| Yoga breathing exercise, also called pranayama, is not | | | | The good news is that we don't have to master yoga |
| only the basis of benefiting from yoga and meditation, | | | | breathing exercises to realize the benefits, but it is |
| but also gives you the most immediate, satisfying, | | | | important that yoga breathing techniques follow a few |
| joyous and energizing experience you may have ever | | | | basic guidelines. |
| uncovered. Here are the fundamentals for getting the | | | | 1. Practice Breathing. First and foremost is that we |
| most out of your yoga breathing techniques. One of | | | | must give ourselves the permission, time and |
| the most common comments I hear from others within | | | | motivation to improve our breathing through exercise. |
| my yoga class and yoga beginners alike is that they | | | | Yoga breathing techniques are proven to help master |
| find yoga breathing exercises the most beneficial, but | | | | control over our mind and bodies, but it can only work |
| also the hardest set of asanas to master. | | | | if you commit to a disciplined program over a period of |
| It's true when many traditional and alternative | | | | several months. |
| medicines describe breathing as the very essence of | | | | 2. Understand the Physiology of Breathing. A large part |
| existing. Breathing is one of the primary rhythms we | | | | of advanced yoga breathing techniques involves |
| see in life which include sleep awake, birth and death, | | | | altering the inhale and exhalation speed as well as |
| light and dark. | | | | controlling the depth of breathing exercise. The goal of |
| With this in mind, it's no wonder that significant studies | | | | yoga breathing (pranayama) is to ease the mind and |
| have been done to examine the role breathing has on | | | | heart, but also increase the oxygenation of the cells |
| aspects of our life such as health, emotional well being, | | | | within your body - otherwise known as the process of |
| relationships and the state of society in general. | | | | respiration. To master pranayama, your mind pictures |
| In yoga, the breath is known as a rather unifying | | | | the exhalation of toxicity and gas while on inhale, your |
| principle called prana, a wide-reaching energy that can | | | | mind envisions clean, pure oxygen feeding your body. |
| bridge body, mind and spirit together in a harmony that | | | | 3. Become Aware of your body as it breathes. Yoga |
| is the basis of yoga and meditation. Yoga breathing | | | | breathing techniques stress the role of your body, your |
| exercise then becomes the set of yoga breathing | | | | abdomen, your ribs, your thorax and chest as well as |
| techniques seeking to maximize this universal energy | | | | your lungs in the yoga breathing process. For example, |
| that exists inherently in all of us. | | | | when you practice deep breathing, the puffing out of |
| Those who practice yoga believe that this state of | | | | the abdomen is a critical indicator that you are taking in |
| harmony is natural and that there are many aspects | | | | enough breath to accomplish adequate oxygenation. |
| of life that pull apart our inner harmony. Yoga breathing | | | | Truly mastering pranayama (yoga breathing) is only |
| exercise is one of the basic fundamental techniques | | | | possible when you become aware of your breathing |
| we can use to control and even eliminate the impact | | | | rhythms in any activity at any time of day. |
| external forces have on our overall health and | | | | 4. Focus on both inhalation and exhalation. When I first |
| well-being. | | | | started yoga breathing techniques, I focused almost |
| Take our fight or flight response as one example. The | | | | entirely on the inhalation, making sure I was taking a |
| instinctual fight or flight response served our ancestors | | | | truly deep breath, without focusing at all on how I was |
| well, arising infrequently to keep our ancestors out of | | | | letting the air out of my body. In fact, exhalation is just |
| danger and harm. Today, most of us suffer from an | | | | as important to the success of yoga breathing |
| almost chronic, permanent fight or flight response | | | | exercises. Focus on a consistent, controlled release |
| triggering symptoms that lead to digestive problems, | | | | rather than a jerky, uncontrolled release. |
| high blood pressure, deterioration of the arteries and | | | | The long-term health benefits of yoga breathing |
| many other stress-related illnesses. | | | | exercise are thought to be significant, but I can tell you |
| Yoga breathing exercises tackle this chronic stress | | | | that the short-term increase in energy, focus, peace |
| response by breaking through the mind-body response | | | | and brain power you gain from just a 5-minute yoga |
| and re-focusing us on our natural state of internal | | | | breathing technique are incredibly powerful to your |
| harmony. | | | | overall well being, productivity and happiness. |
| YOGA BREATHING EXERCISE BASICS | | | | |