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Why Breath-work is Powerful

Updated: Aug 31, 2022





I’ve been all about the breathwork this summer. It’s hot, there is a lot of work to be done as things are opening up and festivities are being held, and there is a lot to juggle!

One of the most common questions I get asked as a yoga teacher, is how to breathe correctly. This is followed by what the benefits are, and how can it help our anxiety and stress go down. Can breathing correctly really make that big of a difference?

Will taking 5 minutes out of our day to connect with our breath make our mind work better and improve our mood? It sounds too easy and too good to be true when there are so many responsibilities flying at us as well as the constant stimulation of social media, the news, work, and relationships requiring our attention.

But the breath is magical, and in the philosophy of yoga it’s discussed in intricate detail how the breath is, ultimately, life. If we can start to gain control of our breath, we can control our emotions, our mind and improve the way we live.

History:

8 limbs of yoga

in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, it guides us to live a balanced and healthy life with intentional practice of the 8 limbs of yoga. There are 8 limbs that make up yoga aside from the postures we practice, along with flexibility and strength we build. These include:

  1. Yama- Ethical restraints (How we act and interact with the world and people around us)

  2. Niyama- Observances (Inward practices to improve the self)

  3. Asana- Posture (Originally this was finding a comfortable seat to practice meditation in, but now is referred to general posture and yoga poses)

  4. Pranayama- Breath control (Centering the breath and bringing us to the present moment to reflect inward)

  5. Pratyahara- Withdrawal of senses (Practicing mindfulness and letting go of external sensory input so we can focus our attention inward)

  6. Dharan- Concentration (The first stage of practicing meditation and letting the mind focus on one single point)

  7. Dhyana- Meditation (Clearing the mind of all thoughts and images. Letting the attention be focused)

  8. Samadhi- Realization (Merging with object of concentration in meditation which leads to liberation of suffering)

The 4th limb, pranayama or the breath is energy control. If you can control your breath you can control your mind. Through the inhale we fill the body with new life, and through the exhale we release toxins from the body. Pranayama is a way to purify the mind, the body and bring peace within.

(In Sanksrit Prana means “life force’” and “yama” means “restrain or control”)

Benefits of Breathing Correctly:

Pranayama or breath-work is a field that is just starting to become deeply studied in the scientific community and recognized as an essential part of any persons well-balanced life. Through research, it has been show that there are countless benefits to learning how to breathe correctly (especially throughout your workday!). These include:

  1. Detoxifies and release toxins

  2. Improves mind/body connection

  3. Improves digestion and assimilation of food

  4. Increases heart efficiency

  5. Boost energy levels

  6. Improves cellular regeneration

  7. Improves sleep

  8. Boost immunity

  9. Reduces stress, anxiety and depression

  10. Regulates metabolism

How to start a Breath-work Practice:

In order to start a breath-work practice, it’s important to learn a proper sitting technique for your body and how to hold your posture correctly for optimal inhalations. This will let the body come into complete relaxation and will help the mind stop focusing on any physical discomfort or your running to-do list.

The most important things to remember during the start of your practice are; Keeping the spine straight, applying deep diaphragmatic breathing, relaxing the body from head to toe, and starting to shift focus to a single point, mantra, body part to help the mind slow down.

Video intro to meditation techniques and best practices including how to sit correctly, how to develop focus, and how to relax the body from head to toe:


Diaphragmatic Breathing:

One of the most important things to remember with deep breathing is that you are consciously breathing into the diaphragm rather than into the chest. When we breathe into the chest, we lose the efficiency of oxygenating the blood and only use a small percent of our breathing capacity. This causes us to feel more anxious, depletes the body of energy and slows down the process of healing.

To learn how to establish deep diaphragmatic (or belly breathing) and to start your journey of practicing healthy breathing techniques, try these 3 simple breathing techniques that target deep belly breathing, calm the mind and body, promote the body to heal quicker, as well as bring anxiety and stress levels down.




Just like yoga poses or any physical workout takes time to master, remember that learning to breathe, quite the mind and center the breath is a process and journey of its own. Start with doing it just 2 minutes a day, and try to sprinkle it in between your work, a stressful moment or even during your TV time. It’s all about consistency, intention and repitition. Once you start to master the breath you will be amazed to see how much more you can control your emotions, how grounded and steady you will feel throughout the day, and how much more energy you will suddenly have to do all the things you could possibly imagine.

xo

K

Sources:

Going inward by Rolf Sovik

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