YOGIC BREATHING & PRANAYAMA

Yoga involves a physical practice that combines the movement with the breath. The quality of the physical practice is determined by the quality of the breath.

Our breath is the tool that connects us to our inner essence and links our physical body to our higher, spiritual self.

Thus, by linking breath with movement during our physical practice and lengthening the time of our inhales and exhales, we can deepen our postures and experience their essence.

It is important to keep in mind that the breath is the guiding factor and initiates the movement. Therefore, the length of the breath will determine the length of the movement.

When we become stressed or attempt to practice a challenging posture, our breathing rate accelerates and we leave our inner peace and rhythm.

The way to calm our mind and body is to return to our breath and take deep inhales and exhales and we will then calm our mind and body and return to our inner peace.

PRANAYAMA

Pranayama is the fourth limb in Patanjali’s eight limbed path to yoga (for more details on Patanjali’s eight limbed path to yoga see “Yoga Sutras”) and is the regulation of breath and breath control, leading to integration of mind and body.

“Prana” in Sanskrit means “life force” and “pranayama” is the process by which our life force is controlled in order to calm our mind, rejuvenate our body, reduce afflictions, and awaken our higher states of consciousness.

During pranayama practice, all of our attention is focused on our breath.

Benefits of Pranayama

• improves our concentration and clarity of thought
• helps increase the mental and physical powers of endurance
• the path to deeper relaxation and meditation
• provides relief from pain caused by the compression of nerve endings
• helps in increasing oxygen supply to the brain which in turn helps controlling the mind.

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COMMON PRANAYAMA TECHNIQUES

Note: For pranayama practice, sit erect in any comfortable meditative posture.

Ujjayi Pranayama

(Victorious or Ocean Breathing)

Technique

Ujjayi is most often used with yoga poses, especially in the vinyasa yoga which is breath-synchronized movement.

We contract the larynx slightly and narrow our air passage.

1. Inhale and exhale deeply through the mouth.
2. On the exhales, begin to tone the back of the throat, slightly constricting the passage of air. Imagine that you are fogging up a mirror.
3. Once you are comfortable with the exhale, begin to apply the same toning of the throat to the inhales.
   
4. When you are able to control the throat on both the inhale and the exhale, close the mouth and begin breathing through the nose. Continue applying the same toning to the throat that you did when the mouth was open. The breath will still make a loud noise coming in and out of the nose. This is Ujjayi breath.

Benefits

• Provides deep relaxation to the body and mind.
• Strengthens the nervous and respiratory system.
• Improves concentration.
• Relieves stress, depression and hypertension.

Kapalbhati

(Cleansing Breathing)

Technique

In Kapalabhati, we breathe faster than normal and use only abdominal breathing.

1. Exhale through both nostrils, contracting the middle and lower abdomen portions.
2. Release the contractions quickly and immediately follow with another forceful exhalation.
3. Inhale passively and effortlessly. After the round take a deep breath and gradually exhale. Repeat several rounds.
4. At the end of the Kapalabhati rounds, take several slow breaths in order to prevent dizziness.

Benefits

• Cleans capillaries and purifies the frontal portion of the brain.
• Aids in combating nervous disorders.
• Cleans the nasal passages.

NadiShodhan

(Alternate Nostril Breathing)

Technique

In this technique we lengthen our inhales and exhales and breathe only through our nostrils.

1. Close the right nostril with the right thumb.
2. Inhale slowly through the left nostril and fill your lungs.
3. After complete inhalation, press the left nostril with the ring finger of the right hand and close the left nostril.
4. Open the right nostril, exhale slowly. After complete exhalation, again inhale through the right nostril and fill your lungs.
5. Close the right nostril by pressing it with the right thumb. After opening the left nostril, breathe out slowly.
6. This is one round of Nadi Shudhi Pranayama. Repeat several times.

Benefits

• Lengthens inhales and exhales, thereby, inducing peace and calmness.
• Cleanses and tones up entire nervous system.
• Removes mental tension and worries.
• Heart strengthening.
• Clears blocked nostrils.

Sheetali

(Cooling Breath)

Technique

1. Keep both palms on the knees in Gyan Mudra. (For more details see Yoga Mudras).
2. Draw out the tongue.
3. Roll it up from the sides to form a tube like opening.
4. Slowly suck the air through it and fill the lungs completely.
5. After full inhalation withdraw the tongue and close the mouth.
6. Hold the breath for sometime and then slowly exhale through the nose.
7. Repeat required number of times.

Benefits

• Useful in treating fever.
• Good for liver, spleen, and is a good blood purifier.
• Reduces tension and high blood pressure.
• Cools the nervous system.

Sources
healthandyoga.com
The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar