By Plinky Recto
BREATHING is ultimately the most basic activity a human being learns in order to survive. Without the act of breathing, we cease to be. In Yoga breathing takes a more serious role a proactive commitment in improving the self.
The practice of Yoga seeks to refine breath into “the force”—Prana. In a nutshell, Prana or “the force,’’ surrounds us and even penetrates through ourselves. It can be superficial like the force taken from external objects. Or deep and ingrained when the force is taken to transform the self.
Sounds deep and complicated? Okay! Think Star Wars the movie. In the Empire Strikes Back, that famous line “May the force be with you,’’—that’s not mumbo jumbo talk. Yoda, the wise and powerful Jedi master in the Star Wars universe, meant that knowing oneself is only when the Force is with you.
The Force is as an energy field created by all living things, that surrounds and penetrates living beings and binds the galaxy together. The powers exhibited by the various characters rely on the Force. And you only truly tap on the Force when you are calm and at peace. Proper breathing helps you achieve that.
I believe that’s the great thing about the concept of breath in the yogi’s world. The depth of its practice is unfathomable!
The practice of breathing techniques is central to the practice of Yoga. The use of this rhythmic breathing exercise through the different poses in a flowing sequence creates awareness to this life force. Where body, mind and spirit become one! Consider this: when agitated, try breathing. Notice it is very difficult to achieve deep regulated breaths? To calm the mind, you should tame the breath!
Learn How to Breathe
Examine the nature of your breathing. Lie on your back. Facing the ceiling, relax and observe the motion of your breath. Rest your hands beside your hips. Legs lightly apart. Begin by noticing how the air enters your nostrils. What is the rhythm and pace of your breathing? Does it feel tight in the chest? Labored or effortless? Can you distinguish the difference in temperature when inhaling and exhaling?
Your breathing pattern may vary at different points of the day. Depending on your mood, activity, or just about anything under the sun! Now, let your awareness focus on your abdominal area. Allow a gentle expansion as you inhale. And let it contract and sink as you exhale. It is important to note that at least half the population does not breath in this manner. Most of the time the reverse occurs. That is, they swell the belly on exhalation and expand the chest during inhalation.
Now, if this seems different from your normal breathing, try placing your hands on your lower abdomen and gently press your abdominal muscles as you exhale. Over time you will learn and appreciate breath awareness. Practice this everyday. At least set aside two to five minutes a day before you rise and also just before you shut your eyes. You will experience in time the benefits of this relaxing stimulation. Your respiratory rate will diminish, heart rate will lower and blood pressure will normalize. .
The Concept of Yoga Breathing
In yoga breathing practices, your diaphragm goes down as air rushes into your lungs when you inhale. This motion allows the expansion of your ribs while pushing the contents of your abdominals downward and forward. On exhale, your diaphragm returns to its original position and air is expelled from your lungs. This allows you to breath out.
Inconsistencies in breathing, for instance, engaging the reverse, according to practitioners, could cause chronic neck and shoulder pains and even irregular biorhythms like constipation, insomnia, elevated blood pressure, irregular heart beats and so on! So the next time you’re stressed, take time and check the most basic—breathe! If the wave-pattern is not present, you are tensed!
Ever ask why most yoga breathing exercises breathe through the nostrils? The nostrils are lined with small hair follicles and mucous membranes to trap and protect toxic materials or debris from your internal organs. Now what makes it more interesting is when the air passes through the pathways. Efficient flow of air heightens and warms up towards the deeper part of the lobes of your lungs. That’s why you get that warm feeling at the backside of your ribs. How bizarre can that be! Let’s not forget that breathing through the nostrils stimulates the olfactory nerves, heightening sensations of aroma. According to Ayurveda practices, our sense of smell is connected to the earth element. It creates a sense of groundness. This is our connection to the Earth.
The Diaphragmatic and Abdominal Breathing
The main difference? Diaphragmatic breathing is more stimulative, while abdominal breathing is more relaxing or sedating!
Notice how a newborn babe breathes? Effortless yet rhythmically peaceful. Watch the diaphragm in action. That’s diaphragm breathing for you at its perfect state! Now, this time let’s try a new technique—as the diaphragm is contracted and lowered (on the inhale), the abdominal muscles should be controlled.
Through this exercise, the abdominal muscles keep the spinal column protected. Invigorating the spinal nerves. But the catch is this two processes flow from one to the other. By emphasizing on one, different benefits arise!
In yoga, breath training emphasis is on the relaxation part. (And the controlled part is through exhalation.) The primary purpose is to have control on your rectus abdominis. Or what most gym enthusiasts call the six-pack or the pandesal. Now breathing focused on a relaxing effect is done for a two to 10-minute cycle. If done regularly, it becomes an ideal technique in aiding sleep more rapidly.
A variation is making a sighing sound through the mouth when you exhale. The audible sound deepens the discharge of stress. Train the sigh to be prolonged and audible. Note that practicing this breathing technique should only be done no longer than 10 minutes. Unless you’re about to sleep. By all means go!
The Wave Pattern
The wave pattern or wave motion is another exercise in breath control. This is actually a continuation of the diaphragmatic and abdominal breathing. However, in this case, greater amount of air can be taken in. The respiratory motions extend to other regions. That would be your lower abdomen, solar plexus and the chest.
Your chest expands during inhalation. Then it flows to the lower ribs and lastly into the abdomen. Remember that inhalation is in a descending vertical motion. That’s why your belly slightly protrudes from this practice. The exhalation is the reverse. The motion is in an ascending flow, therefore allowing the ribcage to narrow and promote the ascension of your diaphragm.
Let’s try it. Your goal is to achieve an even distribution of breath. From your chest to your abdomen. Try sitting up this time. The benefits are tremendous! The complete breath of this practice moves all respiratory muscles in “full capacity in a passive manner” preventing stress to the heart and the nervous system.
Ribcage Breathing (Intercostal breathing)
Another variation is the Ribcage or the intercostal breathing. This time, emphasis is in the expansion and contraction of your ribcage. The spaces in between your ribs are really not spaces but muscles, which allow mobility for ribs. These are called intercostal muscles.
This exercise, however, is done to increase your energy level. Let’s place our hands in the curve around the lower ribcage. Inhale, and your fingers are supposed to expand with the ribcage. Exhale, and they come together.
To emphasize on the narrowing of your ribs, you could lightly press or place pressure. You should be able to feel the intercostal muscles expand and contract. The ideal expansion rate is around two to three inches. Seriously! This doesn’t come overnight so start slow. A few minutes a day would do.
And from these three basic breathing techniques, we proceed to the breathing tool that calms the mind—Ujjaye breathing.
Ujjaye
Uj means “upward” and jayi “victorious.” This exercise calms the restless mind. This tool is special because not only do you feel that certain stillness “that is always there,” you’re thoughts become crystal clear! This is an important technique practiced by Hatha yoga. It is described by a “glottal breath” in which the glottis at the back of the throat is partially closed. This narrows the passage of air entering from the sinus cavity to the nostrils and down to the windpipe.
That is why it has that familiar sound when you join yoga classes. It is done best at a seated position with back erect and head slightly angled forward. Remember to maintain inhalation and exhalation at an even steady pace. Begin by taking a deep breath, slow and deep. The collarbone and sternum sinks to a relaxed state. This contraction is what creates that sound.
The sound should be evenly made from the beginning to the end of each breath! Practice a few minutes a day. (One Yogi friend of mine recommends practicing three times a day). Once you have mastered this, you can begin extending the natural length of each breath. By doing so, you will be able to improve deep concentration while maintaining your posture. Ujjaye is excellent for respiratory ailments like asthma.
As we grow older, and hopefully wiser, we realize that brute force may not necessarily work for us. I cannot imagine myself doing aerobic classes in gyms in my 60s! Goodness! In my case, less is best. And a little goes a long way. I encourage you to try these techniques at home.
It is said that most people use only one third of their lung capacity. Shallow breathing is the order of the day for urban dwellers. That could be the cause for memory loss and vitality. The brain requires “three times as much oxygen” as the rest of the body’s tissue cells. So breathe for better health and better thinking. A calm and peaceful life!
