# Yoga - why is breathing through your nose better? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208 "2007-02-07T14:53:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/1 "2007-02-07T14:53:01Z")
I have been doing Bikram (i.e., Hot) yoga for a few months. The instructors go out of their way to emphasize the need to breathe through our noses. This morning, the fella discussed how “if you breathe through your nose, it helps regulate your heart and keeps the rhythm steady; breathing through your mouth can accelerate your heart.” Really?! Is that pseudo-meditative mumbo-jumbo or is there something to that? Don’t get me wrong - I _love_ yoga, but am aware that some folks invest it with far more than the practical mental/physical benefits that I look for from it. An while I am at it - is there any “official” rating or ranking of how 90 minutes of hot yoga stacks up to other forms of exercise? Just curious… ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/2 "2007-02-07T15:03:50Z")
I’ve been doing Bikram for about a year and a half. I’ve pondered the same thing and I think that breathing through the nose, especially the exhale, facilitates slower breathing. Obviously, you can breath slowly through your mouth too but I find I am able to concentrate or be more aware of the breathing when it is through my nose for some reason. A 90 minute Bikram session will burn around 1000 calories for the average person. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/3 "2007-02-07T15:45:17Z")
Perhaps its simply less distracting that breathing through your mouth? Mine tends to get dried out which can cause a lapse in concentration. ---
**Author:** ![AHoosierMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/258eb7/32.png) [@AHoosierMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHoosierMama)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/4 "2007-02-07T20:22:19Z")
WAG here but maybe your wee nose hairs are purifying the air for you, too. ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/5 "2007-02-07T20:39:33Z")
Your nose does protect against pollutants like pollen and germs. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/6 "2007-02-07T20:58:44Z")
IN my class my teacher explains that because you are controlling your breathing more, you are warming up better. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it seems to work. ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/7 "2007-02-07T21:08:43Z")
A standard suggestion for helping slow down panic attacks is to breath in through the nose as well - it basically forces you to slow your breathing down as its a narrower passage. Anxious people tend to overbreathe - we only need to breathe about 10-12 breaths a minute. So there is some justification for it as a way to make sure you’re not overbreathing. 1000 calories is roughly the same as doing a 10 mile run in that time. Im a wee bit dubious. Otara ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/8 "2007-02-07T22:33:30Z")
[QUOTE=Otara] 1000 calories is roughly the same as doing a 10 mile run in that time. Im a wee bit dubious. [/QUOTE] FWIW, [this](http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/Activity_Calorie_Calculator.asp) site says that 1.5 hours of Bikram yoga for a 150 lb person will burn a little over 1000 calories. According to the same site, this is the same burn rate as running 9 miles in the same time which roughly matches your figure. ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/9 "2007-02-08T01:56:05Z")
[QUOTE=hajario] FWIW, [this](http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/Activity_Calorie_Calculator.asp) site says that 1.5 hours of Bikram yoga for a 150 lb person will burn a little over 1000 calories. According to the same site, this is the same burn rate as running 9 miles in the same time which roughly matches your figure. [/QUOTE] A standard rule of thumb for running is that 1 mile burns about 100 calories. It varies a little depending on speed and body weight but is a good starting point. The thing is that calorie rates for running are an incredibly well researched topic and Im not convinced the same is true for Bikram Yoga. The site suggests they’ve extrapolated those rates from a METS calculation rather than doing it by direct measurement and its not clear where they obtained those METS measurements from. Frankly the idea that its equivalent to a METS rate of about 10 is something I find a wee bit hard to buy - not saying its impossible but that Im certainly dubious. Id be wanting something a bit more comprehensive than that as a cite as before Id be willing to believe it. Otara ---
**Author:** ![Lush\_Puppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Lush\_Puppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lush_Puppy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/10 "2007-02-08T02:04:39Z")
Some [info here](http://www.authentic-breathing.com/breathing_faqs.htm) about nose breathing vs mouth breathing. Basically, nose breathing prevents hyperventilation and allows for a full inflation of the lung. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/11 "2007-02-08T03:27:45Z")
[QUOTE=Otara] A standard rule of thumb for running is that 1 mile burns about 100 calories. It varies a little depending on speed and body weight but is a good starting point. The thing is that calorie rates for running are an incredibly well researched topic and Im not convinced the same is true for Bikram Yoga. The site suggests they’ve extrapolated those rates from a METS calculation rather than doing it by direct measurement and its not clear where they obtained those METS measurements from. Frankly the idea that its equivalent to a METS rate of about 10 is something I find a wee bit hard to buy - not saying its impossible but that Im certainly dubious. Id be wanting something a bit more comprehensive than that as a cite as before Id be willing to believe it. Otara [/QUOTE] The simple act of levitating consumes enormous calories. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/12 "2007-02-08T04:52:59Z")
[QUOTE=Otara] A standard rule of thumb for running is that 1 mile burns about 100 calories. It varies a little depending on speed and body weight but is a good starting point. The thing is that calorie rates for running are an incredibly well researched topic and Im not convinced the same is true for Bikram Yoga. The site suggests they’ve extrapolated those rates from a METS calculation rather than doing it by direct measurement and its not clear where they obtained those METS measurements from. Frankly the idea that its equivalent to a METS rate of about 10 is something I find a wee bit hard to buy - not saying its impossible but that Im certainly dubious. Id be wanting something a bit more comprehensive than that as a cite as before Id be willing to believe it. Otara [/QUOTE] As sort of a hijack, How accurate are the calorie counters on elliptical stair masters? I basically do about 11 calories a minute. Which is roughly inline with 1000 calories in 90 minutes for running. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/13 "2007-02-08T05:07:41Z")
[QUOTE=Otara] Id be wanting something a bit more comprehensive than that as a cite as before Id be willing to believe it. [/QUOTE] I’m not invested in that factoid and I am far from an expert in the area. It could well be less. ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yoga-why-is-breathing-through-your-nose-better/391208/14 "2007-02-08T07:08:33Z")
[QUOTE=gazpacho] As sort of a hijack, How accurate are the calorie counters on elliptical stair masters? I basically do about 11 calories a minute. Which is roughly inline with 1000 calories in 90 minutes for running. [/QUOTE] Well theres this cite: [http://www.ellipticaltrainers.com/articles/elliptical-calories.htm](http://www.ellipticaltrainers.com/articles/elliptical-calories.htm) Where they give examples where your workout could vary between 300 and 400 calories between two different brands. So thats a fairly big difference if they’re using actual variation levels between real machines. They recommend you " use the calorie burn readout as a figure for determining progress, but not as an absolute.", makes sense to me. Otara