The air around us may not be as clean as we think. To protect your lungs, it’s crucial to be aware of the pollutants we inhale daily. Traffic adds pollution right outside our front doors.

Poorly maintained gas furnaces produce pollutants. Spray perfumes, room plug-ins, and mold in older homes can release O3 toxins and spores that penetrate the delicate tissue of the lungs.

We have endured severe wildfires stretching across cities and states, introducing unknown chemicals into the air we breathe.

Diesel emissions from buses, trucks, farm vehicles, ATVs, and even lawnmowers release carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, which we inhale into our fragile lungs.

How Do You Protect Your Lungs and Ease the Assault?

Yoga teaches specific breathing techniques, including cleansing breaths.

The Cleansing Breath Technique

Inhale: Deeply through both nostrils, drawing the breath through all five lobes of the lungs. Count to 10 as you inhale deliberately, ensuring full expansion of the lungs. Feel the chest rise and expand.

Hold: Count to 4-6 while holding your breath. This allows for the molecular exchange of oxygen (O2), feeding and cleansing the tiny alveoli in the lungs. The pulmonary alveolus, or air sac, is one of millions of hollow, cup-shaped cavities in the lungs where gas exchange occurs. Oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide at the blood-air barrier between the alveolar air and the pulmonary capillary. With practice, aim to extend your breath-holding count to 6-8 seconds.

Exhale: Slowly and deliberately through your mouth, like a ghost whisper, for a count of 10-12. This ensures the complete expulsion of carbon dioxide and toxins from the alveoli and lung lobes, leaving them cleansed. Practicing this technique regularly will help protect your lungs from harmful buildup.

Best Practices for Cleansing Breath

Frequency: The optimal times to practice are in the morning, before meals, and before bed. Perform this technique seven days a week to maintain lung health. If your lungs are compromised due to pollution, wildfire smoke, or chemical exposure, increase practice to four times daily. This is especially crucial if you work in buildings with poor ventilation.

Location: The best environment for cleansing breaths is fresh air or a space with an air purifier. Ideal locations include mountaintops, streamsides, or any toxin-free area. Avoid exposure to pet dander, cooking fumes, cleaning chemicals, paints, artificial scents, and pollutants. A quiet, calm space is most effective.

Deep exhalations help clear tiny particles, gases, and stale air from the lungs, making room for fresh oxygen in the next inhale. This is an effective way to protect your lungs from environmental toxins. With each exhale, the body removes waste, supporting detoxification and renewal. This practice also reduces mucus and congestion, helping to cleanse the lungs and restore energy.

Supplemental Assistance

The Benefits of Mullein

Mullein, a globally recognized herb, has been used for centuries to aid respiratory health. Native Americans introduced colonists to its medicinal benefits, using it for conditions such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, whooping cough, tonsillitis, and allergies that impede breathing.

Toxins that cause inflammation or infection in the lungs can be alleviated by Mullein. Before the advent of lab-grown antibiotics, Mullein served as a natural remedy for respiratory ailments.

For more information, visit the Cleveland Clinic: Mullein Benefits.

Mullein contains antioxidants, including vitamin C and flavonoids, which enhance and protect your lungs, strengthening the alveoli. It helps break up mucus, improving oxygen exchange while releasing carbon monoxide. Additionally, it acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, combatting allergens and bacterial invaders. Studies show that Mullein has antiseptic properties effective against pneumonia, staph, and E. coli bacteria. According to the Cleveland Clinic, Mullein may also slow the influenza virus and reduce the severity of colds and flu symptoms.

Where to Purchase: Mullein is widely available at vitamin stores, Natural Grocers, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Walmart, and Amazon. It comes in various forms, including oral capsules, tinctures, and homeopathic remedies for infants and toddlers. Drinking Mullein tea is an excellent way to begin lung cleansing.

Homeopathic Lung Support

Homeopathic remedies can help alleviate lung symptoms caused by poor air quality, allergens, or infections, making them another natural way to protect your lungs. The following four homeopathic treatments are particularly beneficial:

• Spongia Tosta 30X – Relieves dry, unproductive coughs.
• Belladonna 6C – Reduces lung inflammation and fluid buildup.
• Gelsemium 6C – Alleviates cold and flu symptoms, particularly those involving mucus in the lungs.
• Sulphur 30X – Addresses lung irritation with yellow or dark mucus and sinus congestion.

These remedies can be combined but should not be taken within the same hour of each other. Avoid food, water, or caffeine consumption when taking homeopathic tablets or pellets under the tongue.

Where to Purchase: These remedies are available at vitamin stores, Natural Grocers, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Walmart, and Amazon. They are safe for babies over six months old, but for infants under six months, consult a healthcare practitioner before use.

Breathe Easy – Affordable and Effective Solutions

The economy has been challenging, but these practices offer accessible, cost-effective solutions. Cleansing breaths are free, and supplements or homeopathics range from $10-$20, making them affordable for most individuals. Incorporating one or more of these health interventions can significantly improve respiratory well-being.

An Ayurvedic Fable – The Essence of Breath

The brain, eyes, skin, ears, tongue, nose, and breath once debated their importance to the body’s function. The brain, considering itself superior, wagered that the body could not survive without it for a year. One by one, each sense or organ took its turn leaving the body for a year—yet the body continued functioning upon their return.

Finally, the breath announced it would now depart for a year. Realizing that none could survive without breath, the body humbly conceded that breath was the essence of life. The body owed its entire existence to breath.

Honor your breath, honor your life.