Happy Sunday! I hope you all enjoyed the extra hour of sleep as much as I did.
Last week, we learned that the nose might provide the link between slow breathing and improved emotional outcomes. Before we explore the modern science behind that idea, let’s go back a century and see what we can learn.
An odd sounding word
Over 100 years ago (1889 to be exact), an author named Guye coined the term “aprosexia.” Although it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, it’s pretty great:
Aprosexia
: The inability to focus your attention due to nasal obstructions.
Guye argued that headaches and the inability to perform difficult mental functions are both caused by mouth breathing. He even suggested that medical practitioners ensure that breathing was not “habitually or temporarily suspended by breathing through the mouth.” (That advice holds true today.)
Guye put particular emphasis on children feeling “over-pressured” in school. He believed that kids would not feel overwhelmed if they had normal nasal respiration. Finally, he concluded with the quote above.
Old becomes new
There is often hidden wisdom rooted in old observations. And the science is catching up. A new study of the brain suggests that nasal breathing is intimately connected to emotional control. We’ll explore that research next week.
Until then, let’s focus on breathing through our nose 24/7, especially during sleep. Because, as we have learned, that motto was updated in 1983 to reflect the importance of nasal breathing during rest:
While asleep, shut your mouth to save your brain.
In good breath,
Nick