Breathing Easy
Breathing is common to all of us – but it’s also something we spend little time thinking about. After all, you don’t have to consciously think about it in order to do it . Most of us, however, only use a fraction of our full breathing capacity. Healthy breathing is full and rhythmic, using the ribs and the diaphragm to fill and empty your lungs.
Breathing is important not just because it gives us life, but also because inhalation and exhalation establishes a constant flow of energy and release within your body. It’s also important for ridding us of toxins, as the lungs are one of our filtering and elimination organs. By learning to control and regulate your breathing, it can lead you to spiritual awakening, self-realization and optimal health.
The practice of yoga breathing is called pranayama, a Sanskrit word often translated as “breath control”. As the breath, body and mind are so closely connected, a change in one can influence a change in the other two as well. Once your breathing is regulated, the mind and body will benefit accordingly. Yogic breathing can bring you calmness and peace of mind and help to prepare you for deeper meditation.
Here are some basic pranayama techniques you can try to help you relax, relieve stress, and clear your mind of all its daily clutter and chaos. Practice these techniques whenever you feel stressed or have difficulty focusing, whether you’re at work, traveling or at home. They’re also a great way to help you focus before you meditate or begin your exercise routine.
Ujjayi Breathing (Victorious Breath) – Known as the “ocean breath”, this key technique is most commonly used to give your yoga practice focus and power. It’s the foundation for all yoga breathing techniques
Benefits
• Promotes tranquility
• Soothes the nervous system
• Relaxes the mind
• Alleviates fluid retention
• Removes sensory distractions
• Cleanses the lungs and energizes the mind
How you do it
• Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and relax your body
• Be aware of your breathing, taking air in through the nostrils only
• Allow your breathing to be calm and rhythmic
• Transfer your awareness to the throat, toning the back of your throat and making a sound like Darth Vader’s breathing as you exhale; as you inhale, the ocean sound is created
• Concentrate on the sound the throat is making and focus on it
• Practice this breathing for about five to ten minutes, then begin your yoga practice while continuing to use the Ujjayi rhythmic breathing technique
Nadi Sodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing) – This technique is used to bring balance back to the mind. It’s especially useful if you have a busy mind and want to calm your thoughts and clear your head.
Benefits
• Promotes optimal functioning of both sides of the brain
• Removes toxins
• Balances and nourishes the whole body
How you do it
• Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and relax your body
• Be aware of your breathing, taking air in through the nostrils only
• Bring your index and middle fingers gently resting in the middle of your eyebrows
• Your thumb should be above your right nostril, with your ring finger above the left nostril
• The two digits should control the flow of breathing in your nostrils by alternately pressing on one nostril while blocking the flow of the other nostril
• Closing the left nostril, inhale with your right nostril to a count of four; Then close the right nostril and exhale out your left nostril to a count of eight
• Repeat for both nostrils for three to five repetitions
Kapalabhati (Breath of Fire) – This powerful breathing technique is used to flush and heat the body. It’s a good practice for winter as it heats you up quickly, but can be used at any time.
Benefits
• Generates heat in the body
• Detoxifies your system
• Centers the whole body
• Removes sensory distractions from the mind
• Cleanses the lungs
• Strengthens the nervous system
• Tones the digestive organs and the abdominal muscles
How you do it
• Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and relax your body
• Inhale and exhale naturally using the nose, and keeping your mouth closed
• This breath is powered by the abdominals, and the focus is on the exhalation, while inhalation is relaxed
• Take a breath and exhale half a breath, and begin to pump the abdominals in towards the navel
• Make a thrusting motion at the base of the abdomen with each exhale
• Exhale through both nostrils and inhale, expanding the abdominal walls
• Rapid breathing continues for up to a set of 10; then relax for five breaths and continue for up to three to five repetitions
Bastrika (Bellow’s Breath) – Similar to the Breath of Fire, this technique can help to massage your spine as the breath shoots to the back of the body.
Benefits
• Increases metabolic function
• Builds lung capacity
• Generates heat in the body
• Burns fat for natural weight loss
• Strengthens the respiratory system for increased energy
How you do it
• Sit up comfortably, elongating the spine
• Close your eyes and relax your entire body, hands relaxed on your thighs
• Breath forcefully through both nostrils with equal emphasis on inhaling and exhaling to establish an even rhythm
• Breath for a count of one second when you inhale, and a count of one when you exhale
• Complete a set of ten, and on the last exhale, hold your breath for one to five seconds and then exhale fully
• Repeat for up to five repetitions
Bhramari (Humming Bee Breath) – Creating a sound engages your sense of hearing, which can help the left side of the brain focus, similar to visualization. The vibrations creating by humming are also soothing to the brain and nervous system, helping you focus inwards
Benefits
• Relieves stress and cerebral tension
• Alleviates anger, anxiety, insomnia
• Reduces blood pressure
• Speeds up healing of the tissue
• Eliminates throat ailments
How you do it
• Sit up in a comfortable position, elongate the spine and relax the body
• Keep your lips closed and your teeth slightly apart – this allows your breathing and vibrations to be felt and heard
• Raise your arms, bend your elbows and bring your hands to your ears
• Use your index and middle finger to close the flaps of your ears
• Inhale and exhale to the count of four to five seconds
• On the exhale, make a deep steady humming sound like a bee
• Make the humming sound soft and mellow, which will make cause the front of your forehead to vibrate so you can feel the sound within your head as well
• Perform for five repetitions