“The chief agency for keeping the blood pure is the air. When the blood returns to the lungs after one complete round over the body, it is impure and contains poisonous elements. The oxygen of the air which we inhale purifies this blood and is assimilated into it, while the nitrogen absorbs the poisonous matter and is breathed out. The air which we inhale is taken into the lungs through the windpipe, and the blood is purified by it. It is of the utmost importance to breathe through the nose, instead of through the mouth.”
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Source: A Guide to Health (1921), Chapter II 'The Human Body'.
About this quote
Breath is the quiet engine of the body, and how you breathe matters as much as that you do. Drawing air through the nose rather than the mouth is a small, almost invisible habit, yet practiced steadily it settles the body and earns the deliberate attention most people never give it.
When to use it
- A runner learns to breathe through her nose on easy miles and finds her pace steadier.
- Before a stressful call, a man takes three slow breaths through his nose to settle himself.
- A student tapes a note to his monitor reminding him to unclench his jaw and breathe evenly while working.