Hatha Yoga Breathing Principles

The correct breathing method is the soul of hatha yoga exercise. When practicing a pose for the first time, especially if you are not very familiar with postures, you can use natural breathing to master the process of the pose first. After you are familiar with it, you can combine the correct breathing methods. When you are very proficient, you will naturally use your breathing to complete the pose, and it will give people the feeling of being done in one go. That's a perfect combination.

1. Inhale when the pose opens and expands the chest and heart areas, and exhale when it tends to shrink and close.

2. The body tends to fold tightly, exhale; inhale when the body opens (folds), stretches, opens, and expands.

3. The twisting process of twisting poses is generally completed by exhaling.

4. In postures that use weight to complete stretching, exhalation should be used to further stretch the body, such as the plow pose.

5. You may not be able to do some poses properly at first. At this time, you can use your breath to follow up further. For the specific breathing method, what breath you use to enter that pose, continue to use that breath to deepen. (Internship Editor: Wu Jinyu)