-tie release myself, which had a direct impact on reducing my anxiety levels and fascial tension.

In two days, a client of mine who had Bell's Palsy growing up will have a septoplasty, turbinate reduction, and tongue tie release so that the effects of our work on his health can be compounded. (You can read about how John stopped snoring here. )Another client had a septoplasty earlier this month and is no longer mouth breathing. Other clients, I have sent for consultation to myofunctional dentists and ENTs for clinical assessment because I feel they need support to remove functional breathing restrictions. Yet another client got off her CPAP machine through our work together, another stopped having allergic rhinitis and another observed a marked increase in her ability to concentrate since doing some ayurvedic "nose-work" together.

The reason I'm sharing this is because my clients do not come to me to have their breathing checked. They come because they have insomnia, anxiety, hormonal issues, autoimmune conditions along with exacerbated anxiety or they just want to learn to meditate. Yet all these issues have a direct if only partial correlation to breathing function.

The first thing I notice about anyone is their energy signature, their breathing, and compensatory postural adaptations caused by poor breathing. Is the person nasal or mouth breathing, what is the pace, is it diaphragmatic or chest breathing or high up in the clavicle? Is it loud or soundless, are they holding their breath at the top of the inhale? In a few moments, my system does a complete assessment. All this may happen in 10 seconds or less. They may lay down for relaxation and I notice the aperture size of the nostrils, size of ears, jawline, and tension in the jaw. This gives me data that helps me understand what may be contributing to them experiencing the symptoms they share.

Many have been recommended to breathe or meditate by their physiotherapist or doctor or just use a breathing app and despite their best efforts see minimal or no improvements.

This article comes from a heartfelt desire for every human to have access to the fullness of the primary gift of life- breath.

The Context:

What Yogā and Āyurveda say about the Nose, Brain, and Consciousness

The nose is given tremendous importance in both these sciences.

Acharya Vagbhatta writes “Nasa hi shirso dwaram" meaning, the nose is the gateway to the brain.

It can be argued that we access consciousness through the breath because without breath, there is no vitality, and no conscious experience of life. In yogā, this aspect or thread of the life force or prānā is called udana prānā. When its function is impaired, there can be life, as in the case of a person in a coma, but no consciousness.

Therefore, if we are to live fully, at a purely physical level, we must breathe fully. Irrespective of our differences in perspective and belief systems, we can all agree that breath is the fundamental experience that gives us access to life.

Āyurveda, along with Yogā provide

• tools for healing and maintenance of the nasal apparatus

• for the purpose of optimal physical functioning

• so we can access prana, the life force in subtler aspects of existence and experience through targetted breath-stimulated practices

• that allow us to experience pranayama (expansion of life force and vitality) as an embodied experience

• so our brains, minds, bodies, and hearts open to our human experience personally and collectively

• so we have glimpses that help us realize in an embodied way that separation is an illusion

• and are patiently and trustfully diligent in discovering who we really are beyond our self-image and personality

• so we can have an embodied experience of being effortlessly established in ease, connection (non-duality), and joy that is our true nature.

Yogic and Āyurvedic Practices to Optimize Nasal Function

Together they provide these modalities for the optimization of your nose so it can function well

• neti or irrigation with lukewarm saline water, to clean the nose and irrigate the sinuses.

• nasya to lubricate the nose, improve immunity, reduce allergic rhinitis, sinusitis and administer certain drugs nasally for better bio-absorption

• nasal marmani massage to stimulate key points for prana to flow optimally, so assimilation of the life force is optimized

• sutra neti to remove obstructions (this is not recommended to be practiced without guidance or supervision)

Only after nasal function is optimized and dietary and lifestyle changes are made, can we experience the subtle yet expansive effects of breath-catalysed practices such as Prāṇāyāma.

The Gifts Western Medicine and Science Offer

Every system is created by the same Source as an expression of creativity providing varied portals to access the same energy.

Western science and medicine provide tremendous help for cases where physical form inhibits function. If there is a mechanical obstruction that is purely physical, no amount of Āyurveda or Yogā can help. This needs a clinical intervention. Improper breathing can cause lowered immunity, a loss of the ability to concentrate or be present, sleep disturbances, mood changes, and more.

These are some of the mechanical obstructions that can impair nose and breathing function

• a high arched upper palate

• deviated nasal septum

• tongue or lip tie

• inflamed turbinates

• narrow or obstructed airway (this can have several causes that would take too much space to expand on here)

All of these can be corrected by simple surgical procedures. They will also most often need rehabilitation and breath re-training.

What This Means for You

The purpose of this article is only to create awareness. You may want to look more deeply into this if

• you wake up thirsty in the middle of the night or with a dry mouth in the morning

• you struggle to breathe in and out of one nostril

• you have frequent colds or allergic colds

• you have frequent sinusitis

• you snore in your sleep

• your normal breathing is loud or sounds laboured

Please note that this is not by any means a comprehensive list and many factors are correlated. For instance, because my client had sleep apnea, he slept poorly, had an unhealthy diet using sugar to compensate for the lack of cellular energy, etc. Losing weight through Āyurvedic dietary protocols, along with nasya, marmani massage, and nighttime nasal breathing training helped him stop snoring. His surgery will help him optimize breathing function through his left nostril, retrain his tongue, and relax his jaw.

Another client was referred to a chiropractor specializing in corrective posture, TMJ release, and postural corrections to support the Āyurveda practices and functional breathing training I was offering. Yet another person was recommended to see a myofunctional dentist and orthodontist for palate expansion.

It is a blessing and privilege to work alongside some incredible health and medical professionals both in the Cayman Island where I live and worldwide to support clients in breathing well. As one ENT I work with said, some patients have to have surgery, some patients could work with Yogā and Āyurveda and avert surgery and some could be helped with a combination of both. It all depends on the presentation and the patient's willingness to learn and comply with practices that will help them.

To conclude, we do not know everything, but we need what everyone (specialists) know in order to better support ourselves and our breathing.

I kept this article as brief as I could. Should you have any questions, please feel free to add in the comments below.

As a special gift, I am sharing with you for a limited time, an Interview with leading global lingadontist Dr. Yeu Weng Chu who I interviewed for my High on Life, High on Breath Breathing and Pranayama Summit in 2021 that was endorsed by the Chopra Foundation. I think you will find this extremely valuable.

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