The Pen Project Volume 2 | Issue 1 | Page 44

workout with their mouths taped. Here’s the crazy MOUTH TAPED (nasal breathing) results compared to untaped (mouth breathing): - Exerted the same amount of effort. - The levels of lactic acid were, on average, 11% lower during nasal breathing (12.8 mmol/L compared to 14.1 mmol/L), which indicates that muscular oxygenation was better. - White Blood cell Count was 24% lower during nasal breathing, which indicates that the immune system was not as stressed. - Nighttime sleep showed an improvement of 15% in their quality of sleep while their energy levels were 16% higher upon awakening. - The quality of the recovery during sleep (pulse variation, RMSSD) was 10% better on the night after the physical test with nasal breathing. Even the authors of this article and those who performed the tests were surprised to see that bringing in LESS oxygen during exercise generated MORE of the positive benefits of exercise. 44 Friends, the less is more principle is so true in the Kingdom of God. As Christians, we often get trapped in thinking, “The MORE I read my Bible, the MORE I understand the scriptures, the MORE I pray, the harder I try to maintain MORE relationships, the better I am...”. This mentality is just not going to put us closer to God- or even put put us in better standing with him! Trying harder doesn’t give us more. Howeve the LESS we rely on ourselves, the MORE amazing However, is the completed work of Christ Jesus. So let me encourage you if are in a season of less. Perhaps your freedoms feel less, your control seems less, your self created identity is being lost. And so it may be. But (and this one ISN’T stinky) less of the things we have created may be the very work God is doing so He can give you SO MUCH MORE. The LESS I am, the MORE Jesus is. Enjoy thinking about that on your next “silent” workout or just sitting and breathing...through your nose of course. *"Study Busts Exercise Myth About Mouth Breathing." Conscious Breathing. N.p., 01 Sept. 2016. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.