YogaLifeMore

We’ve spoken about the first 3 Limbs of Yoga of Patanjali. The first two: Yamas and Nyamas refer to the ethical restraints and observances while, the last 5 instead, are referred to as Kriya Yoga (Inner Practices).

Asana (the physical posture) is the 3rd Limb and it has been explained here.

Today we talk about the 4^th Limb : Pranayama.

 Breathwork, in Sanskrit “Pranayama” (the extension of the breath, the regulation of the Life energy) it is a powerful tool that has been used for centuries to promote, physical, mental and emotional well-being.

By harnessing the power of our breath, we can transform our lives and unlock our full potential.

In this article will explore the importance of the correct breathing, the benefits of Breathwork and, how they can be used to improve our overall health.

Let’s start with the numerous benefits it can bring:

• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Increases oxygenation and energy
• Releases emotional blockage and promotes relaxation
• Increases self-awareness and mindfulness
• Enhances focus and concentration
• Improves sleep quality

When performed and included into our physical yoga practice, it also can help us to:

• Settle the body
• Stay present during the practice
• Release any tension
• Go deeper into the poses

Yoga breathing is a purposeful process that can include many different styles and lengths, depending on the goals we want to reach with them.

The first step begins in learning the Diaphragm Breathing:

Inhaling

When we inhale, the Diaphragm, the major respiratory muscle located just below the lungs, will contract moving down toward the abdomen, your belly expands as the air comes into the lungs. In this way all the front body expands and allows us to inhale as much air as possible. It is a slow and gentle process that, we don’t usually perform at its fullest.

Exhaling

In this process the Diaphragm relaxes and curves back up as your lungs push all the air out.

In our frenetic lives, usually we don’t use the entire process of the inhalation and exhalation above detailed, we tend to shorten the inhaling, breathing mainly with the upper part of our body, bringing less air and exhaling very quickly. The reason why we usually don’t use the entire capacity is that we are constantly in the “fight or flight” mode (we will go deeper on this topic very soon! If interested, you can Subscribe  to my Blog to receive updates).

Basically, our lives are so chaotic and stressful that our body keeps us in a “ready to react or to run” mode almost constantly, so called “Fight or flight”. It is the body’s way of helping to protect itself from any possible harm.

The Breathwork techniques are formulated to bring our entire nervous system in balance, allowing the breathing to send signals to the brain confirming that everything is ok, calming both the mind and the body, activating therefore the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible also to improve digestion, sleeping and energy levels).

There are several techniques in Yoga that are used with different purposes, all of them extremely beneficials but not all of them are appropriate to everybody.

If you have any condition (such as epilepsy, stroke, very high or very low blood pressure, heart disease, hernia or vertigo) before to dive-in into breathwork, my suggestion is to rely on certified Yoga teachers and professional  breathwork facilitators only, they can guide you on the best techniques suitable for your condition. Do not have this stopping you, most of the techniques by the way have no contraindication and a reliable instructor will guide you on the best one for you!

By incorporating breathwork techniques into our routine, we can discover our connection with our breath, we become more concentrated on the present moment, we are able to release the tensions and see things more clearly.

Let me know on the comments if you ever tried a breathwork, which one and and how did you feel?

If you want to try a transformative experience with breathwork, follow me on Instagram, Subscribe to this blog or follow my Eventbrite account to be kept up=to=date on my next workshops and events!