How To Build Your Own AI-Ready Computer

My interest in artificial intelligence has driven me to learn more about computers. In 2019 it influenced me to build my own computer. I learned as much as I could for several months, got a few certifications in the process, and then dove right into a build. It was much easier than I thought, very fun, and very rewarding. Building a computer is a joy and this blog post recounts how you can do it yourself. The post is divided into four different sections: 1) the computer that I built, and how I built it, 2) the software I installed on it to help me learn more about AI, 3) the software I installed for recreation and productivity, and 4) the learning path that I took to prepare me to build it, that you can take too. If you would like to build your own computer, and are interested in tinkering with machine learning, neural networks, or AI, then I hope this short guide helps.

Building Your Own Computer

I strongly suggest watching a computer build before you purchase your parts. Put the words “how to build a PC” into youtube and plan to spend an hour watching a youtuber put a computer together. This was the video I watched first that got me inspired: https://youtu.be/IhX0fOUYd8Q You will learn a lot, and be really glad that you did it. You might want to take notes. After you do this you will be ready to tinker meaningfully with a used computer. I advise you disassemble a used computer first because it is good, cheap preparation. Below is a map to some of the basic components on the motherboard that you are going to come across.

Before I built the computer that I am using now, I bought two cheap, used computers from a dingy computer store in a bad part of town. The guy was selling old Dells and HPs with pirated copies of Windows 10. He was selling them for around $25-100, but you should be able to find something cheaper. The first computer that I bought from him I simply dismantled completely. I took every nut and screw out of it, and took everything that came apart, apart without actually breaking anything. This was a fantastic learning experience and I strongly recommend it.

      

  

The second used computer I bought I took apart with some friends and their kids. Again, it was fun and it felt empowering to explain to them what the electronic components were and how they worked together. I took notes about what screws go where, and I took before and after pictures because I wanted to be able to put it back together.

I didn’t; however, put these components back in the original Dell case. Instead I used different parts from both computers and assembled them into a new computer case. I got this new case from Fry’s Electronics. It was an attractive white box, with a clear viewing window and fans. I picked it up for $40 on sale. It took some trial and error, but once everything was plugged in correctly it booted up fine. I still use this computer today and I have connected it via an ethernet cable to the new build (that I am going to describe next) so that I can have both computers running and communicating in tandem.   

 

Next it was time to buy all new parts and create my own build from scratch. It takes a lot of research to determine if all of the parts you want are interoperable. Many parts that you find on Amazon, or Newegg don’t play nicely together, but lucky for us there is www.pcpartpicker.com. This helps to double check your parts list and make sure that all of the components you think look cool, and have the specs you are willing to pay for, are going to work together flawlessly. Once you ensure this you can go to your local computer store, or go to Amazon, and buy the items you need. These are the items that you are going to need.

Parts You Will Need To Buy

·       Central processing unit (CPU) with heatsink and fan

·       Motherboard

·       Hard Drive (HDD or SSD)

·       RAM

·       Case

·       Fans

·       Video card

·       Power Supply Unit (PSU)

·       Network Interface Card (NIC)

·       Optical Drive, Bluray or DVD (optional)

·       Keyboard

·       Mouse

·       A copy of Windows

·       Antivirus software

·       Productivity Software

·       HDMI cord

·       KVM, TPM, colored cables, colored power cord  (all optional)

 

I recommend choosing your CPU first. The CPU really is the brain of your computer and you are going to want to carefully select the processing speed, cache memory, and performance that meets your budget. You will likely choose an AMD or Intel processor. I chose the AMD 2700x (because I liked the flashy colored fan). After you choose a CPU you then select a compatible motherboard. You carefully seat the CPU into the motherboard, apply a little thermal paste to the lid, slam on the included heatsink and fan, and then place the whole thing into your case. Then you tighten all the screws to firmly connect the two. Next you snap your RAM sticks you into the motherboard. You must then connect the powersupply to the case, the videocard to the motherboard, and the hard drive to the motherboard. All of this is depicted in my rough, hand drawn figure below. If you make all of these connections as shown in the drawing, its probably going to turn on.

After putting all of the parts together, you plug it in, press the power button, and hope that the lights come on, and the fans and the hard drive start spinning. If they do then you connect it to a monitor and see if the motherboard’s BIOS will start. If it does then you can introduce the computer to an operating system like Windows or Linux saved on a DVD, or a USB thumb drive. You follow the directions, and install the OS. Then you can start thinking about the next two sections of this blog: installing AI software, and installing software for entertainment, productivity, and ease of use.

If you want to run neural networks, or another form of robust machine learning algorithm on your computer you want high quality components. CPU cache, RAM, and the GPU are the most important aspects. You might even want to invest in a new m.2 SSD. However, if you are just learning AI you can play around with most AI software using even very basic, low-budget computers. If, on the other hand, you are very serious about running computationally expensive models you will probably eventually want to run them remotely on a Cloud provider platform (like Amazon or Google).

Software You Can Use to Tinker with Artificial Intelligence

Lucky for us, most of the important AI related software is free. This is a quick guide to some of the applications that you might be interested in.

Anaconda: If you are really serious about running state-of-of-the-art neural networks then you need to install the bleeding edge packages. Having Anaconda will allow you to easily install programs like Keras, Tensorflow, and Numpy to name a few. You will need some sort of guide for doing this and I recommend two books for beginners, Deep Learning for Dummies, and Machine Learning for Dummies, both written by John Paul Mueller and Luca Massaron. These books will guide you to set your computer up to run full fledged machine learning software and they also contain all of the code that you will need. This may be too big of  step for some beginners so the following recommendations in this list are more remedial.

Neuronify: I recommend an app called Neuronify that you can find on the Windows store. The software creates a simple workspace where you can build neurons, connect them, and watch them fire at, and respond to each other. Playing with the options, and completing the tutorials helps to build important intuitions about how neural networks work. You can visit the website here: https://ovilab.net/neuronify/ Before you get bored of it, definitely download some of the highest rated workspaces by other users and you will be treated to some complex and fascinating models.

Tensor Flow Playground: You can play with a neural network straight from the internet without having to download any software. To do this use Google’s excellent tutorial here: https://playground.tensorflow.org/  First watch a youtube video explaining how to use this resource and then play with it as much as you can to develop first hand knowledge about how machines can use neural networks to learn, and how fundamental AI algorithms work. It is all about little entities that talk to each other, collectively produce an output, and then learn from their mistakes.   

Nengo: A favorite researcher of mine named Chris Eliasmith has created a spiking neural network simulation application called Nengo. This is an excellent “brain making package” that lets you build, test, and deploy your own neural networks using Python. The tutorials are excellent, and make you feel like you have a foot in the door with artificial intelligence. Find out more at: https://www.nengo.ai/ You have to download Python before you can run it. Which brings us to Python…

Python: If you are serious about machine learning, neural networks, or other popular forms of AI or data science software, I strongly recommend learning Python.The newest version of Python can be downloaded for free from the official website. Python is one of the hottest programming languages, and one of the easiest to learn. It is fantastic for automating things, and is necessary for anyone who wants a future in AI, especially neural network engineers. The download link is here https://www.python.org/downloads/

There are many software packages that you can use along with Python to start building world-class AI projects. These include Tensor Flow, Keras, Pandas, SciKit Learn, and many more. You will probably want to look into these for yourself.

PyCharm: Is a great developer’s environment for Python. It makes writing and keeping track of your Python code much easier, and it looks spiffy. 

https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/download/#section=windows

Codeblocks: A free IDE to code in C++ http://www.codeblocks.org/downloads

GitHub: You can host all of the code that you will be writing on GitHub so other people can access it. I have posted a few beginner’s tutorial Python scripts on GitHub, and you can see them here: https://gist.github.com/jaredreser

Octave: Is a free version of Matlab, one of the most powerful mathematics software packages available. Anything you save in Octave can be run in Matlab and vice versa. Again, there are many helpful online tutorials for Octave that can help you learn it in no time. https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/download.html

MySQL: If you are interested in data science or database management you can download a number of free versions of “Structured Query Language” database management software.

R Studio: Free top of the line statistical software, with many free tutorials online. https://rstudio.com/products/rstudio/download/

Arduino: I strongly recommend ordering an Arduino starters kit. They will send you a number of electronics parts, sensors, and motors. You use them to build you own microcomputer, perform a number of experiments, and build your own gadgets and robots. You upload the code from your computer to the Arduino microcontroller and get your Arduino to do all sorts of interesting things. The best part is that you can see all of the code, and can rewrite or alter the code if you wish. I ordered an Arduino and an Elegoo (cheaper, and Arduino compatible) kit on Amazon, and completed all of the lessons. I got my friends involved, I built a ton of things I never thought I would, it was a blast. Check it out here: https://www.arduino.cc/

You might want to download a cheap copy of Go. It is a complex checkers-like board game that has many times more moves than chess. It is not easy to become a grandmaster, but it is very easy to start playing against a friend or the computer (on easy). Playing the game of Go a few times against a computer will really help to give you an understanding of how Google’s AI “Alpha Go” defeated the best Go players in the world.

Linux: Did you know that you can download distributions of Linux from the Windows Store and run them straight from Windows? This is an excellent way to become familiar with command line programming and to familiarize yourself with Linux, the world’s most popular, open source operating system.

Now I am learning everything I can about AI on Coursera. Try Andrew Ng’s “AI for Everyone” then try out his “Machine Learning” course. They are free, although if you want a printable certification you have to pay a little. Now I am working on IBM’s Data Science, and AI specialist courses on Coursera. They are great! https://www.coursera.org/

Software You Will Want to Have Your New Computer Running Smoothly

You should download the software intended for your CPU and GPU. That way you can keep track of temperature, overclocking, and you can come to understand more about their inner workings. For me this was “AMD Ryzen Master” software for my CPU, and “GeForce Experience” for my GPU.

Chrome and/or Firefox should be downloaded for an excellent, free internet browser.

Docs, Sheets, and Slides: If you don’t feel like paying Microsoft for Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, then you can simply download Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Google Forms for free. This is a web-based office suite offered by Google and integrated with Google Drive. It allows users to create and edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations online.

You should download Adobe Reader from the Adobe website so that you can read and manipulate PDFs. https://get.adobe.com/reader/

I recommend CPU-Z, which is a simple but interesting application that allows you to find out all of the specs for your CPU, and watch the performance metrics change in real time.

You  will probably want to download something like Steam so that you can stream and play computer games.

You should download DVD playing software to read discs from your optical drive if you have one.

Retroarch: This is free software that you can use to play emulations of old videogames.  https://www.retroarch.com/

FL Studio: For around $100 you can download a state of the art music producing software package that is really fun to work with. Watch a 15 minute tutorial video and you’ll be creating your own beats in a matter of seconds. You might want to download the free version of Virtual DJ while you are at it.

How to Prepare For Building a Computer and Get Certified in the Process

I knew that before I built myself a new computer, that I wanted to be more informed about computer science in general. I figured that I should get A+ certified through CompTIA. The A+ certification is a basically a computer repair technician’s license and takes about 100-200 hours of studying to prepare for. To prepare you for this you can take the ITF+ which is a great introduction to the concepts and takes merely 20-40 hours of study. The information that you gain is very empowering and will teach you, not only how to build a computer but how to take care of it, troubleshoot it, customize it, and set up your own home network. You will know learn how to connect every computer in your house, the best ways to backup your data, and how to fix your friend’s computers too. If you are interested in AI but do not already have a computer science degree, then a firm understanding of computer hardware and OS usage is very helpful.  

In studying for the A+ computer repair technician certification I also acquired the “information technology fundamentals” cert, the ITF+ and the Project + (project management) cert as well. It was fun preparing for these exams and I used youtube.com and classic study guides by Mike Meyers and Quentin Doctor. I strongly recommend taking the PBS computer science Crash Course on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtNlUrzyH5r6jN9ulIgZBpdo After finishing the eight hours you will feel like you earned a BA in CS. My other favorite youtube prep guide for the A+ was PowerCert, which was very helpful. https://youtu.be/2eLe7uz-7CM  I watched tech videos from youtube every night before bed and I was introduced to countless fascinating new ideas and concepts.

Here is the playlist for some of my favorite AI youtube videos:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjkYTVL1kD-uQXQ8lq1JXuXyZxXEq9iaY

And here is the playlist for some of my favorite computer science videos:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjkYTVL1kD-tEdAGh5on9vwrHSLXThdoD

I also used several different apps on my phone to learn about coding and computer science, such as Mimo, Codeacademy, Grasshopper, Sololearn, Py, and Code Playground. These all have free content and were very informative. Start by downloading the trial version of Mimo, and see what you think.

Finally I want to leave you with a table that shows some of the computers that I have owned over the years. You can see how the specs have advanced due to accelerating returns in the technology sector. I find the exponential progress in computing to be fascinating and exciting. We are in the information age. Get caught up in it, you may be glad you did.

	Computer	CPU Speed (Hz)	RAM Memory  (Bytes)	Hard Drive Storage  (Bytes)
1986	Apple II GS	2,800,000	256,000	20,000,000
2004	Dell Desktop	3,200,000,000	3,500,000,000	80,000,000,000
2006	Sony Desktop	2,800,000,000	2,000,000,000	150,000,000,000
2009	HP Desktop	3,200,000,000	8,000,000,000	400,000,000,000
2009	HP HDX Laptop	2,130,000,000	8,000,000,000	500,000,000,000
2013	Dell Laptop	2,000,000,000	8,000,000,000	200,000,000,000
2014	Sony Laptop	1,800,000,000	8,000,000,000	900,000,000,000
2014	Dell XPS Desktop	3,600,000,000	16,000,000,000	1,000,000,000,000
2015	Apple MacBook	1,100,000,000	8,000,000,000	128,000,000,000
2020	Home Made PC	4,300,000,000	32,000,000,000	2.000.000.000.000

If you found this interesting, please visit aithought.com. The site delves into my model of working memory and its application to AI, illustrating how human thought patterns can be emulated to achieve machine consciousness and superintelligence. Featuring over 50 detailed figures, the article provides a visually engaging exploration of how bridging the gap between psychology and neuroscience can unlock the future of intelligent machines.

Taping the Mouth Helps to Ensure Calm, Peaceful Nasal Breathing

I have a stress reduction system called Program Peace that can be found at www.programpeace.com. The system is based around coaching people to stop distressed breathing. There are four tenets of proper breathing: 1) breathe on long intervals, 2) breathe full, deep breaths, 3) breathe smooth, steady breaths, and 4) breathe assertively.

I believe that all four of these can be accomplished when breathing through the nose. In fact, nasal breathing automatically engages the diaphragm for reasons discussed below, ensuring that each breath is steady and peaceful. The rest of this post will explain why you should start breathing exclusively with the nose, and how to do it.  

Why Nasal Breathing is Healthier

The nasal passages are narrower than the oral one. This means that taking a full breath through the nose takes significantly more time and effort. It takes 50% more work to breathe exclusively through the nose compared to breathing exclusively through the mouth. It is hard work for the diaphragm and will make it stronger fast. Also the narrowness of the nasal passages forces you to breathe more slowly, at an even pace. A number of researchers agree that, “one cannot easily hyperventilate when breathing through the nose (Fried, 1993).” Thus it is incompatible with anxiety.

Most mammals breathe exclusively through their nose with their mouths closed but there are a few exceptions. Some mammals will breathe through the mouth when engaging in intense cardiovascular activity. Others use mouth breathing for evaporative cooling, like a dog panting on a hot day. Many mammals will breathe through their mouth during an aggressive confrontation. Usually the dominant animal will keep its mouth closed, and the subordinate one will open the mouth and pant nondiaphragmatically. Many dog trainers interpret nose breathing as defiant and mouth breathing as acquiescent. The dog that pants quickly with an open mouth is usually seen as the most obedient. In nature, chronic mouth breathing, like hyperventilation, is a submissive, handicapping signal. Otherwise, in all other conditions mammals breathe almost exclusively through their nose. When a mammal is seen breathing through its mouth it is taken by veterinarians as a sign of sickness, or serious injury.

In humans mouth breathing is thought by many experts to increase the stress response (Park, 2012), and has been shown to lead to high blood pressure, poor posture, cognitive disturbances, growth impairment, failure to thrive, and heart problems (Park et al., 2012; Morais et al., 2019; Masahiro et al., 2013). However, there is no medical consensus merely because not enough studies have been performed. There is also no rubric in medical science helping people to stop breathing through their mouths. I believe that this is a major oversight.

Shut Your Mouth and Save Your Life

In 1882 George Catlin wrote the book Shut Your Mouth and Save Your Life, where he extolled the virtues of nose breathing. He was a European traveling in America where he observed a large proportion of Native Americans breathing exclusively through the nose, even during sleep. He attributed their good health and serene countenance to this habit. He even saw mothers encouraging their infants and children to breathe with their nose. If a baby opened its mouth to breathe, the mother would gently push the baby’s lips together to ensure nasal breathing. He compared this to Europe where it seemed to him that everyone breathed with their mouths.

He claimed that the American Indians referred to the white men not only as “pale-faces” but as “black-mouths” because of their penchant for breathing through their mouths. He said that breathing through the mouth leads to a derangement of the “…whole face, which is not natural; carrying the proof of a long practice of the baneful habit, with its lasting consequences; and producing that unfortunate and pitiable, and oftentimes disgusting expression which none but ‘civilized’ communities can present.” He called mouth breathing “the most abominable and destructive habit that ever attached itself to the human race.”

The following are two drawings by Catlin from the book. They illustrate what he saw as the difference between English mouth breathers and Native American nasal breathers.

Catlin wrote that no excitements could cause the Indians to part their lips. He said that their mouths remained closed unless they were eating or speaking, and that they even smiled with their mouths closed. He recounted a story where a serious quarrel arose between a white fur trader and a Sioux brave. The men decided to settle the dispute naked, in a prairie, with knives. Minutes before the fight he was able to reconcile the matter and lead the men to shake hands. Afterwards he asked the brave if he was afraid of the other man, who was both bigger and stronger. The Indian replied: “No, not in the least; I never fear harm from a man who can’t shut his mouth.” He wrote that both Indian mothers and medicine men told him that Indians breathe through their noses to insure long, peaceful lives. I read the book. Some of the biological reasons that Catlin offers for why nasal breathing is preferable are wrong. But this was written over 140 years ago, and most of the book (in my opinion) is right on the money.

If I had to name a single habit that could be corrected to increase longevity and quality of life, it would be mouth breathing. So the question arises: “What is the best way to ensure nasal breathing?” Well, at first take, it’s not easy. There are three main hindrences with nasal breathing: 1) our mothers likely did not close our mouths as infants and toddlers when we breathed through our mouth so it is not as ingrained in us as it could be, 2) unlike traditional Native Americans we grew up around people that were mouth breathers, 3) It is easy to forget to breathe nasally, 4) we transition from nasal to mouth breathing unconsciously when we become stressed. Spending time with the mouth taped can overcome each of these issues.

Tape the Mouth to Ensure Nasal Breathing

You may think that you breathe through your nose, but you likely often switch to mouth breathing. People switch from nose to mouth breathing when they feel nervous. You may have never noticed it but you probably switch from nose to mouth breathing constantly as your stress levels fluctuate during the day. Breathing through the nose is uncomfortable for many people in social situations. I was very uncomfortable nose breathing in my twenties, thinking that people would think I look “barefaced,” “bold-faced,” or insolent. It looked disrespectful precisely because I was uncomfortable doing it. Once you become complacent breathing through the nose, with mouth closed, you can get away with sporting a highly expressionless face. Spend time breathing with your mouth shut more often. Practice it in public and in social situations. Notice how difficult it can be in certain situations, and how you have the repeated impulse to switch to mouth breathing. If you allow yourself to resort to mouth breathing when you feel stressed or excitable your composure will be stymied.

I strongly recommend taping the mouth shut as often as possible. It stops you from taking intermittent gasps through your mouth. The mouth gasp compensates for the oxygen deficit created when stress rises, and nasal breathing becomes nonassertive and weak. Even when you are making a concerted effort to breathe through the nose, you will probably only do it haphazardly because you know in the back of your mind that you can always switch to mouth breathing if you need to. Taping the mouth removes mouth breathing from the table. When I started my nasal passages stung from the heavy increase in air flow. Each breath felt cold and dry, but this only lasted a few days.

Taping your mouth will teach you to breathe through your nose without being able to recourse to the mouth. Nasal breathing will be your only option, so you will unconsciously lean into it more. This will train your diaphragm to be assertive, self-sufficient, and uncompromising. I recommend using bandage or surgical tape which can be found in drug stores as it is made for contact with skin and won’t chafe your lips or strip them of their natural oils. I urge you to tape your mouth as often as you can.

Breathing Exercise #12: Taping Your Mouth Shut

Put a piece of tape over your mouth for an hour. Use it to remind you not to breathe through your mouth at all. Concentrate on the work involved in breathing through the nose. Notice that you will breathe too shallowly, get too little oxygen, and will panic, wanting to switch back to mouth breathing. You can overcome this by making your breaths longer, deeper, and steadier. Next try it while walking, reading, watching television, working, and exercising. Tape your mouth often to train exclusive nasal breathing in all situations. Duration: 1 hour. Proficiency: 2 sessions a week for 6 weeks. Maintenance: 1 time per month. 

While your mouth is taped you will inevitably find some mundane stressor to get worked up about. Let’s say for instance that your door bell rings and you aren’t expecting anyone. Your respiratory rate will increase ahead of the anticipated demand and you will feel air hunger. However, you won’t be able to sustain an increased breathing rate because you cannot gasp through your mouth. As you are forced to continue to breathe through your nose the worries about the doorbell fade. This will ensure that the person who answers the door is courageous rather than fretful. Every minute your mouth is taped you have small victories like this one that will take the reigns over your diaphragm from the environment and place them in your own hands. After 20 cumulative hours of taping my mouth I could feel that I had conquered the restlessness in my chest.

Everyone should be breathing exclusively nasally during sleep. Many nose breathing adherents recommend taping the mouth shut at night regularly to strengthen nocturnal nasal breathing. They claim, and I agree, that it helps you to fall asleep more quickly, stay asleep longer, and wake feeling energized. It also limits snoring, stops drooling, keeps the mouth and throat from getting dry, reduces bad breath, and keeps you in the diaphragmatic sweet spot throughout the night. This is why I strongly recommend that you tape your mouth before bed. However, it is a sharp right turn into hard diaphragmatic demand. You might have to work your way up to it using other Program Peace breathing exercises (including taping your mouth during the day) before you can start to tape your mouth at bedtime.

Breathing Exercise #13: Taping Your Mouth During Sleep

Put a piece of tape over your lips after you brush your teeth, but before bed. If you wake up with discomfort in your chest it means that you must do more remedial diaphragmatic breathing first. The discomfort in your chest upon waking is a measure of how nondiaphragmatic your breathing is, and how much your habitual breathing pattern fights against calm, restorative breathing. Duration: Eight hours. Proficiency: Four sessions per week for six weeks. Maintenance: Four times per month. Five stars.

Some people claim that because of nasal obstruction or congestion that they are not able to breathe through their nose. If this is true for you, know that your nasal passages will likely clear the more nasal breathing you practice. Mine certainly did. Before taping my mouth I was lucky to have one nostril clear of congestion. Since taping my mouth, both my nostrils are usually clear.

Just like you don’t let dry eyes keep you from widening your eyes, or dry lips keep you from smiling, don’t let a stuffy nasal cavity keep you from breathing through your nose. You might want to try nasal irrigation, a personal hygiene practice that is used to flush excess mucus and debris from the nasal cavity and sinuses. Also make an effort to breathe through the nose while chewing. Because I can breathe through my nose now, I can close my mouth while chewing. Thus much to the pleasant surprise of my friends and family, I no longer smack my lips.

The alternate nostril breathing technique is common in yoga and stress reduction. In this exercise the index finger is used to close each nostril for several seconds, one at a time. Many hypotheses have been advanced regarding why breathing through only one nostril seems to have a calming effect on people. I think it works simply because it narrows the breathing bottleneck even further, necessitating that each breath is even slower and smoother. Try it. There are many guided alternate nostril breathing exercises online.

Modern day hunter gatherers are known to be nose breathers and even most of the persistence running they do during prolonged hunts is accomplished with the mouth closed. As you get better at nose breathing force yourself to breathe exclusively through the nose during exercise. Keep tissues with you if you need to. Blow your nose frequently, and train as often as you can with the mouth closed.

Months of paced breathing through the mouth helped, but breathing exclusively through the nose was still a challenge for me when I started. Inspired by the writings of Konstantin Buteyko and George Catlin I forced myself to do it. It took overa month until I was breathing with a closed mouth all the time. You haven’t accomplished it until every time you think to notice, you find yourself breathing through the nose. It would probably be best to allow yourself at least a few months to make a comfortable transition to exclusive nose-breathing. I developed a few small colds from the effort because I weakened my respiratory system by forcing nose-breathing. If your chest and diaphragm ache very slightly upon waking you are making progress. If they ache through the morning, you are overdoing it. 

Teaching myself to breathe through my nose made diaphragmatic breathing much easier and gave me a whole new level of composure and poise. Breathe through the nose as much as possible, it calms your mind and turns your breathing musculature into a powerful, relentless, irrepressible bellows.