My daughter once asked me “Why do we have two nostrils?” I channeled my mother for a second and blurted out a response without really knowing the answer. I said “its so if one nostril is clogged, you can still breath.” It seemed to make sense. But I decided to dig a little deeper. I noticed that one nostril is always kind of clogged. We really only breathe through one nostril at a time. Curious. It turns out that the tissue in our noses swell up to block one nostril at a time in few hour cycles. Which nostril is dominant is related to various traits:

Right nostril dominance is associated with:

• Blood becoming more acidic
• Left brain activities (logic, strategy)
• Increasing energy
• Anxiety

Left nostril dominance is associated with:

• Blood becoming more alkaline
• Right brain activities (art, socializing)
• Decreasing energy
• Placidity

There are various theories on how nostril dominance changes. The more scientific are that they change with the pH of your blood based on your mood and the food you eat. The more magical theories are that your nostril dominance changes with the movement of celestial bodies. Whatever the cause is, I’ve noticed the effect being fairly accurate.

You can change your nostril dominance by lying on your side. For some reason, whichever nostril is higher becomes the dominant nostril. Try it. Find which nostril is dominant, then lie with the dominant side down. After about twenty minutes, the dominance will switch to the other side. Some theorize that this is why we feel the need to change positions at night when we sleep.

While I don’t totally understand te chemistry, and I’m resistant to the idea of the moon controlling my schnoz, it’s fascinating to be aware of something as subtle as which nostril you’re breathing out of. Wait, I think my dominance just switched.

Not quite nostril dominance…