Breathe not only clean, but well breathe

As we pass the four-year mark – 30 million souls – and enter the fifth year of the global pandemic, we know that clean air is a key pillar of health. However, it was not prioritized at the community level. To fill this gap, many of us around the world continue to practice evidence-based protection against airborne viruses in our daily lives: filtering and ventilating indoor air, and wearing high-quality, well-fitting masks (or respirators). But when you have a well-sealed mask, it's tempting to breathe through your mouth – which is what the dentist who is keen to deal with Covid pointed out. Because of this, mask wearers are at risk of dry mouth and negative effects over time on the gums. It was my dentist who recommended me to read Breathing, a nonfiction book that recounts Nestor's scientific and personal journey in research, the effects of breathing on the human body, the benefits of certain breathing techniques, and the harms of others. It was probably intended to be published on the fiftieth anniversary of the Clean Air Act in the United States, rather than during a global airborne pandemic. But it was timely, though—it's never important to understand how the ways we breathe affect our health. By the end of the book, it is claimed that "breathing is a missing substrate of health" should exist alongside what we eat and how we move our bodies, if we are able.

Breathe through your nose as much as possible.

Nestor explains it simply: "Breathing through the [chronic] mouth is terrible." Breathing through your nose is healthier for you overall. It can also significantly improve athletic performance – which bodes well for anyone looking for improvements in physical endurance. When breathing through the nose, keep your lips close and rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth. To help avoid breathing through the mouth, look for breathable masks that work well for you. My personal favorites are 3M Auras, BNX boat-shaped N95s, and BreatheTeq masks. Your local mask store may be able to help you find the right one for you. In a shocking revelation, it's not just a fad: putting duct tape over the mouth at night helps many people breathe better, both at night and the next. But you don't need a subscription service to do this! Nestor recommends using a small piece of affordable 3M cloth tape, gently placed on the lips. I tested this product with 3M tape for sensitive skin, which also acts as a good mask strip. To help avoid mouth breathing, look for breathable masks that work well for you. 3M Auras, BNX boat shaped N95s and BreatheTeq masks are my personal favorite.

Exhaling is just as important as inhaling, and holding your breath can be good for you.

We're mostly worried nowadays about what we inhale, but it's also important to focus on exhaling – to the end! As a classically trained singer and instrumentalist, I learned this from a very young age, but many people never benefit from the health benefits of full and long exhalation. Nestor says most of us probably breathe too much, or breathe too superficially, without realizing it. It is suggested to hold your breath consciously, breathe slower and longer (about 5 seconds in inhale and 5 seconds on exhalation), and focus on long exhalations, rather than taking a lot of deep breaths, especially in moments of stress or anxiety. And it's great news for those of us who have to breathe less deliberately at different moments to navigate spaces safely. This is because carbon dioxide is as important as oxygen within our bodies, and balancing the inhalation and exhalation is key to maintaining a healthy amount of both. I thought about the carbon dioxide inside me, and around me, when I boarded the plane for my last flight. The high carbon dioxide reading on my air monitor indicated poor ventilation in the place. Inward, outward. As the plane soars into the air, inward, outward. After we landed, I went outside, away from the others, inside. to the outside. to the inside. to the outside.

Spend time in places where it's easier for you to breathe.

Since I finished reading the book, I began to notice moments when I found myself breathing more easily and deeply. Where am I? What do I do? Who am I or talk to? Unsurprisingly, I find it much easier to breathe through my nose, slowly, and less frequently, when I'm in a low-risk environment. But it's not just when I'm at home, resting and hugging my cat. It happens when I somehow spend time with my closest COVID-conscious friends, whether they're near or far. It happens when I'm listening to music, reading a good book, or going out on a bike ride. When I hike on my favorite trails, I feel breathtaking in the scenery. In these moments, I feel that breathing is not intended to satisfy the needs of my body, but to satisfy the needs of my soul. I will spend more time in moments like this whenever I get the chance. I hope you too can. In these moments, I feel that breathing is not intended to satisfy the needs of my body, but to satisfy the needs of my soul.