How To Meditate With a Stuffy Nose

A stuffy nose can be quite an uncomfortable situation.

You can’t breathe properly, you feel like you’re suffocating, your nose is constantly running, and the situation makes you feel worse! Not to forget to mention that the conditions are less than ideal for a good, focused meditation.

Knowing how to meditate with a stuffy nose may not fix the problem, but coping with this difficult time is one way. 

What exactly is a stuffy nose?

Several factors can contribute to a stuffy nose: tobacco smoking, allergies, head colds, and occasionally even sinusitis.

Once you understand which of the above is the cause of your stuffy nose, it can be tackled. In saying that, though, your stuffy nose can have multiple reasons.

A stuffy nose does not necessarily mean that the underlying cause is serious; a blocked nose can be due to bacterial infections and allergies and can be treated with simple measures. 

However, if your stuffy nose persists and becomes infected or winds up in a more severe illness, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.

I will use the word stuffy for this article as it encompasses all forms of being blocked. So, for example, a stuffy nose could be due to a cold or allergies but is also caused by hay fever season. But, of course, you may have other reasons for your nasty nose too!

How to meditate with a stuffy nose:

You can do several things to help your meditation session go better. 

Accept Your Illness

When meditating with a nasal blockage, the ideal approach is to avoid starting the session with the exact expectations you would have in an otherwise healthy state. 

It reduces the likelihood of becoming dissatisfied with the procedure and abandoning it entirely. Instead, accept your stuffy nose, and remain relaxed about the situation.

Pay attention to abdominal movements.

As previously said, focusing on the blockage and how it makes you feel may lead to an unpleasant cycle of struggle for oxygen. Thankfully, breathing doesn’t centre on the nose. 

However, that is only one component of a much larger system. As a result, it may be more helpful to concentrate on abdominal movements instead.

Focusing on and watching belly motions rather than nasal flow will help ensure that you are still practising mindfulness meditation.

It can also reduce some of the first discomforts associated with constricted breathing. 

Breathe through your mouth, not your nose:

It may sound counterintuitive, but it can be hard to focus on abdominal breathing if you breathe only through your nose because it seems like more of a distraction than concentrating on the nasal-flow problem. 

Therefore, it is best to breathe through both the mouth and nose in this case. 

Change the Goal or Focus of Your Meditation

Breathing is a prominent topic of meditation. Slowing your breathing and pulse is a powerful approach for entering a profound state of meditation and encouraging tranquillity, creativity, and mental introspection.

Mantras

Meditation is connected with a variety of cultures and approaches. For example, in Hinduism and Buddhism, sacred utterances known as mantras are frequently used in meditation to enhance concentration. 

The mantra's regular verbal recitation, combined with the vibrations it produces through the body, does a lot to improve self-awareness and increase focus.

Chakras

Another typical technique in Hindu and Buddhist beliefs is to focus on your chakras, which can easily distract you from putting too much emphasis on nasal breathing.

Chakras are centres of spiritual energy that can be found throughout the body. They are connected with the subtle bodies of a person.

Inner Peace

Keeping your mind focused on the present moment is essential to developing self-awareness and leading a happy life.

It is one of the main reasons people meditate, and indeed it can be difficult with so many distractions today. But if you are in pain or discomfort due to your blocked nose, you may be put off by this.

Change your goal, then. For example, rather than focus on breathing, try to be aware of the present moment and how it makes you feel. For example: if you are in pain and a nasal blockage is causing it, notice how that pain makes you feel.

Remember that there are many other ways to meditate as well. Meditation is not limited to controlling the breath but can also encompass chakras, mantras and many more practices like yoga or Tai Chi.

Use Herbal or Medicinal Remedies

Until now, these tips have revolved around acknowledging you have a blocked nose and deciding whether to accept and deal with it or to change your focus and goals thoroughly.

However, even with these suggestions, it is conceivable that the barrier is too aggravating to meditate successfully. 

Therefore, although it is recommended that you work with your natural state rather than against it, there is no guilt in using medical or herbal remedies to reduce your symptoms and make your meditation session more enjoyable.

Additional Ideas

Here are a few extra strategies for dealing with a blocked nose while meditating.

• Don’t stress: While a stuffy nose is inconvenient, it’s not worth getting worked up about.

• Don’t let it get in the way of your work: Try to alleviate the symptoms as much as possible before each session and avoid focusing on them while meditating.

• Maintain an up-to-date meditation journal: Meditating with a blocked nose frequently requires trial and error. You’ll be able to keep track of what works best for you if you keep your meditation notebook up to date.

Conclusion:

As you can see, the vast majority of people still meditate with a blocked nose. All it takes is a little patience, some slight adjustments in practice, and some meditative ingenuity. 

Once you have mastered these techniques and added them to your meditation routine, your nasal blockage should be little more than an incidental inconvenience.

Much like a healthy diet and regular exercise are essential for maintaining good health, clearing nasal discharge can be extremely helpful for protecting your sense of well-being!