How to master the art of breathing

Simple breathing exercises to help you reduce stress

Photographs: Fernando Garcia Aguinaco/Creative Commons

Between our first breath at the time of our birth and our last dying breath, life is nothing but the sum total of our breaths. At an average of 900 breaths per hour, a healthy adult takes almost 8 million breaths per year. But s/he is yet to master the Art of Breathing.

Few understand the importance of taking a deep breath, filling your lungs with oxygen-rich air that is vital to every cell in our body. Like everything in modern life, even our breathing has become shallow and superficial.

Juggling a job, family, kids, friends, and social obligations can take a toll on the best of us. In this mad race to make some money, mankind has sacrificed its peace of mind.

Depression and anxiety are fast becoming a regular feature of modern living. Suicides and nervous breakdowns are on the rise. It has become virtually impossible to keep pace with our hectic urban lifestyle. Today, we literally don't have time to breathe.

Since ancient times, our yogis have stressed on the importance of proper breathing and breathing exercises to maintain a healthy and tension-free life. Proper breathing is the key to good physical and mental well being. Just taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly helps relieve all your stress.

Here are a few simple exercises that will help you relax, calm your mind, boost your self confidence and stay focused.

Pranayama (Control of prana through breath)

Control of the Prana (vital life energy) leads to control of the mind. Yoga teaches breathing exercises called Pranayama, which means 'control of the Prana'.

All diseases of the body can be destroyed at the root by controlling and regulating the Prana, this is the secret knowledge of healing. However, most people only use a fraction of their lung capacity. They breathe shallowly barely expanding their ribcage. In ordinary breathing, we extract very little Prana. But when we concentrate and consciously regulate the breathing, we are able to store a greater amount.

What most of us need these days is a breathing programme that can help us at our desks, cars and computers.

Tension and even depression may be overcome by the following simple exercise.

• Place the shoulder blades as close together as you can without strain and exhale gently and fully
• Pause, then inhale with a deep, slow, gentle breath until the lungs are comfortably filled
• Breathe out slowly through the nose with a long sigh and without altering the position of the shoulder blades
• Do this a dozen times and depression will disappear

You will have stimulated the brain and eased nerve tension by providing a fuller supply of life-giving oxygen.

The person with abundant Pranic energy radiates vitality and strength, which can be felt by all coming into contact with her/him.

The Yogic Breath

• To get the feel of proper diaphragmatic breathing, wear loose clothing and lie on the back
• Place the hand on the upper abdomen, where the diaphragm is located
• Breathe in and out slowly
• The abdomen should expand outward as you inhale and contract as you exhale
• Breathe in slowly; expand the abdomen, then the ribcage and finally the upper portion of the lungs
• Then breathe out in the same manner, letting the abdomen cave in as you exhale
• This is the Complete Yogic Breath

Kapalabhati (Cleansing Breathing Exercise)

In Sanskrit 'Kapala' means skull and 'bhati' means shining. Kapalabhati is considered to be so cleansing to the entire system that when practiced on a regular basis, the skull (and the face) shine with good health and inner radiance. Although a breathing exercise, Kapalabhati is technically considered to be one of the 'Shat Kriyas' (the six yogic practices involving the purification of the body).

How to do Kapalabhati

• Sit in a cross-legged position with the back straight
• Quickly contract the abdominal muscles, pulling the abdomen in sharply, exhaling through the nose
• The diaphragm is contracted and pulled up into the chest cavity, pushing the air out of the lungs
• Now relax the abdominal muscles, allowing the diaphragm to descend to the abdomen cavity
• The lungs will automatically expand and inflate with air
• Passive inhalation and sudden expulsion of breath follow each other continuously until a round is completed

If Kapalabhati is done properly, exhalation takes one-fourths of the time of inhalation.

Beginners may undertake rounds of 20-30 pumping each. This may gradually be increased to 5 rounds of 50-100 pumping. Make sure that the face is kept relaxed. Back and shoulders do not move.

Physical benefits:

• Kapalabhati cleanses the nasal passages, bronchial tubes, lungs and the entire respiratory system
• It strengthens and increases the capacity of the lungs and intercostal muscles
• The blood is purified and toned; the body gets an increased supply of oxygen to all cells
• Abdominal muscles are strengthened, digestion is improved

Mental/Psychic benefits:

• Kapalabhati refreshes and invigorates the mind
• It brings an increase in alertness as a result of the increase of oxygen to the brain
• It creates a feeling of exhilaration
• Kapalabhati activates Pranic energy
• It increases the supply of stored-up Prana in the solar plexus region

Common mistakes:

• Moving the diaphragm in the opposite direction. Many people contract the abdominal muscles while inhaling
• Contracting the shoulders to push the air out when exhaling
• Contorting the facial muscles to force the air out of the nose
• Moving the back and dropping the chest on exhalation

Anuloma Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

Anuloma helps to calm the mind, making it lucid and steady. Practice of Anuloma Viloma purifies the Nadis (pranic energy channels/psychic meredians). It should be mastered and practiced on a regular basis before going on to more advanced Pranayamas.

How to do Anuloma Viloma:

• Sit in a cross-legged position with the back straight
• Raise the right hand. Make the Vishnu Mudra by folding down the index and middle finger
• Exhale through both nostrils
• Close the right nostril with the right thumb
• Inhale completely through the left nostril, keeping the right nostril closed. This should be done to the count of 4
• Close the left nostril with the two end fingers so that both nostrils are closed. Retain the breath to the count of 16
• Release the right nostril and exhale completely to the count of 8
• Now inhale fully through the right nostril to the count of 4
• Pinch the nostrils closed and retain the breath to the count of 16
• Release the left nostril and exhale completely to the count of 8

This is one round. At least 10 rounds should be practiced daily. As you become more advanced, the count of exercise may be increased, but always in the ration of 1:4:2. This means that for every second that you inhale, you retain the breath 4 times as long and exhale for twice as long. Never change this ratio.

Physical benefits:

• It cleanses and strengthens the lungs and the entire respiratory system
• It harmonises the entire system
• As exhalation is twice the time of inhalation, stale air and waste products are drained from the lungs
• The anabolic and catabolic processes of the body are brought into equilibrium

Mental/Psychic benefits:

• Anuloma Viloma calms the mind
• Prana, the vital energy is stored and controlled
• The Nadis are purified
• The psychic system is balanced

Common mistakes:

• The wrong fingers are used
• Back is not straight, head droops
• The chest is dropped with exhalation
• The breath is not smooth

As told to S Saraswathi by the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Chennai