Yoga and Breathing

Breath is life.

We are able to survive days without food or water, however deprive us of breath and we would only last a few minutes. Knowing this, it is amazing how little attention we pay to the importance of breathing.

It’s a great idea to start to think of your breath as your closest friend. From the moment you are born the breath stays with you until the moment you die. Unless you have breathing problems, you probably are barely aware of your breath, you take it for granted unintentionally of course. Just because your breath is automatic doesn’t mean you are breathing to your optimum though.

In yoga the breath is of utmost importance, for the breath delivers oxygen to every cell in our bodies and brain and it also gives us the vital energy (prana) from the air we breathe. So even if you do not practice yoga, you can still use the breath to benefit you. Proper breathing helps us to control the vital energy (prana) and thus control the mind, which helps deeper relaxation.

So how do you breathe correctly?

We've forgotten…
It is natural to breathe using the diaphragm and abdomen. If you watch babies, you will notice that they breathe in this way. As we become older, factors like stress and inactivity cause us to take shallow breaths. These shorter shallow breaths use only the upper chest. This is why I say most people have forgotten how to breathe… They breathe shallowly, usually through the mouth and don't use the diaphragm or only use it a little. Breathing like this only a small amount of oxygen and energy is taken in and only the top parts of the lungs are being used.
Breathing correctly means breathing through the nose, keeping the mouth closed, so that the nose warms and filters the air taken in, and involves a full inhalation where the abdomen expands causing the diaphragm to move down and an exhalation through the nose, where the abdomen falls causing the diaphragm to move up. Breathing like this uses more of the lungs and the diaphragm is actively being used benefiting you by taking in more oxygen, giving you more energy.

Which is the most essential stage of breathing - inhalation or exhalation?
You might think it is the inhalation, when in fact it is the exhalation that holds the key. Why? The more stale air you exhale, the more fresh air or oxygen you can inhale and this is distributed to every cell in your body giving you more energy and nourishing every cell in the body so that the body works at its optimum.

So start to observe your breath and breathe in life to the full!