A Simple Breathing Exercise to Unblock Your Nose (No Nasal Spray Required)

As September arrives, many of us both adults and children start noticing the familiar return of seasonal nasal congestion. Blocked noses, sniffing, and mouth-breathing become common again, especially at night. Before reaching for a decongestant, it’s worth trying something free, drug-free, and surprisingly effective: a simple breath-holding exercise.

Where this comes from

This technique is taken from “The Breathing Cure” by Patrick McKeown, a leading breathing coach and author who has spent years teaching nasal breathing techniques to thousands of people through his workshops.

McKeown is known for popularising breathing re-education as a way to manage conditions such as asthma, sleep apnoea, snoring, and relevant to this post chronic nasal congestion.

His central argument is straightforward: the nose is designed to regulate the air we breathe in, so learning to breathe through it, rather than the mouth, can significantly and permanently reduce stuffiness over time. He notes that even people who’ve had nasal surgery often didn’t actually need it, because their real issue was a breathing pattern problem rather than a structural one.

The exercise itself

Here’s a simplified version of the steps outlined in the book:

1. Sit upright in a straight-backed chair.

2. Breathe calmly and lightly through your nose, small breath in, small breath out. If your nose is too blocked to inhale through it, take a tiny breath in through the corner of your mouth instead.

3. After exhaling, pinch your nose shut and hold your breath, keeping your lips sealed.

4. Gently nod your head or rock your body while holding your breath, until you feel a fairly strong urge to breathe again.

5. Release your nose and breathe in gently, keeping your mouth closed. Avoid taking a deep breath straight away keep it light and calm. McKeown suggests using the mantra “relax and breathe less” to help with this.

6. Repeat as needed until your nose feels clearer. If it isn’t fully unblocked, wait about a minute and try again it may take several rounds.

Important note: according to the book, this exercise is not suitable for pregnant women, though it’s said to work the same way for both adults and children.

Why it’s worth saving now

As the seasonal shift into fewer daylight hours and slightly cooler days brings on typical autumn colds, allergies, and congestion, this is a handy technique to have on hand for yourself and for your children. It costs nothing, takes only a couple of minutes, and can be repeated as often as needed.

Credit: exercise adapted from “The Breathing Cure” by Patrick McKeown. For the full explanation, science, and further breathing techniques, the book is well worth reading in full.