🌬️ Just Breathe—But Do It Better

The Way You Breathe Is Probably Holding You Back

In the rush of daily life, most people develop dysfunctional breathing habits without even realizing it. Mouth breathing, chest breathing, shallow or erratic breathing—these patterns can quietly wreak havoc on your body and mind, contributing to anxiety, poor sleep, low energy, and even long-term changes in facial structure.

It didn't exactly feel like a nurturing moment when my mom told me I looked “slow” with my mouth hanging open as a kid. (It was the ’80s.) I remember feeling confused and mildly offended. I am not that, I thought indignantly. But now, as a mom myself—having caught my own daughter, years later, in that same slack-jawed daze—I get it. Would I say it the same way? Absolutely not. But I can see now that her instincts were trying to protect me… in her own special way.

Honestly, more parents should be saying something. We’ve become so allergic to correction that we let poor habits slide right into long-term health consequences. “Gentle parenting” is a beautiful idea—until it turns into passive parenting. Kids need guidance. Sometimes, that guidance looks like: "Close your mouth. Breathe through your nose." Not to silence them, but to help them thrive.

The hard part is—many parents are stuck in the same dysfunctional patterns themselves.

Case in point: I ran into an old acquaintance at the grocery store recently. Actually, smelled him first. (Years ago, I’d given him very specific advice on how to naturally get that scent out of his clothes—vinegar soak before washing—but clearly, he either didn’t care or couldn’t smell it.) His mouth hung open, his stare blank, and what struck me most was the absence of that spark he used to have in his eyes. Something had dimmed. It was unsettling.

And the worst part? He’s raising three daughters in that checked-out, belligerent state.

It’s heartbreaking—because we know how much of this can be reversed. But you can only lead a horse to water...

I believe parents who don’t guard their kids against this habit are doing real harm—bordering on abuse. Breath is life, and allowing a child to slip into chronic mouth breathing without intervention can cause profound consequences.

A 2019 review in the Journal of Pediatrics (Rio J) highlights just how serious this can be. Mouth breathing in children isn’t just a harmless quirk—it’s linked to sleep disturbances, allergic rhinitis, and, critically, impaired growth due to disrupted growth hormone release[^1]. The good news? Effective treatment can reverse these effects, but ignoring the problem only lets the damage deepen.

To further illustrate how widespread this issue is: I recently scrolled through my software's image library in search of a photo of someone taking a deep breath. What I found? Dozens of people with their heads thrown back, chins lifted toward the ceiling—an image we’ve come to associate with “big inhales.” (Even the image above is the lowest I could find of a so-called deep breath—and her head is still technically tilted back.) In reality, the most effective way to take a deep, nourishing breath is quite the opposite.

Tuck your chin.

That small adjustment not only gives you access to the breath you need and deserve—it also gently stimulates your thyroid. Every time you breathe this way, you're essentially giving your thyroid a pep talk: a soft, repeated massage that can support energy levels, metabolism, and even mood regulation throughout the day

Have you ever caught yourself sighing for no reason? Holding your breath while concentrating? Waking up with a dry mouth and foggy brain? These are all signs your breath may be out of sync with your body—and that you're not alone.

References

1. Morais-Almeida M., Wandalsen G. F., Solé D. (2019). Growth and mouth breathers. J Pediatr (Rio J), 95 Suppl 1:66–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2018.11.005

2. Sano M, Sano S, Oka N, Yoshino K, Kato T. Increased oxygen load in the prefrontal cortex from mouth breathing: a near-infrared spectroscopy study. Neuroreport. 2013;24(17):935–940. https://doi.org/10.1097/WNR.0000000000000008

3. Araújo, B. C. L., Simões, S. de M., Gois-Santos, V. T. de, & Martins-Filho, P. R. S. (2020). Association Between Mouth Breathing and Asthma: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep, 20(7), 24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-020-00921-9

4. Lin, L., Zhao, T., Qin, D., Hua, F., & He, H. (2022). The impact of mouth breathing on dentofacial development: A concise review. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 929165. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.929165

5. Menezes, V. A. de, Leal, R. B., Pessoa, R. S., & Pontes, R. M. E. S. (2015). Prevalence and factors related to mouth breathing in school children at the Santo Amaro project-Recife, 2005. Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology, 72(3), 394–398. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1808-8694(15)30975-7

6. Lee, B. J., Choi, J. H., Kim, S. W., Jeon, Y. J., & Yoon, B. N. (2022). Effects of Mouth-Taping in Patients with Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Preliminary Study. Healthcare, 10(9), 1682. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10091682

Why Breath Matters

Your breath is the only autonomic function you can consciously control. That means it’s always happening in the background—but you also have the power to manually reset your nervous system at any time.

When breathing is done well, it:

✅ Enhances oxygen flow to your brain and organs
✅ Reduces anxiety and emotional reactivity
✅ Improves focus, sleep quality, and digestion
✅ Encourages proper facial muscle tone and posture
✅ Even supports jaw and dental alignment over time

Signs of Dysfunctional Breathing

Breath coaches and somatic therapists look for subtle but impactful patterns that may be harming your health, including:

• Mouth breathing (especially during sleep)

• Poor tongue posture (e.g. low or inactive tongue)

• Shallow chest breathing

• Audible or irregular breathing (including frequent sighs, gasps, or pauses)

• Facial tension or overuse of neck and shoulder muscles during breath

These issues often go unnoticed—but once you become aware of them, they're totally addressable.

You’re not alone—the science is clear.

It’s long been understood that mouth breathing and poor sleep can harm a child’s development. A key 2013 study was among the first to directly examine how these issues impact the brain, revealing that children with sleep-disordered breathing—often characterized by chronic mouth breathing—perform worse on tests of attention, working memory, and emotional regulation[^2]. This happens because disrupted breathing during sleep limits oxygen supply to the brain and breaks up deep sleep cycles, which are crucial for developing the prefrontal cortex—the brain’s control center for focus, self-discipline, and decision-making. Simply put: some behaviors mistaken for ADHD may actually stem from airway-related breathing problems.

A comprehensive 2020 meta-analysis revealed a significant association between mouth breathing and asthma in both children and adults, suggesting that this habit may contribute to or worsen respiratory conditions[^3]. Meanwhile, research from China highlights the profound effects mouth breathing can have on dentofacial development, often caused by hypertrophy of the adenoids and/or tonsils leading to upper airway obstruction. This obstruction can result in abnormal dental growth patterns, malocclusion, and increased risk of oral diseases like cavities and gum problems[^4]. These studies underscore just how far-reaching and serious the consequences of this seemingly simple habit can be.

A landmark Brazilian study (Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2015) found that over half (53.3%) of children surveyed were mouth breathers, with a slightly higher prevalence in females[^5]. The physical impacts were striking:

• Incomplete lip closure (58.8%)

• Dark circles under the eyes (97.5%)

• High palates and anterior open bite

• Fallen eyes and hypotonic (weak) lips

And this wasn’t just about appearance—mouth breathing was associated with complaints like:

• Poor sleep and nighttime choking

• Tiredness during physical activity

• Neck and back pain

• Irritability, poor concentration, and reduced performance in school or sports

These aren’t rare side effects. They’re telltale signs of a breathing pattern that’s become disconnected from what the body truly needs. And while this study focused on children, many adults carry these same patterns forward—often without realizing how much they’re affecting energy, focus, posture, and even facial structure.

Techniques Therapists Use to Bring Awareness to Breath

In private sessions, we often begin with awareness-based tools to help clients reconnect with their breath in a safe, supported way:

🫁 "Resting Breath Face" Checks
Learn how your face should feel at rest—where your tongue belongs, how soft your jaw can be, and how your breath moves when everything is in sync.

👃 Nasal Awareness Practices
Retrain your body to trust nasal breathing again—even during sleep—through gentle coaching and tools like nasal tape or facial support bands.

🪞 Mirror Feedback + Gentle Touch
Seeing yourself breathe or receiving subtle touch cues helps bring awareness to unconscious strain or tension.

🧘‍♀️ Facial Yoga + Positioning Exercises
Simple movements like the “duck face,” jaw lifts, or gentle chin tucks activate underused muscles that support nasal airflow, posture, and breath alignment.

🔁 Positive Reinforcement Techniques
We highlight and celebrate moments of “right” breathing so your body can memorize the feeling—and come back to it with ease.

📼 Overnight Audio or Video Recording
Many clients are shocked by what they discover in sleep recordings—mouth sounds, gasps, long pauses. But after just a few sessions, they see calmer breath patterns and deeper integration, even during unconscious states.

🩹 Physical Aids: Gentle Mouth Taping
For clients struggling with sleep-time mouth breathing, hypoallergenic mouth tape may support nasal dominance and reduce sleep-disordered breathing. A 2022 study showed a ~50% drop in apnea and snoring indexes with this simple, non-invasive technique in mild OSA cases [^6].

Breathwork Exercises You Can Try at Home

Here are a few foundational breath techniques I often share in sessions:

🌬️ Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana)
Balances the left and right brain hemispheres, reduces stress, and supports clear thinking. Great for transitions—like before bed or after work.

📏 Box Breathing (4-4-4-4)
Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. This military-tested technique calms the nervous system and sharpens focus.

⏳ Extended Exhale Breathing
Inhale for 4, exhale for 6–8. This simple shift activates your parasympathetic system (rest-and-digest) and lowers cortisol levels.

💓 Coherent Breathing (5–6 breaths/minute)
Breathing slowly and evenly—usually 5–6 seconds in, 5–6 seconds out—can stabilize heart rate variability and bring your entire system into harmony.

🫀 Thyroid Massage Breaths (Chin-Tucked Belly Breathing)
With your chin gently tucked, breathe deeply into your belly. This supports lymphatic flow, tones vagal nerve pathways, and offers subtle thyroid stimulation throughout the day.

You’re Probably Breathing Well More Often Than You Think

The goal isn’t perfect breath all day—it’s learning to notice when you’re off and how to gently reset.

While I’ve shared some gold here, this is just the start.

In breathwork training, you’ll learn how to work with key acupoints—not just where they are, but how you can use tools found on Amazon to release tension and anxiety yourself at home. For example, points like LI-15 on the shoulder, the shoulder blade area, and GV-14 near the 7th cervical vertebrae connect internally to the lungs and large intestine, affecting breath and stress.

If you have a partner or loved one, bringing them in to a session can be invaluable. They’ll learn personalized ways to support your breathing and stress patterns—beyond just knowing about acupoints, they’ll learn how to assist you with your awareness.

Our work follows a clear structure over 4–6 weeks:

1. Session 1: Short introductory session

2. Session 2: First short stress test (~30 minutes)

3. Session 3: Partner or solo session (up to 1 hour) focused on personalized support based on how you hold stress

4. Sessions 4 & 5: Brief 15-minute check-ins over the next one or two weeks

5. Session 5 or 6: Final, longer stress test (~1 hour)

Stress tests are focused and professional—please attend solo, stay focused, and “walk it out.” No family or friends during these sessions, unless medically necessary.

After completing your breathwork training, you’re invited to join our hiking and walking group—a supportive community for recovering mouth and short breathers—with minimal fees to enjoy healthy company and ongoing encouragement.

Ready to Go Deeper?

Book a private breath session with me—featuring red light therapy, memory foam support, and personalized coaching to reconnect you with your breath and body.

✨ Book at www.ecotreater.com/shop

With care,
Rose (Dr. Young, DAOM)
Breath Coach | Whole Body Optimist

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