Breathing is an involuntary and voluntary action. Since it is an automatic process, many people can go their entire lives without knowing how to breathe properly. When you become conscious of this process, it can be a powerful and life-changing tool on and off the yoga mat.
Correct breathing is essential to the practice of yoga. Combined with proper diet, relaxation, asana or exercise, and meditation, these five principles create the basis of a well-rounded yoga practice.
Benefits of Proper Breathing
Breathing has a physiological effect on your body. Slow and balanced breathing induces calm and relaxation. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system that is responsible for bringing equilibrium (homeostasis) to the body.
Correct breathing also encourages the maximum input of oxygen and output of carbon dioxide. This is a natural cleansing process that allows nutrient-rich blood to circulate, while eliminating waste products and toxins from the lungs. However, you do want to ensure that balanced levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide are maintained. Breathing through the nose, which yoga encourages, prevents rapid inhalation and exhalation of too much air that can result in anxiety and hyperventilation.
Mindful breathing is a tool that creates space in the nadis (energy channels) so that more prana (vital life force energy) can flow. This freely flowing prana replenishes energy stores and stimulates the body’s own innate healing ability.
Pranayama (Breathing Techniques)
In yoga, various breathing techniques can be used to promote optimal mental and physical health.
Also known as a 3-part breath, a full yogic breath (Dirga Pranayama) utilizes the abdomen, diaphragm, and chest. Abdominal, mid-chest, and upper-chest breathing ensures that you are engaging the full capacity of your lungs. This is a great foundational breathing practice for beginners. It is also highly effective for relaxation and meditation.
Ujayi Breath is also known as Ocean Breath or Victorious Breath. It is used most commonly in vinyasa yoga. Controlled breath helps to focus the movement of the body, especially beneficial during more vigorous and athletic styles of yoga.
Of course, many more techniques can be learned to address a wide range of needs and purposes.
Breathing into Asana
Your breath is the foundation of your practice. Do not force yourself into a position and then think about the breathing after. Proper breathing helps you to find a comfortable place from which to navigate.
You might be tempted to assume a position that you imagine to be closer to where you think you would like to end up. In doing so, your internal state (mind) becomes secondary to your external state (body). Calm and relaxed breathing induces the equivalent mind state, creating one-pointed focus. Ultimately, this approach helps you gain control over the movements and cultivate mindfulness.
You can use breathing in various ways including correlating breath and movement, and applying different ratios of inhalations and exhalations. As you progress in your yoga practice, you will become more capable of using your breath intelligently and effectively to make a mind-body-spirit connection.