T H E T O N G U E P R E S S

WHAT IS IT?

The placement of your tongue for all inhales in the Three Part Breath.

It is your anchor point for every breath to your integral center of gravity.

It forces you to inhale through your nose.

◉ If nasal breathing is an challenge for you, click here for tips ◉

HOW TO DO IT:

• Press your whole tongue into the roof of your mouth, teeth gently closed, lips closed.
• The goal is to flatten the entirety of your tongue to the roof of your mouth, behind your teeth and especially pressing against soft palette toward the back. (Getting the back up can be difficult and awkward at first)
• As you get used to it, it will feel more natural and you can press up more of the tongue, and with greater force.
• (see video)

WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT: The Tongue Press is your anchor point to your center within gravity.

▸ It essentially activates a pulley system within you that reengages Original Alignment after every exhaled sound. As you allow whatever degree of movement the resonance of your sounding make within you, some "slack" is created in your alignment. (For the purpose of this illustration, we're calling the movement "slack," although "space" is more accurate.) Exhaling the sound creates some slack, then your tongue presses into a "button" that pulls up the slack. Said button is your soft palette area, toward the back of roof of mouth. The slack gets pulled up from there, as if a 24 karat gold rope chain is attached to the topmost, back quadrant of your skull. Each Tongue Press pulls up the slack, and recommits you with integrity of alignment from your center of gravity.

• It is the anchor point to your center of gravity
• It aligns the skull perfectly upon your spine and with the rest of your body.
• It expands your airway, allowing for efficient and integral respiration. 
• It retrains and prevents a mouth breathing habit and the innumerable pitfalls associated with it.
• It gradually expands your jaw and airway. 
• It allows you to draw in calm, powerful breaths with great depth.

TIPS TO MAKE THE TONGUE PRESS:

1. In the Three Part Breath, add an "N" sound to the end of the sound. It needn’t be audible. For example; when the sound ends with "mmm," imagine it as an “mmnnnnnggg." 
2. Click your tongue like the sound of horse trotting. When the tongue is up; keep it there. Close your teeth gently, close your lips. Inhale through nose. (Release Tongue Press to exhale sound).
3. Imagine the roof of your mouth (especially the back, at the top of your throat) is your air valve that allows you to inflate. The same as when you are blowing up a pool float or inflatable camping pad, you have to push in the little thingie, in order to get in the air inside.
4. At first, it may sound and feel like you are hocking a loogie as you inhale, especially if you have mucus.
5. Imitating a snore sound through your nose will get your tongue in right place, do that and then make micro adjustments to lessen the actual snoring sound. 
6. It may feel awkward at first. Try not to focus too hard on "AM I DOING IT RIGHT?!" If your tongue is up, against the roof of your closed mouth, behind gently closed teeth & jaw (don't clench, please); you're doing it right. You will feel and understand it with more and more integrity as you practice & get used to it.

Why Breathe Through Your Nose

A simple internet photo search of “mouth breathing” will quickly illustrate the physical and aesthetic impacts. The physiological differences between the two intake modes don’t get enough attention. It would be to the great benefit of all Earthlings if this information was given as much attention as this pandemic we still find ourselves in. Perhaps there is a link to the two, because mouth breathing is infact a pandemic. Numerous clinical studies identify around 50-60% of their test subjects as primarily mouth breathing.

If you have a physical obstruction that chronically congests you, you may have heard words like surgery or orthodontics. I'm so sorry! There may be more treatment options than you know or have been presented to you. Click this link for tips & modifications if nasal breathing isn't presently possible for you. Being able to breath through the nose is absolutely key for quality of life. If you can easily breath through your nose, let's take a moment to give thanks for that ◉

Tips for Clearer Sinus's

Some of these are too often overlooked, and can be rather easy adjustments!

1. GAMECHANGER: If you snore sometimes (or a lot of times) and can breathe through your nose for the most part, put a tiny rectangle of skin tape on your lips to close them for sleep. Should your body need to, it will break through with relative ease to open the mouth whilst asleep, despite the little tape.
2. Change your home air filter frequently, and/or invest in the filters for respiratory sensitivities. Same with your car air filter.
3. Breath abundant fresh, outside air. (without a mask)
4. Cultivate your immune defense system by smelling and exposing yourself to biodiversity within nature. Smell things that you might not otherwise think to, and may even find "dirty". Such as soil, dirt, trees, rocks, flora & fauna. Pet dogs.
5. Nasal Massage and face exercises
6. Neti Pots
7. When you're more congested than usual, notice the last few things you put in, on, or around your body. Fragrances, candles, cleaning solutions, body products, foods & bevs. Get curious about finding patterns.
8. Bacteria is your friend. More than friend, it's your team! Your #1 fans! Your all day every day ride or die partners in shine. A human being is comprised of approximately 60% bacteria cells, and 40% human cells. This means, we are more bacteria than we are human. It's best not to wage war against them. Better to make peace. Slathering your bacteria (body) and environment with antibacterials and taking antibiotics that kill them all, is not conducive to your wellbeing . (It's essentially like being 40% alive )

Individualized council is available here: BiOHM Support | Private Coaching