Calming the Brain Fast!: Mouth Breathing

In general, most meditation schools will say that breathing through the nose is best for meditation and for the most part I would say that this is true.
However, there are specific advantages that can be gained from deliberately meditating whilst breathing through the mouth. One reason for this is that breathing through the nostrils has a directly stimulating effect upon the brain as the air passes through the nasal cavities, which are directly beneath the left and right hemispheres of the brain. When we breathe through the mouth our breathing no longer stimulates the brain in such a way, and so it can be easier for us to move into a relaxed and non-conceptual state of mind relatively quickly.


Here is a ''mouth breathing'' meditation that you can try:
Sitting comfortably with a naturally straight back, begin consciously breathing through your mouth in a natural and comfortable manner. As you do so, feel your brain moving into a state of deep relaxation, almost as if it were like a computer that you are putting into ''sleep'' mode; it is still switched on and partly alert, but moving into a deeply relaxed and non-conceptual state. Simply focus your mind on the breathing in this way, consciously allowing energy to flow through the brain without it stimulating conceptual thoughts.
You can do this as a meditation in itself (for as long as you like), or you can use it as a preliminary technique to calm your mind before going on to do your main meditation.
For the insomniacs amongst us, it can be a good one to do as you are lying in bed at night to help you fall asleep!

Variation:
One thing that you can happen with mouth breathing is that you may find that your concentration becomes a little dull, or goes a little too far toward a sleep state. If you find this to be the case, try this as a balancing breathing pattern; Breathe in through your nose, as you do so feel energy and light spiralling down into your chest, lungs and body, revitalizing and reinvigorating them. Then breathe out through your mouth, consciously relaxing the brain and other areas of your body. This pattern of breathing helps us find the ''middle way'' between alertness and non-conceptual relaxation.