5 Ways to Improve Your Breathing for Better Health (With the #1 Breath Expert in the World)

In today’s episode, the incredible Patrick McKeown, international bestselling author of ten books on breathing and founder and CEO of The Oxygen Advantage, a world-leading breathwork training program, breaks down all things breathing.

This is not a lecture; it is a masterclass. His decades of research will blow you away, so let’s slow down and learn from the best in class.

You need this, and I need this. Why? Because you and I have been breathing all wrong.

Today Patrick is revealing the 5 ways breathing through your mouth hurts your health and leaves you feeling more anxious and stressed.

You and I are getting coached by the world's leading expert on functional breathing for better health, more focus, less pain, better sleep, and, honestly, a better you.

This is information that should be shouted from the rooftops. AND taught to parents, teachers, and health professionals everywhere.

These steps are so simple, and yet they’re incredibly impactful on ALL parts of your life: your work, your ability to play and have fun, and your relationships.

Best of all, this advice is ZERO-cost to you.

You will learn:

• What happens when you breathe through your nose
• How breathing through your mouth stresses you out
• How breathing through your nose improves your memory and focus
• What your breath has to do with back pain
• How nose-breathing boosts your immune system
• What sleep apnea in children has to do with special education needs
• 3 simple yet powerful exercises that will leave you breathing easier
• Why the hell should you want to tape your mouth shut
• The study that found shallow breathing can lead to anxiety
• An exercise that will help you get more oxygen into your lungs
• Why your exhalation is the most important part of relaxation
• How breathing the right way can stop snoring
• Why the way you breathe during the day impacts your sleep at night
  
  

The science proves that the quality of your breath determines the quality of your life.

So let’s dive in.

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Xo, Mel

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In this episode:

• 3:15: Why do we breathe, anyway? Seriously.
• 4:50: HOW are we supposed to breathe?
• 5:30: Ok, so what are we doing wrong when we breathe?
• 6:45: So what’s so important about breathing in through your nose?
• 7:55: Here’s what happens when your brain doesn’t get enough oxygen.
• 8:30: The antiviral gas only produced when you breathe from your nose.
• 10:00: How mouth breathing increased a child’s need for special education.
• 12:45: This statistic about breathing and anxiety is still blowing my mind.
• 16:00: 3 breathing exercises you’re not going to want to miss!
• 24:00: The incredible results I had after trying these breathing exercises.
• 25:20: Listen to what happens when I tape my mouth shut. 
• 28:00: Breathing out through your mouth tells your brain this.
• 30:00: The study that found your breath is linked to anxiety.
• 31:15: How many times should you breathe in one minute?
• 32:00: Patrick coaches me into a proper BIG breath.
• 39:00: Why your exhalation is most important when it comes to reducing stress.
• 43:00: Why you should keep your mouth closed when you exercise.
• 45:00: What mouth breathing has to do with snoring.
• 51:00: Can better breathing help with sleep apnea?

Resources and go deeper:

 Patrick McKeown:

• Check out his many resources at The Oxygen Advantage.
• Find more resources on his YouTube channel.
• This is the book that got me thinking about my breath.
• Patrick has a FREE app to help you monitor your breathing.
• Follow The Oxygen Advantage on Instagram.

Breathing:

• For Closed Captions: Watch on YouTube and turn on “CC.” For instructions to turn on closed captions, click here.
• Patrick McKeown: Nose-breathing vs. mouth breathing: the science.
• National Institutes of Health: Pediatric sleep disorders and special education.
• The Huff Post: Sleep problems in children linked to special education needs.
• CDC: Promoting sleep health in families with young children.
• Patrick McKeown: Investigating treatment of rhinitis with breathing techniques.
• National Library of Medicine: Effect of prayer and mantra on cardiovascular rhythms. 
• Stanford Medicine: Your breath and anxiety.
• National Library of Medicine: Myofunctional therapy to treat obstructive sleep apnea