Yoga Breathing: Practice and Benefits

When was the last time you stopped to take a deep breath, the kind of breath that fills your lungs and then carries away your stress in a long exhale? Like a heartbeat, breathing is integral to our well-being, but it is not something we stop to think about or remember. The breath carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, and removes impurities from our blood and organs for excretion as we exhale. Breathing problems such as asthma and emphysema can have a significant health impact, but how often do we think about breathing when we are healthy?

In fact, there are numerous benefits to be had from practicing conscious breathing. In the yoga world, this is known as pranayama, or “life-breath-extension.” The thought behind pranayama is that by learning to extend and channel the breath, we use the body’s natural power to heal itself. The short term benefits of yoga breathing practice are relaxation, improved focus and detoxification of the body. The long term benefits can include such important goals as lowering blood pressure, improving sleep patterns, encouraging weight loss and improving metabolic rate. By improving our manner of breathing, we combat the negative effects of stress and the chaotic lifestyles imposed on us by this hectic world.

As an experiment, let us see how stress affects breathing. As you read this sentence, think about something stressful affecting you right now. Wait. Notice how your throat tightens and how your chest feels heavy? Your breathing may grow shallower, moving less air in and out of the body as you breathe. As your body relies on the breath to cleanse the blood and move oxygen around the body, the shallower the breath, the more restricted the oxygen flow in the body and the more toxins that are allowed to build up. Your body has to work harder. If you remain in a state of elevated stress for too long, it may eventually cause problems such as fatigue and high blood pressure.

How can we counteract the effects of stress on our breathing? Yoga breathing is usually performed sitting down, in a chair or on the floor, and can take anywhere from five minutes to more than an hour. Generally, the more advanced your level, the longer you might feel comfortable practicing. You do not need any equipment, although you may wish to listen to restful music, or to audio instructions that help you achieve a state of deep breathing such as Guided Yoga’s online yoga breathing program.

You should begin your pranayama practice by learning to become aware of your breathing-what is the natural rhythm of your breath? At first, do not try to change your breathing patterns, just relax all your muscles and allow your mind to focus on the breath. Pay attention to it, and notice the lengths of your inhales and exhales. Is your exhale the same length as your inhale? Do you take long breaths, or short, sharp breaths? Do you feel any tension in the breath?

Also take awareness of how the breath affects the body. Do your shoulders rise and tense up as you breathe in? Do you notice a release of tension as you exhale? What happens to the breath when you consciously relax tense muscles? You might notice that the breath has begun to deepen and become smoother.

At this point, your pranayama practice will probably begin to guide you toward some control of your breath. You will want to find a breath that is a little longer than your normal breath, and constant in the lengths of inhale and exhale. You can begin by counting as you breathe, for instance, “Breathe in… two… three… four; Breathe out… two… three… four.” Do not try to push yourself to lengthen the breath if it causes any tension, lightheadedness or discomfort. Your well-being comes first and you should stop at any sign of discomfort.

How should yoga breath feel? Although the breath may be deeper than what you are accustomed to, it should decrease tension in the muscles, and it never should cause tension! You will want to find a smooth, even breath that expands the ribs on the inhale and empties the lungs on the exhale. On your inhale, picture the breath circulating in your body, relaxing and detoxifying. On the exhale, imagine exhaling tension and toxins from the body.

In our busy modern lives, our breathing can be inhibited by everything from stress to pollution, raising a variety of health concerns. But we can regain our feeling of well-being by taking a few minutes to breathe deeply and calmly, and yoga breathing is a long-established way to bring this healthier breathing into our daily lives.

About the Author

Ashley Hecht is one of the founders of Guided Yoga (
www.guidedyoga.com
), an online yoga studio bringing personalized yoga and yoga breathing classes to yogis of all skill levels, and dedicated to improving the quality of the online yoga experience. CONTACT: ashley@guidedyoga.com (
www.guidedyoga.com
)

I have a respiratory question regarding improvement after treatment for pneumonia.?

Monday last week, I started coughing and had slight shortness of breath.
Friday I started struggling to breath and couldn’t lie down.
This Tuesday I was diagnosed with pneumonia and prescribed antibiotics and Terbutaline Sulfate.

after any ER visit, you need to schedule a follow up appointment with your primary care doctor. if you are continuing to have difficulty breathing, return to the ER -call 911 if you have to. you should never have to work at breathing.

How To Center Your Breathing In Yoga

Centering Your Yoga Breathing

Yoga Breathing is all about life,When breath departs, so too does life. One of the easiest ways to center your breathing is through breathing exercises or (pranayama) for a calmer you. These are practical, easy-to-learn Techniques of Yoga breathing exercises, or pranyama, that reduce stress effectively and can be done almost anywhere. Yoga centered breathing exercises improve your mental health beyond anything that you could imagine unless you experience this for yourself. Yoga breathing teaches natural and optimal centered breathing techniques in four steps, which simply put is 1)INHALE (feel your breath flowing into the center of your being.) 2)HOLD (feel the light inside you. 3)EXHALE (Slowly as you can) and 4)HOLD (preparing mentally to pull the air back into).

Techniques

Practice (pranayama)

First of all we practice breathing from the diaphragm. Practice observing your breath as often as possible. Practice a lot first listening and tuning into the sound of your breath. Proper exhalation is considered as the most important part of Pranayama practice. A good place to begin your breathing by practicing Surya Bhedana. An exercise where you inhale through the right nostril and exhale through the left, holding the inhaled breath as long as possible before exhaling. Some have been able to develop an ability to do this without using the fingers to close either nostril. For now use your fingers. The traditional technique is practiced the following way. After pressing the index and middle fingers of the right hand against the palm of that hand, use the thumb to close the right nostril and the ring and little fingers to close the left nostril. When both nostrils are open, the fingers rest on the bridge of the nose. Repeat this ten times and slowly build up a to forty. Don’t force things and have patience with yourself and be careful if you get light headed then stop and try again.

Centering Yourself in Yoga Exercise

One of the Principles of Yoga is Pranayama or Breathing Exercise which promotes proper breathing at it’s highest level. Just make sure that you know the proper way of breathing before doing these exercises. Bear in mind that these are very powerful exercises, so practice them slowly and know your limits. It is possible to become lightheaded if it is done incorrectly. If you are a yoga beginner advanced breathing exercise should be learned from an experienced teacher

Centered Yoga breathing is a great method for relieving stress and improving oxygen flow. The body can go for many weeks without food and days without water or sleep, but we can’t survive but a few minutes without air, yet we all tend to take it for granted.. Funny that most people don’t learn to do something properly that is so vital to life. Yoga breathing helps gets rid of toxins and wastes from the system. Yoga breathing improves the your concentration and focus. Yoga breathing improves many aspects of your life. Centered Yoga breathing can bring so many benefits to every part of every day, no matter what you do for a living or leisure.

Many people experience light headedness or lose consciousness while practicing Breathing Techniques, whether basic or advanced exercises. That is the very reason the ancient Yogis developed different types of Breathing Techniques, from Beginner or Basic to Advanced Breathing Techniques. Basic yogic breathing techniques are explained simply so that we can work with this amazing ancient science right away. The toughest part of starting anything new is the forming of new, positive habits. If you have any discomfort what so ever while practicing these breathing techniques, stop and try again later. As you become more and more used to the yoga positions and breathing techniques, you can practice your positions without the use of your hands.

The Sanskrit word pranayama means to release life energy from its bounds. Yoga breathing shows us how to breathe slowly and deeply and to center ourselves in yoga.- the correct way.

About the Author

Jeff LaDouceur Kenpoist, Fitness fanatic, and Yoga Enthusiast. Brings you the most up to date information on Yoga.
http://www.bestplaceforyoga.com

Improve Your Breathing Coordination With the Alexander Technique – A Brief Self-Exploration Exercise

Every moment of your life is based on your breathing. Easy, confident breathing is a birthright. The Alexander Technique can help you improve every breath you take by strengthening your diaphragm no matter your level of health or activity. From singers and athletes, to those suffering from diseases such as asthma, emphysema, COPD or cystic fibrosis, everyone can benefit from even a small improvement in breathing. Lasting results will probably take more than doing the exercise from this article, but trying the exercise can help you get started right now.

Breathing Basics – The Diaphragm

Most people breathe about 17 times per minute, or almost 25,000 times per day. In optimal breathing, the diaphragm performs as the main muscle of respiration. Other muscles of the torso are also involved in breathing, but only in a supportive role.

The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that makes a floor for the entire ribcage, separating it from the digestive organs below. While breathing can be either voluntary or involuntary, the diaphragm itself is an involuntary muscle and it cannot be controlled directly.

Inhale

During inhalation, the diaphragm actively flattens (contracts), lifting the ribs and compressing the abdomen below, causing the abdomen to bulge outward. The resulting increased volume of the torso creates a partial vacuum, causing air to rush into the lungs.

Exhale

During exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes upward, re-forming the dome and allowing the ribs to drop down and the abdomen to draw inward again. The resulting reduced volume of the torso pushes air out of the lungs.

Feel the Movement in Your Ribs and Abdomen

You might be able to feel the movement of your breathing by putting one hand on the side of your torso and your other hand on your abdomen. During inhalation, you will feel your hands move out. During exhalation you will feel your hands move in.

Breathing Faults

Inefficiencies can develop in breathing when muscles other than the diaphragm take on a larger role. If the muscles of the ribcage or abdomen are actively engaged, they can begin to supplant the diaphragm, causing the diaphragm to weaken over time. These muscles are not as well suited to a larger role in breathing, making each breath less coordinated and less efficient. Inefficiencies can also develop if the muscles of the ribs or abdomen are fixed or held rigidly, which can impede the diaphragm’s movement. Audible breathing, the sound of air moving in and out of the body, can be a sign of excess tension in the throat or excess effort in your breathing. Optimal breathing is silent.

Improve Your Breathing

One of the most common breathing faults is pushing the breath with muscles of the abdomen during exhalation. You can easily feel for this by putting your hand on your belly, allowing a few breaths to pass, and then speaking. It is very common for muscles of the abdomen to unnecessarily contract during vocalization and you will probably feel a tightening of the muscles while speaking that is different from a non-vocalized exhale. This is a sign that you are doing some extra work with your abdominal muscles in order to speak, instead of simply allowing the diaphragm to rise. The less you actively use the muscles of the torso for breathing, the more you will rely on the diaphragm and, over time, the stronger it will become. Depending on your condition, the following exercise might help you to improve your breathing.

Self-Exploration Exercise

You can complete this self-exploration exercise within a few minutes.

1. While you are reading this, sit all the way back in your chair and let your feet rest on the floor.
2. Allow your neck to be soft and your breathing to be easy.
3. Think of your breathing as ocean waves so that breathing is something that is happening to you as opposed to something that you are doing. Like ocean waves, each breath may range from large to small, and they may come at regular or irregular intervals. Don’t be afraid to take a breath if you feel that you need one.
4. Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. For each exhale, allow your belly to soften and your chest to fall.
5. With this same normal breath, use your mouth to silently count to five during each exhale. Allow your jaw to move easily and let the numbers run together, almost as if you are singing them. 1-2-3-4-5.
6. Enjoy your exhale each time you count to five, take your time and smile.
7. Do not count during your inhale. Just let the new breath pour into your lungs.
8. Stop the exercise after six or seven exhalations and notice if you are breathing easier.

Benefits of Improving Your Breathing

Anyone can benefit from improving their breathing. For those with breathing diseases to athletes and performing artists, improved breathing coordination can help you:

Reduce the symptoms of asthma COPD, emphysema and cystic fibrosis.
Improve vocal quality for performance.
Improve athletic ability.
Reduce insomnia.
Improve systolic blood pressure.
Improve general pain management, including back pain.
Flatten your stomach. (Improved breathing raises your diaphragm. This allows for more room for your internal organs, making your stomach flatter.)

About the Author

Leland Vall, M.AmSAT is a certified Alexander Technique instructor based in New York. He is the author of
The Secret to Using Your Body
and he teaches individuals and groups how to breathe and improve posture, as well as move, sit, and stand with greater ease and strength. Find out how to feel better every day and for the rest of your life at
www.freeyourneck.com
Suggestions for Further Reading The Secret to Using Your Body by Leland Vall www.freeyourneck.com

I run for cross country every day, but no improvement?!!?

I’ve been trying to improve my time. Before i could run 30 minutes straight, but i took a week off and now i have to stop after 15. I dont feel out of breath, my abs and arms feel fine, but my feet and legs start to burn and feel really weak, which is why I have to stop.
How can I FINALLY start improving??? Cross country starts in 9 days!!

you shouldn’t have took a week off, anyway, run as much as you can. and don’t walk because you can ruin your run if you do that.
if you only run 15 min, run twice a day.
and after you run eat protein