As I mentioned in my blog, Best Yoga Poses for Beginners, breathing is an important component of a yoga regime. In my article, Yoga Tips, I again discuss the importance of controlled and focused breathing. In this article, I will focus on yogic breathing; its importance and how it can be applied to virtually all yoga poses, and perhaps even to any form of exercise.

Cautions:

• If feelings of dizziness or nausea occur, either return to normal breathing or reduce the pace and intensity

• If experiencing any health issues, including but not limited to: high blood pressure, heart conditions, stroke, epilepsy, acid reflux, and ulcers, start off very slowly and for very short durations. Remember that this breath can be combined with any exercise or activity

Yogic Breathing

As I stated in my Yoga Tips article; "Breathing is one activity that is greatly overlooked in western culture, which is fascinating as life and vitality comes through breath." Even more so, when you consider that we are mostly comprised of water and water, by weight, is mostly oxygen, we are, more or less, 70% oxygen.

Yogic breathing goes beyond a breathing technique specific to yoga, but it is the method that should be implemented continually. (Recall that we are mostly oxygen.)

Instructions:

• Sit up straight either on a chair or cross-legged on the floor

o You may practice in Corpse Pose as well

• Elongate your spine and lower your chin slightly while pushing your head back slightly

• If sitting, place hands on your knees and relax

• Close your eyes and focus on your breath

• Diaphragmatic Breathing (Part One)

• Try to keep your chest from either rising or falling, but your stomach to expand and contract with each breath, causing the diaphragm to move vertically

• Breath in this manner for 2 minutes

• Thoracic Breathing (Part Two)

• Try to keep your stomach from either rising or falling, but your chest to expand and contract with each breath, filling the lower part of the chest first and raising your shoulders at the end of each inhalation and lowering your shoulders at the start of each exhalation and empty the chest from the top down

• Breath in this manner for 2 minutes

• Yogic Breathing

• Diaphragmatic and thoracic breathing are combined, starting the breath in the abdomen and working it all the way up through the chest and finally allowing the shoulders to rise. Exhalations start with the lowering of the shoulders and the breath to be expelled from the top of the chest right down to the abdomen and finally pulling in the stomach

• Breath in this manner for 5 to 10 minutes

• Yogic Breathing Variation

• This variation does not use the bottom-up expansion, but the simultaneous expansion of the abdomen and entire chest cavity with the shoulders rising at the end of inhalation, followed by the lowering of the shoulders followed by the simultaneous contraction of the abdomen and entire chest cavity and pulling in the stomach

Benefits:

• Increases lung capacity

• Increases prana or chi intake

• Increases oxygen intake, which has almost

unlimited cascading positive effects

• Improves cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems

• Improves coherence between all systems

• Calms and stills the mind, which reduces stress, reduces anger etc.

• Promotes inner-peace

• Increased mental clarity and awareness

Breath of Fire

This breath quickly oxygenates the blood, increases the core temperature along with opening energy pathways and bringing the internal organs into coherence. The breath is quick and shallow, where each exhalation mirrors the depth and duration of the inhalation. When performed properly, the diaphragm will appear to be dancing.

Instructions:

• Sit up straight either on a chair or cross-legged on the floor

• Elongate your spine and lower your chin

slightly while pushing your head back slightly

• Place your hands on your knees and relax your stomach muscles

• Close your eyes and focus on your breath

• Beginners – Breath quick shallow breaths in and out of the nose (it will sound like fast

sniffing)

• Intermediate & Advanced – Breath at the same pace, only more forcefully

• Continue for 1 to 3minutes

Benefits:

• Oxygenates the blood, which has so many positive effects, including detoxification

• Increases lung capacity

• Strengthens respiratory system

• Increases the body core temperature by promoting energy flow

• Brings coherence and synchronicity in entire system

• Increases the benefits of any exercise

when performed simultaneously

Chakra Balancing Breath

This breath, also referred to as "Alternate Nostril Breath", increases the energy, chi or life force that flows in your body, particularly along the spinal cord and manifests peace.

Instructions:

• Sit up straight either on a chair or cross-legged on the floor

• Elongate your spine and lower your chin

slightly while pushing your head back slightly

• Fold your right index and ring fingers so that they touch your right palm

• Place your left hand on your left knee, palm facing upward

• Place your right thumb gently on your nose to close your right nostril

• Close your eyes and focus on your breath

• Inhale through your left nostril

• Release your thumb from your right nostril as you take your ring and pinky finger to close

your left nostril and exhale through your right nostril

• Inhale through your right nostril, then release your ring and pinky from your left nostril as you take your right thumb to close your right nostril

• Continue to alternate between nostrils

• Beginners – count mentally to four on each inhalation as well as each exhalation

o Continue for 5 rounds per session

o As you progress, increase the count for each inhalation and exhalation by one until reaching a count of 12 (12 count for each inhalation and a 12 count for exhalation)

• Intermediate – Once a count of 12:12 is reached, increase:

o The number of rounds slowly to 20 rounds per session

o Increase the breath count slowly to 24:24

• Advanced – the ratio of breath is changed from 1:1 to 1:2, so for every count for inhalation, the exhalation count is twice as much

o Start at a 12:24 count

o Increase to 30 rounds per day with a maximum of 80 rounds per day

Benefits:

• Awakens the Chakras

• Slows brainwave frequency to meditative state, calming the mind

• Promotes peace and serenity

• Balances and harmonizes entire system

• Improves respiratory system

• Strengthen nervous system

• Oxygenates body

Four Part Breath

This breathing technique helps awaken your energy and promotes proper energy flow.

Instructions:

• Sit up straight either on a chair or cross-legged on the floor

• Elongate your spine and lower your chin slightly while pushing your head back slightly

• Place your hands together in prayer position several inches away from your chest,

pressing firmly

• Relax your chest and abdomen

• Close your eyes and focus on your breath

• For each inhalation, break it up into four equal but forceful ‘sniffs’, completely filling your lungs

• Exhale in four equal but forceful ‘sniffs’, completely emptying your lungs

• Beginners – break each inhalation/exhalation into either 3 or 2 equal parts

• Continue for 1 to 5 minutes

Benefits:

• Increases lung capacity

• Oxygenates the body

• Increases energy (prana or chi)

• Improves energy flow

It is amazing that we are mostly comprised of oxygen and that breathing is an integral part of life, yet, in western society, we are never taught how to breathe. Breathing, however, is viewed simply as an autonomic response necessary for survival.

One personal point of interest is from an older couple that I know, where the husband is military trained. His WWII training may have been simple: "Chest out, Stomach in, MARCH!", but in his mid-to-late-eighties his posture and breathing have not been lost. Even to the point that this simple training has kept his body alkaline and oxygenated all of his life!

What if he would have been trained more intensely on breathing techniques? Although he is still working at this ripe age, would his life be any different? It makes you wonder.

Albeit there are far more than the four exercises included here, these are my favourites. And, even though this article is entitled ‘Yoga Breathing Exercises’, as discussed above, these breathing techniques apply to every facet of life.

If you are looking for a little encouragement and support, visit my yoga blog. Here, I have posted some of my favourite routines, for everything from: beginner yoga poses to best yoga poses, to specific yoga poses for weight loss and yoga poses for chakras.

You can also visit my self improvement site for additional discussions on this and various other aspects of self improvement.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this article as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Best wishes for your life enhancing regime.

Love and Light! - Ali