Assignment: W1.4
Basic Breathing Techniques
“Starry Night”, Van Gogh
“First of all the twinkling stars vibrated, but remained motionless in space, then all the
celestial globes were united into one series of movements…Firmament and planets
both disappeared, but the mighty breath which gives life to all things and in which all
is bound up remained.” (Van Gogh)
Breath is yoga, is life
Breathing is vital to staying alive, we could not last more than a few minutes without
it, however it is not very often that we pay attention, honour and try to improve how
we breathe. Our life begins with an inhale and will cease on an exhale; breathing is
the natural rhythm flowing through our lives.
Most people do not breathe efficiently. In normal or uncontrolled habitual breathing,
people use only a fraction of their lung capacity. When people are stressed or
anxious they breathe from their chests, taking rapid shallow breaths or even worse
holding their breath. Without sufficient oxygen, we become fatigued and lethargic to
the detriment of our physical and mental being.
The process of breathing lies at the centre of every action and reaction we make or
have and so by returning to it we get to the core of our responses to stressful
situations. “By refining and improving the breath we can feel its positive impact on all
aspects of our being […] and in reclaiming the fullness of our breathing we can also
reclaim many other dimensions of our lives”. (Farhi, 1996)
Breath affects every function of the human body and therefore awareness,
connection and control of the breath has a multitude of benefits; physical and
psychological. That is why the science of yoga places such a significant emphasis on
the breath.
Beyond simply keeping us alive, our breath creates and regulates prana the “vital
energy force sustaining life and creation”. (Hatha Yoga Pradipika) Through
connecting and working with the breath we can build and regulate the flow of prana1
in the body.
The breath and the mind have an interdependent relationship; how we breathe
directly affects the mind and our mind affects how we breathe. When we are anxious
the breath quickens and is irregular and if our breath becomes fast and irregular we
feel anxious. This in turn affects all the functioning of the body, as Iyengar explains:
“Steadiness of mind and breath interact and makes the intellect steady too. When it
does not waver, the body becomes strong and the sadhaka2 is filled with courage.”
(Iyengar, 1981)
Pratyahara, the fifth limb of ashtanga3 yoga means “withdrawing the senses from the
outer world” or more simply, “going inside”. Listening to the sound of your own breath
Prana (प्राण, prāṇa) is the Sanskrit for "vital life" (from the root prā "to fill", cognate to Latin plenus
"full").
2
A sādhaka (Sanskrit) is someone who follows a particular sādhana, or a way of life designed to
realize the goal of one's ultimate ideal, whether it is merging with Brahman or realization of one's
personal deity.
1
3
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a Hindu scripture and foundational text of Yoga. The Ashtanga or
eight "limbs" prescribed in the second pada of the Yoga Sutras are: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama,
Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.
is conducive to practicing pratyahara4 and has several physical and psychological
implications. Listening to the sound of your own breath draws your attention inward
and takes away from external sounds, which is a useful meditation technique. The
sound of the breath can teach us almost everything we need to learn about our
attitude in a yoga posture or even at rest. At times the breath may sound strained,
laboured, short, aggressive, flat, shallow or fast. Bringing the breath back to the ideal
of a smooth, pleasant sound we can begin to correct any negative or unhelpful
attitudes. (Maehle, 2006)
Thinking and movement of prana (life force) are co-existent. “Both the mind and the
breath are united together like milk and water and both of them are equal in their
activities. The mind begins its activities where there is the breath and the prana
begins its activities where there is the mind”. (Hatha Yoga Pradipika)
4
Pratyahara (Devanāgarī) or the 'withdrawal of the senses' is the fifth element among the Eight stages
of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga, as mentioned in his classical work, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali composed in
the 2nd century BCE.
Conscious and unconscious breathing
“Yogis describe the breath as lying precisely at the boundary between the body and
the mind […] The body’s breathing apparatus is the only physiological function that is
both voluntary and involuntary. It lies at the boundary between the conscious and the
unconscious. Breath connects the inside of the body with the outside world – taking
the outside world in and expelling the inside world out.” (Cope, 2007)
The modern stresses of every day life are obvious to most people; however there are
many invisible ways in which modern living affects are nervous system and thus our
breathing. The fast level of change in society has done little to prepare our bodies to
cope with the overwhelming stimulation and acceleration which modern living brings.
Modern levels of stress are said to literally flood our bodies with toxic stress
hormones, normally associated with the “fight or flight” response which our bodies
automatically release during stressful situations. It is therefore no surprise that heart
disease, high blood pressure and auto-immune deficiencies are rampant. One of the
first things that changes when we respond to a stressful situation is our breath and
this can create and be the result of further physical, emotional or psychological
stress. Ultimately, disordered breathing is the greatest indicator that all is not well.
(Farhi, 1996)
Modern life has ultimately made us forget how to breathe correctly. A fast and
shallow breath as a response to a stressful situation, once a momentary way of
breathing becomes a permanent state of being. Momentary reactions become
habitual patterns and we begin to feel hyper-alert regardless of the circumstances.
However, taking back control of the breath and consciously understanding our breath
is the beginning of taking back control of our lives and how we live them.
Unconscious control
Breathing is one of the few bodily functions which, within limits, can be controlled
both consciously and unconsciously.
“Unconscious breathing is your natural breathing pattern. Unconsciously, breathing is
controlled by specialized centers in the brainstem, which automatically regulate the
rate and depth of breathing depending on the body’s needs at any time. When
carbon dioxide levels increase in the blood, it reacts with the water in blood,
producing carbonic acid. Lactic acid produced by anaerobic respiration during
exercise also lowers pH. The drop in the blood's pH stimulates chemoreceptors in
the carotid and aortic bodies in the blood system to send nerve impulses to the
respiration centre in the medulla oblongata and pons in the brain. These, in turn send
nerve impulses through the phrenic and thoracic nerves to the diaphragm”.
(Wikipedia.org)
Conscious breathing involves merging the inhale and the exhale with your conscious
awareness. (http://EzineArticles.com/297549) Not only does it greatly enhance our
physical well-being but enables us to connect with and safely release any underlying
traumas that have been preventing us from living our life to the fullest. It is a natural
breathing technique in which you are fully aware of every breath you are taking.
On a spiritual level it is said that our breath is our connection to the Divine. The
diaphragm is known as the ‘spiritual’ muscle. By not breathing properly we are
cutting ourselves off from our innate source. Conscious breathing reconnects us to
our divinity and our sense of One-ness and of being a part of everything.
(http://spinalbreath.com/conscious-breathing/what-is-conscious-breathing/)
How to cultivate breath in class practically
Following the positive effects of breath awareness, ujjayi and pranayama and from
the research into understanding one’s breath’s powerful healing potential I would like
to find ways to share this knowledge with students and help to cultivate a connection
to the breath.
Breath awareness techniques in a class situation
To cultivate conscious breathing one must become aware of the breath. One
technique is literally observing the breath, being a silent witness without altering the
breath’s natural rhythm. It is helpful to talk people through this, particularly beginners
who may not be accustomed to this practice or feel comfortable without instructions.
Inquiry into the breath
Exercise 1
A simple exercise which can focus the mind on the breath is one where we inquire
into the natural rhythm of the breath. Focussing on the location of the breath; ask
where is the movement of the breath most noticeable, in the lower body or the upper
body?
The origin of the breath, where does the movement of the breath begin?
The frequency of the breath, counting the number of breaths per minute, is it fast or
slow or somewhere in between?
The phrasing of the breath, is there a difference between the length of the inhalation
and exhalation, or are they equal?
The texture of the breath, is your breath smooth and constant or jerky and uneven?
The depth of the breath, does the breath feel deep or shallow? The quality of the
breath; how would you describe your breath? Do any images come to mind that you
could associate with your breathing? (Farhi, 1996)
Exercise 2
Focussing on the movement of the abdomen. You may wish to lie semi-supine and
lie with your hand lightly touching your belly. Close your eyes and take a moment to
mentally scan your body. Become aware of how the body feels. Gently focus your
attention on your abdomen, notice how the abdomen moves as you breathe in an
out. Feel the swelling and the settling sensation on the inhale and exhale. Do you
feel any tightness or restriction in your belly? Do you tend to pull your abdomen
inward or upward? If you are not sure whether you are holding tension in the belly,
tense the abdomen for 7 seconds by pulling the muscles inwards then release. Do
this a few times until you can feel the difference between tension and relaxation in
the belly. Notice how the on the inhalation the abdomen billows out in all directions,
notice how it retracts back on the exhalation, but does not contract. You do not have
to force the inhalation or the exhalation by forcing the belly in or out, let the
movement arise of their own accord. (Farhi, 1996)
On a personal level my main observations from increased focus on my breathing is
that my natural inhalation tends to be shallow and soft, the exhalation the same;
when breathing deeply I find it difficult to inhale and exhale fully as can feel tightness
in the chest, I also find it difficult to breath into my back and the fully open my
ribcage. (Farhi, 1996)
Exercise 3
Diaphragmatic breathing teaches people to breathe completely and utilise their full
lung capacity. This is important as many people are stuck in chest breathing and are
missing out on the physical and psychological benefits of breathing from the
abdomen. Babies and children breath through their bellies, this is the innate way of
breathing because it is the most efficient, Stephen Cope outlines the preferences of
diaphragmatic over chest breathing; “The differences between deep diaphragmatic
breathing and chest breathing are significant, both to the physical body and to the
energy body. Abdominal breathing can increase the amount of air we take the lungs
by 600 per cent […] The impact of the nervous system is similarly powerful. While
chest breathing stimulates the production of shorter, more “restless” beta waves in
the brain, full diaphragmatic breath stimulates the longer, slower alpha waves
associated with relaxation and calm mind states.” (Cope, 2007)
Diaphragmatic breath is also known as the complete yogic breath. The complete
yogic breath encompasses the three components of complete breathing – abdominal,
thoracic and clavicular. This entails breathing into the bottom of the lungs, after this
full abdominal expansion the chest is expanded outwards and upwards, at the end of
this movement inhaling in continued feeling the collarbone and shoulders being
drawn towards your head. This fills the upper lobes of the lungs and completes one
inhalation.
The
whole
process
is
one
continuous
movement.
(http://www.yogaatwork.co.uk/breathing.htm)
Ujjayi Breathing
“As long as there is breath in the body, there is life. When breath departs, so does
life. Therefore, regulate the breath.” (Hatha Yoga Pradipika)
As Iyenga explains; the practice of pranayama5 regulates that flow of prana
throughout the body […] it also regulates all the sadhaka’s thoughts, desires and
actions, gives poise and the tremendous will-power needed to become a master of
oneself”. (Iyenga, 1981)
Ujjayi is a pranayama technique utilised to regulate the breath and create heat within
the body, is most often utilised in asana based yoga practice such as ashtanga
vinyasa yoga and is thought of as a way to extend the life force (prana). (Maehle,
2006) It is one of the more subtle yoga practices, but it binds the asana (yoga
postures) together on a string so they become a yoga mala or garland. (Maehle,
2006)
Whilst the above exercises depict methods of observing the natural rhythm of the
breath, ujjayi breathing is not an automatic habitual way of breathing, but a focussed
and controlled way of breathing. Ujjayi is a powerful breathing technique where the
Pranayama (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम prāṇāyāma) is a Sanskrit word meaning "extension of the prana or
breath" or more accurately, "extension of the life force". The word is composed of two Sanskrit words,
Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, and "āyāma", to extend, draw out, restraint, or
control.
5
lungs are expanded and the chest is thrust out like that of a mighty conqueror.
(Iyenga, 1981) The ujjayi breath forces the practitioner to utilise the complete yogic
breath, which as explained earlier, is thought to encompass so called “complete”
breathing. The length of the breath is regulated to about 3 seconds inhale and 3
seconds exhale (depending on the natural length of the breath), the glottis at the
back of the throat is slightly contracted so that the sound of the breath is more like a
“sigh” with the mouth shut, when breathing out.
My own early yoga (BWY)6 practice taught me to extend the breath, consciously
lengthening the inhale and the exhale before any asana, to a length of 8-12 seconds.
As a beginner, I found this technique difficult, as my breathing was naturally very
shallow and I realised I habitually held my stomach in as a matter of course therefore
only ever breathing into the upper part of my chest. Nevertheless, focussing my mind
on this breathing technique was invaluable. I remember in my early yoga classes
almost passing out in trikonasana as I found myself holding my breath for 8-12
seconds at a time, concentrating on the posture and not on the breath! The focus on
the breath eventually enabled me to execute the yoga postures with ease.
I was taught the technique of ujjayi breathing when I began my ashtanga vinyasa
yoga practice. As a controlled way of breathing, again, I found it difficult to master.
However, I have found that without ujjayi breathing, my ashtanga vinyasa yoga
practice is incomplete, in fact non-existent. Without the ujjayi breath control no heat is
built within the body enabling the body to relax or to move; without the ujjayi breath
focus is diminished, “drishti” (gazing point) becomes irrelevant and the mind begins
6
British Wheel of Yoga
to wander. As the mind begins to wander the focus on what is happening in each
asana disappears, one cannot hear what the body is telling them and injury is
therefore more likely to occur. Thus I believe that the teaching of ujjayi pranayama as
an underpinning practice in any asana based yoga practice is invaluable, and its
power should not be ignored.
Conclusion
Breathing is the bridge to the mind and it is the mid which we strive to still with
yoga. Building stamina of the mind appears to be as significant in retaining
prana, the life force, which we all require to live. Stamina of mind and the
cultivation of a strong, conscious breath appears to be the foundation of a
healthy body, mind and a good yoga practice and should be taught and
practiced in every yoga class.