5 Techniques to Transform the Way You Breathe During Yoga
5 Techniques to Transform the Way You Breathe During Yoga
Breathing is a fundamental aspect of our existence, yet it is often overlooked in our fast-paced lives. The way we inhale and exhale can have a dramatic effect on how we feel, think, and practice yoga. By tapping into the power of conscious breathing, we can unlock a treasure trove of health benefits and inner calm.
Yoga instructor and author, Indu Aora explains, “Breath is the reflection of life in a human body…Through the discipline of breath, more prana [subtle energy] is taken and stored in the body.”
In this blog, we’ll cover 5 powerful and transformative yogic breathing techniques to deepen your practice and improve your health.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BREATHWORK IN YOGA
Like water to a fish, breathwork to yoga goes hand in hand and is actually a foundational component of a deepened and successful practice. We often unintentionally deny breathwork the consideration it deserves when practicing yoga, typically because we’re focusing on the pose itself, what our instructor is saying, or how the pose makes us feel.
But awareness of breath helps us quiet the mind while promoting an inner peace that calms us and washes away stress and anxiety, which in turn allows us to practice yoga more effectively and safely.
Pranayama, broken down in Sanskrit as vital life force (prana), and control (yama), is actually one of the eight limbs of yoga. It is the act of intentional and controlled breathing, which typically matches the rhythm of the yoga asanas. Ancient yoga gurus understood the importance of pranayama in practice, and as a result, we now have numerous breathwork techniques we can practice both independently and within our yoga flows.
WHO SHOULD NOT DO BREATHWORK
Pranayama is not recommended for children, especially those under 16. While certain breath practices are suitable for younger people, many pranayama techniques require breath retention, which can undoubtedly be dangerous for children.
Additionally, if you identify with any of the following conditions, you should not practice pranayama breathwork on your own, or without the consent of your doctor.
If you:
Are currently pregnant
Have uncontrolled hypertension, epilepsy, or seizures
Have a history of aneurysms
Have cardiovascular or vision problems or a panic disorder
Are healing from a recent surgery or physical injury
Take heavy medication
TECHNIQUE 1: ABDOMINAL BREATHING
Abdominal breathing is breathwork that utilizes your belly (abdomen), while your chest and upper body remain relaxed and do not expand. When you inhale, your abdomen protrudes outward as your diaphragm pushes down on your abdominal organs. Then as you exhale, your abdomen relaxes and moves upward.
BENEFITS OF ABDOMINAL BREATHING
Abdominal breathing is a great technique to induce relaxation and is more efficient than chest or clavicular breathing, due to the anatomical makeup of our bodies, since it uses the lower portions of the lungs.
According to Patrick Mckeown of The Oxygen Advantage,
“Abdominal breathing is more efficient simply because of the shape of the lungs. Since they are narrow at the top and wider at the bottom, the amount of blood flow in the lower lobes of the lungs is greater than in the upper lobes.”
Additionally, abdominal breathing promotes:
Improved quality of blood flow
Increased oxygen delivery to working muscles
Reduced anxiety
WHEN TO PRACTICE ABDOMINAL BREATHING
The great thing about abdominal breathing is that you can practice it whenever you feel the need. In the office sitting at your desk (needing a woooo-saaaah moment🧘), lying on the floor, or practicing yoga, you can implement abdominal breathing anywhere.
And when it comes to physical activity, The American Lung Association had this to say about abdominal breathing:
“When you feel short of breath, belly breathing helps get more oxygen into your lungs and calms you down so you can better control your breath.”
This makes it an attractive method to pair with exercise. Typically throughout a yoga flow, you’ll want to inhale during poses that open your front line and exhale upon poses that compress the front line. This technique is easy to learn and therefore ideal for beginners.
TECHNIQUE 2: DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING
This type of breathing can easily be confused with abdominal breathing (and is sometimes used interchangeably) because they are essentially very similar. However, there is one main noticeable difference to keep in mind with diaphragmatic breathing.
With this technique, you are utilizing three main parts of your body when activating your diaphragm: the upper abdomen, the lower ribs (side body), and the mid-back. These areas all expand and contract when practicing diaphragmatic breathing, allowing for even deeper breaths than with the abdominal method.
BENEFITS OF DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING
Because this method is three-dimensional, the lower lobes of the lungs expand in all directions. And since blood naturally gravitates to the lower, larger part of the lungs, when we breathe diaphragmatically, there is better oxygenation.
With practice, breathing frequencies will lessen and become more satisfying, and you’ll use less energy and effort for each breath. Like abdominal breathing, this method also promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety.
Additionally though, diaphragmatic breathing also:
Reduces heart rate
Increases energy levels
Strengthens core muscles, lungs, and diaphragm
Helps reduce blood pressure
Allows your body to easily release gas waste from your lungs
Improves muscle function during exercise
Helps prevent muscle strains
WHEN TO PRACTICE DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING
You can practice this type of breathwork in a variety of ways. Whether you are sitting, or lying on your mat in a supine or prone position, we recommend practicing this method independently from yoga until you feel comfortable with it. Start slowly and gradually increase your time.
Pair it with meditation and you have a powerful tool for calming your mind and body. Once you’re ready to incorporate it with yoga, try implementing diaphragmatic breathing practice as you hold different poses, especially the more challenging ones.
TECHNIQUE 3: ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING (NADI SHODHANA)
Alternate nostril breathing is exactly what it sounds like, the practice of alternating between the right nostril and left nostril as you inhale and exhale. According to Roger Cole, Ph.D., an Iyengar Yoga teacher and physiology researcher in Del Mar, California,
“Nadi Shodhana unblocks and purifies the nadis, which in yogic belief are energy passages that carry life force and cosmic energy through the body.”
BENEFITS OF ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING
This method of breathing has beneficial effects on the heart, lungs, and brain. More specifically, alternate nostril breathing can:
Improve memory and lung function
iImprove motor function or movement skills
Reduce blood pressure and heart rate
If practiced regularly, alternate nostril breathing can provide the same calming effects as the two previously mentioned methods, by promoting relaxation and reducing stress and anxiety.
WHEN TO PRACTICE ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING
You can practice alternate nostril breathing as needed, or implement it into a daily routine. However, according to Medical News Today, those who practice it on a regular basis experience the most benefits.
For an as-needed practice, try alternate nostril breathing when you are feeling overwhelmed or before doing something that causes anxiety, like public speaking. To add it to your regular practice, we recommend this type of breathwork at the end of an asana sequence to prepare your mind and body for meditation. Try this tutorial.
TECHNIQUE 4: UJJAYI BREATH (OCEAN BREATH)
Also known as Ocean Breath or Victorious Breath, Ujjayi Breath is characterized by a distinct sound that mimics the waves of the ocean. The sound is produced by creating a slight constriction in the back of your throat while inhaling and exhaling through your nose.
BENEFITS OF UJJAYI BREATHING
This classic breathing technique comes with a variety of benefits. It’s known for boosting confidence, building heat in the body (for safer stretching), and relaxing the mind, which in turn can aid you in deepening your yoga practice.
But Ujjayi goes even further and can also:
Optimize respiratory performance
Releases tightness in the body
Calm emotions of frustration, overwhelm, and anxiety
Cleanse the body’s energy channels
Regulate blood pressure in the arteries
Promote mental clarity and concentration
Rejuvenate the nervous system
Promote deeper sleep and less snoring
Improve voice quality for singers
WHEN TO PRACTICE UJJAYI BREATHING
What you want to achieve with Ujjayi breathwork will determine when and how you practice. As with Alternate Nostril Breathing, we recommend practicing Ujjayi independently until you feel comfortable with it. Practicing it in a seated position on a regular basis will no doubt bring a multitude of mental and bodily benefits.
But for specific uses, you can take your yoga practice further by practicing Ujjayi throughout the asanas. For athletic events and to help improve your mental state and respiratory performance, you may try incorporating a breathwork session as part of your warm-up. And for better and deeper sleep and to help control snoring, you can practice Ujjayi while lying in bed at night.
TECHNIQUE 5: KAPALABHATI PRANAYAMA (SKULL SHINING BREATH)
Kapalabhati breathwork is a cleansing and invigorating technique that reverses the familiar pattern of passive exhaling and active inhaling. Instead, this unique breathwork cleanses and heats the body with repetitions of powerful exhalations, followed by slower passive inhalations.
The name implies that the breathwork is so cleansing to the entire system, that the face will ✨shine✨ with good health and radiance. Furthermore, Kapalabhati is described as a warming and energizing practice, the opposite of other calming and cooling breathwork techniques.
BENEFITS OF KAPALABHATI PRANAYAMA
The practice of Kapalabhati Pranayama has a multitude of health benefits for the internal body, energy pathways, and specific ailments. This awakening breathwork can help in the following areas:
Improve digestion, metabolism, and circulation
Strengthen the liver, kidneys, abdominal muscles, and pancreas
Cleanse the nasal passage and drain the sinuses (have tissues nearby!)
Calm the mind from anxiety and stress
Strengthen the intercostal muscles
Relieve asthma and bronchial congestion
Increase oxygen to the brain (better mental alertness)
Relieve constipation
Improve sexual function
Boost energy levels
WHEN TO PRACTICE KAPALABHATI PRANAYAMA
Kapalabhati Pranayama should always be practiced in a secure seated position. Due to the energizing nature of this type of breathing, you may want to practice it in the morning. If you prefer to practice in the evening, give yourself plenty of time before bed, to not affect your sleep routine.
As part of your yoga practice, Kapalabhati should be implemented after the asanas, but before meditation. This will help keep the mind refreshed and alert for your meditation practice. Regarding frequency, you should approach Kapalabhati in rounds of repetition, and gradually increase them each day.
UNLOCK THE POWER OF YOGIC BREATHING
By incorporating these yogic breathing exercises into our daily lives, we open ourselves up to a world of improved vitality, increased mindfulness, and enhanced overall health. From reducing stress and anxiety to improving lung capacity and promoting a sense of inner balance, the benefits are truly remarkable.
If you’re ready to embrace the power of your breath and embark on a journey toward a healthier, happier you, join us for an upcoming class at MSYC Yoga in Palmer.