Introduction to Yoga Full Breathing Practice

Perhaps the more familiar the matter is, the easier it is to be ignored. Many yoga practitioners are obsessed with difficult movements and the softness of their bodies, but they don't pay attention to their breathing. Yes, breathing is a human instinct. Who can't breathe? If you have this idea, then you haven't really understood yoga yet.

Yoga calls the important energy or vitality that controls the body "Prana," which is what China call "qi." Prana exists in the air you breathe, but not oxygen; it exists in food, but not the food itself. It is a subtle energy that exists in everything that sustains human life. There is an imaginary metaphor that compares prana to electricity. When the power is turned on, the lamp will shine, which indicates that there is energy, and this energy is invisible. Everything and everyone generates electromagnetic currents. Prana is a form of energy in electromagnetic current. By using fully active breathing and practicing yoga postures, the body can absorb and store more energy than before. This will leave you feeling full of energy after a yoga practice.

Judging from the part of breathing, basically speaking, breathing can be divided into abdominal breathing, chest breathing and abdominal chest full breathing.

Abdominal breathing:

Breathe through the bottom of your lungs and feel like you are just pumping your abdomen and your chest is relatively motionless.

Chest breathing:

Breathe through the upper and middle parts of the lungs. It feels like the chest is expanding and contracting, and the abdomen is relatively motionless.

Fully breathe:

The upper, middle and lower parts of the lungs all participate in the movement of breathing. My abdomen, chest and even my whole body are heaving and contracting.

Among them, the complete yoga breathing method combines abdominal breathing and chest breathing to achieve the best breathing effect. After practicing for a period of time, this breath should be applied to your daily life, especially when you are angry or nervous, which can quickly calm down your emotions.

Complete yoga breathing method consists of three parts: exhalation, inhalation and breath holding.

expiratory

First sit or stand in a relaxed posture, with the spine and head perpendicular to the ground, and your arms hanging down naturally or resting on your legs. At the beginning, slowly exhale and force the gas out of the abdominal cavity by contracting the abdominal muscles. When the abdominal cavity is completely recessed into the body, start to slowly contract the ribs. When the ribs contract, the remaining gas in the body can be driven out of the chest until the gas is exhausted.

inspiratory

Now we enter the rest stage, where we stop breathing for about 2-3 seconds while the abdominal cavity and chest cavity are completely depressed; then we enter the inspiration stage, which is the exact opposite of exhalation. Let's relax your ribs first, let gas slowly fill your chest, and try to breathe in to expand your chest to the maximum extent. Continue to breathe gently, slowly relax your abdomen, and it gradually bulges. By this time, we had completed a whole process of yoga breathing.

with bated breath

At the beginning of practice, hold exhalation and inhalation for 5 seconds each, while holding your breath only takes 2 seconds. Then, as it progresses for a period of time (which takes about a month), you start to lengthen the exhalation, inhalation, and breath. At the beginning of practice, hold exhalation and inhalation for 5 seconds each, while holding your breath only takes 2 seconds. Then, as it progresses for a period of time (which takes about a month), you start to lengthen the exhalation, inhalation, and breath.

Note: Always observe the changes in your body during practice. If you have difficulty breathing, it means that the time taken is not suitable for you, and you need to adjust the time for exhalation, inhalation, and holding your breath yourself; When practicing correctly, your body will sweat slightly, especially on the top of your head. Don't worry, it means that your body is entering a good cycle. The toxins in your body are slowly being expelled from your body with the yoga pranayama, and your body has been purified.

Experience sharing: When you inhale, you can imagine inhaling pink gas (representing happiness and joy), and excluding dark blue gas (representing toxins in the body). As the number of breaths increases, the dark blue gas in the body gradually is replaced by pink, and your mood will become happy and relaxed.

Beginners can practice 5-10 times a day, gradually extending the practice time to 10 minutes. You can practice for a period before doing other breathing techniques or yoga meditation, but the time should not be too long.

Yoga breathing increases the amount of oxygen inhaled, increases lung capacity, purifies blood, and increases vitality and endurance. It can enhance the activity of the human digestive organs, eliminate and cure diseases of the digestive system, and also affect the endocrine glands and promote the activity of the ovaries and testicles.

The ultimate goal of yoga full breathing practice is to become the breathing habits of the practitioner, thereby changing the body and life. If you have been practicing yoga for a while but feel that the effects of the practice are not obvious, please pay attention to the changes in your breathing from today. (Internship Editor: Wu Jinyu)