All about Breathing & Humming

Shallow mouth breathing is the body’s instinctive reaction to acute stress, trapping the autonomic nervous system in a high-entropy panic loop. When stress hits, the chest locks and breathing shifts to the mouth, over-breathing a massive volume of air into the upper lungs. This chronic hyperventilation strips vital carbon dioxide from the bloodstream and reinforces reverse breathing as a learned stress pattern, where the abdomen pathologically draws inward on inhalation and pushes out on exhalation. This represents a major physiological error because true breathing depth is defined by structural depth—the downward kinetic excursion of the diaphragm into the pelvic bowl—rather than a heavy volume of air slammed into the chest.

This paradox is governed by the Bohr Effect, a biochemical law dictating that hemoglobin cannot release its oxygen cargo to your tissues unless a sufficient concentration of carbon dioxide is present. Mouth breathing blows off too much carbon dioxide, causing the blood pH to rise and forcing hemoglobin to bind onto its oxygen molecules like a vice, leaving local tissue cells to chemically suffocate. Conversely, during physical exercise, working muscles generate localized lactic acid; this metabolic drop in pH acts as a direct molecular trigger that reduces hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen, elegantly forcing it to release its vital payload exactly at the site of exertion to clear out metabolic soot and as a result we are less likely to suffer from muscle fatigue and cramp.

 Crucially, switching back to slow, nasal diaphragmatic breathing restores carbon dioxide balances, unlocks systemic oxygen delivery, and calms the nervous system completely drug-free.

To reverse these deep-seated distortions, the ultimate recommended breathing pattern must focus on fully re-learning natural diaphragmatic expansion by consciously pushing the belly button outward on every inhalation. For decades, modern societal conditioning has trained us to pathologically contract and hold in our tummies in a continuous, artificial effort to look slim. This cosmetic vanity forces the diaphragm into a permanent state of upward paralysis, locking the body into an unceasing sympathetic emergency state. True healing requires learning to completely let go of the abdomen—allowing the belly to expand softly and fully like a balloon on the intake so the diaphragm can safely drop into the lower pelvic floor, creating a spacious, beautifully low-friction baseline across your entire somatic mainframe.

You can find lots of information on the internet and on YouTube, you might find the Buteyko Breathing method useful as the aim is to reduce anxiety, increase oxygen uptake in the tissues (including brain) and increase energy levels. Recent studes have shown that over half of people suffering from Chronic Fatigue have toxic breathing habits. 

During your Wellness Audit we will assess your breathing.

This video demonstrates the 1st step in basic breathing technique, a method that so many of us lose sight of due to prolonged stress.

The Vagal Acoustic Shield: Cultivating Internal Resonance Through Humming

When we introduce a deep, structural acoustic resonance into the throat through humming, or singing—whether expressed as an audible, low-frequency tone or held silently as a deep, internal vocal vibration—we instantly activate a powerful defensive barrier under the hood. This continuous internal vibration acts as a mechanical shield for our upper respiratory tract, generating a localized, fifteen-fold surge of protective nitric oxide gas molecules that naturally sweeps the nasal pathways clean and blocks external biotic stressors from taking hold.

From an Anatomy & Physiology Distinction perspective, the physical act of humming does something remarkable: it directly tones the vagus nerve endings running straight through your vocal cords. This therapeutic stimulation switches off the sympathetic fight or flight loop that drives internal tension and elevates cellular friction. By dampening the fight or flight pathway, this deep internal resonance sends an immediate, low-stress signal up to the brainstem to slow down your heart rate and expand your lung capacity. At the exact same time, the gentle physical movement inside the throat combined with the systemic release of nitric oxide is naturally disinfectant and ensures your micro-circulatory defences stay warm, active, and fully optimized to clear out foreign signatures before they can disrupt your cellular baseline further down the line!

Why not try humming next time you're doing the chores ?