You may think you know how to breathe - but you’re probably doing it all wrong.

Take a deep breath. If you did that through your mouth, your breathing all wrong. 

There are some real benefits to nose breathing, and about 80% of us aren’t doing that. Your nose is custom made for breathing and is equipped with special features that prepare the air to enter your lungs. The nostrils and sinuses filter and warm the air you’re taking in. Mouth breathing bypasses that filter and can worsen symptoms of asthma , allergies and sleep apnea.

When we inhale and exhale through the mouth, we’re actually overbreathing. The precious oxygen we need is absorbed by the lungs on the exhale. Because the nostrils are smaller, we exhale through them more efficiently, allowing our lungs to retain more oxygen with each breath. Nose breathing can also increase our awareness and enhance memory and experience. Our brains depend on our sense of smell, even when we don’t realize it. Breathing through the mouth reduces or eliminates that subconscious information.