7 Breathing Yoga Techniques For You

The first act of life – breathing.
The last act of life – breathing.

Everything else lies somewhere in the middle but seems to assume utmost importance in our life. Do you know a little attention on the way we breathe can open up numerous secrets to good health? Increased immunity, a calm and relaxed mind, and a happy state of being, for starters? All this by learning to breathe right!

But who needs to learn how to breathe? Doesn’t it keep happening on its own all the time? Yes, but pranayamas (breathing techniques) help regulate the flow of breath, removing any blocks in the nadis (subtle energy channels) so that both our body and mind stay healthy. Let’s look at the key role the breath plays in yoga.

 

Our Breath Determines Your State Of Mind

Think about it – isn’t your breath really fast when you are angry and smooth and mellow when you are calm? This means that breath is not only linked to the body but also to the mind.  By paying attention to your breath through breathing exercises, you can bring the mind to a pleasant state by enhancing and regulating the life force in the system.

The term pranayama is made up of two words – prana (life force energy or breath) and yama (regulating or causing a break). By breaking the normal breathing pattern, which happens in pranayama, we attend to the breath, and in turn to the health of our body and mind. Pranayamas fill the body with plenty of prana which makes you feel energetic and positive. On the other hand, a low level of prana in the body can be a reason for increased feelings of anxiety or stress.

 

Go Here to watch a video that reveals how to use Yoga to allow our bodies to build strength gently while working to heal our nervous system and mental space.

 

 

BELLY BREATHING
Close your eyes exhale all of your air.
Take a very gentle baby sip of inhale.
Exhale all of your air and then engage the abdominal muscles and ring out as much air as you can.
Repeat a minimum of three times

UJJAYI BREATH
Inhale through you nose and exhale through your mouth making a HA sound like you are fogging a mirror.  Repeat 3 times.
Inhale through you mouth and begin exhaling through your mouth (same sound) then close you mouth half way through breath creating same sound through the nose. Repeat 3 times.
Complete 3 breaths in and out through the nose creating the same HA sound on the exhale.

BREATH OF FIRE
Focus on the exhale.
Take a passive inhale then pull the belly button into the spine forcefully forcing out all your air very quickly.
Repeat for 1 minute.
*If you find yourself short of breath or are dizzy engage in regular breathing for a few breaths then return to breath of fire

ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING
Place your index and middle finger at the brow point.
Take an inhale breathe.
Close off your right nostril with your thumb and exhale through the left
Stay inhaling through you left nostril.
Switch closing of your left nostril with your thumb and exhale through the right, stay for the inhale.
Continue alternating sides for 1-3 minutes.

LIONS BREATH
Stick out your tongue and try to touch your chin.
Bulge your eyes looking up as high as you can.
Exhale all of his your air forcefully while doing this.
Repeat is many times, as you want.

SQUARE BREATHING
Take a few breaths and find a comfortable length for an inhale and exhale for example three count or five count. Once you have this number:
Inhale for three counts.
Hold the breath in for three counts.
Exhale for three counts.
Hold the breath out for three counts.
Repeat as many times as you’d like.

COOL BREATHING
With your lips separated suck the air through your teeth.
Exhale through your nose.
As you’re inhaling try bring the air the cool air all the way into your lungs.
Repeat as many times as you wish or for a specific duration.

 

YOGA for HEALING IS FOR YOU IF:

• You want to explore a more gentle style of yoga
• You are recovering from an illness
• You are ready to take this next step toward your health and happiness

 

 

Experience what yoga at home should feel like: stunning visuals, soothing music and authentic yoga sequences that will calm your mind, strengthen your body and inspire the soul. This episode is from Season 2, designed and narrated by master yoga teacher Kate Potter.

 

 

Original Article shared by:  Namaste Tecumseh Yoga