Yogic Breathing Exercises
We cannot live long without breath, life will cease in minutes without air, yet we can go without food, water and sleep for days or weeks. Breathing is life and one of our most vital functions. One of Patanjali’s Five Principles of Yoga is Yogic Breathing, or Pranayama, the science of breath control. It consists of series of breathing exercises that are intended to meet the body’s needs and keep it in optimum health. Broken down, Pranayama comes from the following words:
- Prana – life force, or life energy
- Yama – discipline or control
- Ayama – expansion, non-restraint or extension.
Yogic Breathing Exercises teach us the correct, most beneficial way of breathing, which is using the entire lungs, rather than shallow, upper, chest breathing. It is important also to expel air from the lungs fully.
We all recognise that life is so full of stress. Because of our daily work, our relationships, financial pressures, even the stress of overdoing our hobbies. Because of this our breathing tends to reflect that, it becomes fast and shallow. We can also be unaware that we can hold our breath.
By using only a fraction of our lungs, we lack sufficient oxygen in our blood, which may lead to various health complications, such as heart disease, inability to sleep and tiredness.
With yogic breathing we increase the lung capacity, bringing more oxygen supply to the body to function well. Pranayama reduces the toxins and body wastes from within our body and this in turn keeps it in optimum health, preventing one from acquiring diseases.
Pranayama helps too with one’s digestion and metabolism of food, assisting the heart by not burdening it as much.
As we learn to breathe deeper, our intercostal muscles are strengthened, as well as the complete respiratory system, which aids in conditions such as asthma.
Another plus for practicing yogic breathing exercises is that it helps to keep the two hemispheres of the brain in balance. As well as controlling opposite sides of the body, the two halves of the brain deal with different functions and different aspects of our lives, as most people would know.
The right side of the brain is calming, intuitive, subjective, dealing with spacial and non-verbal activities and connected with the left side, that is, the passive, female side of the body. Whereas the left side of the brain is aggressive, logical, rational objective and deals with sequential reasoning and verbal activities. The left side of the brain is connected with the right side of the body, or the aggressive, masculine side of the body.
We need balance and integration of many things in our lives.
By attending to one’s breath, this assists to connect and balance many elements of our lives. If for instance one nostril is blocked, say the right side, then left or passive side, could lack motivation, will power and courage. If the opposite holds true, we may be overly aggressive, unable to switch off, out of touch with our more gentle, female aspect. We need balance for sure in our lives.
In addition to these physical benefits, there are psychological and spiritual benefits. With improved breath control comes a greater ability to focus, concentrate and be in the moment, one with the breath, instead of living back in the past or going into the future.
As our mind functions more clearly, we may avoid argumentative situations, it becomes more relaxed and our spirit flows through, with a body that is functioning with a calm mind and calm emotions.
Yogic Breathing Exercises - Short Explanation
In short, there are three main areas that yogic breathing focuses on, firstly the deeper or Abdominal Breathing, next the Rib Cage or mid breathing and the thirdly the Upper or chest breathing. Combining these gives one the Complete Breathing exercise, which can be used anywhere at anytime, to calm your mind and assist you to quieten stressful physical responses in real life situations.
An obvious conclusion then is to practice deep and systematic breathing and thus help to reenergise your body. By practicing yogic breathing exercises you will give your attention to your breathing which can mean that your awareness of the manner in which you breathe is uppermost in your mind.
There are various other yogic breathing techniques not covered in this brief explanation of the subject, such as Alternate Nostril Breathing. Taking Hatha Yoga lessons with a qualified yoga instructor will give you the best manner in which to learn yogic breathing, rather than attempting to teach yourself from reading a book or online information.
In addition there is one particular breathing exercise that Lynette recommends entitled -
Conscious Connected Breathing.
Breathing has another significant function, it is a barometer read by our subconscious mind in an ongoing evaluation of our current life situation. When we feel threatened we hold our breath or breathe shallowly.
When we feel at peace, we breathe fully and slowly. This sends a message of serenity to our body even when we are stressed, making it a simple, gentle yet powerful stress management tool. The breath acts as a bridge between the conscious and unconscious. This helps to loosen up stored blockages held in our four-body energy system, that is the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. Working on all four levels at the same time, it charges the etheric or energy body, so it can accumulate life force (prana, chi, ki) which starts to move freely through our body.
This Conscious Connected Breathing Exercise is the most simple form of breathing exercise that Lynette knows and practices. If you would like to receive a copy of it, please email Lynette by clicking on the Contact By Email in the top menu.