The Power of Breathwork in Yoga

Most people know that breathing techniques play a role when practicing yoga. However, people often underestimate how essential conscious breathing really is. Since this is often due to a lack of knowledge, I want to explain to you which benefits Pranayama (you will learn what this word means) has, and why it should become your priority when practicing yoga.

There is no right or wrong

Firstly, I want to clarify that there is no way of breathing correctly or incorrectly in yoga. As you might know, there are different yoga styles, and with the different styles come different breathing techniques. Some yoga teachers let you breathe into your stomach, and others instruct you to tense the abdominal wall or tell you to draw your breath into your chest. Some are very strict, and they want you to only breathe in Ujjayi (a breathing technique). This proves that there are multiple approaches to yoga breathing, but certainly no right or wrong, as long as you make yourself aware of your breathing.

The connection between Pranayama and Mindfulness

In yoga, we call the breathwork Pranayama. Prana means life energy, and Ayama means control. Thus, Pranayama is about controlling the flow of life energy — of breath. However, in my opinion, especially for beginners, the word control should not mean that you force yourself to breathe in a certain manner that does not make you feel good. The first step is to become fully aware of our breath. Because if you become aware of your breath, you experience yourself and your surrounding more consciously.

I often tend to lose myself in thoughts about the past or future, and I often have difficulties letting go of these thoughts. However, once I start breathing consciously, becoming aware of every in- and exhale, I notice how I become much more present. I begin to notice how my body feels, but I also become aware of my surrounding. Once you are in this state of being very present without any judgment, you achieve mindfulness.

Besides the tremendously positive effects that yoga breathing has on your mental well-being, it also positively impacts your physical condition. Firstly, regularly practicing yoga breathing can increase your lung capacity, which positively affects your physical functioning. Second, more oxygen for all body cells increases alertness, as well as physical and cognitive performance. Also, the pH value of the body is raised slightly, which counteracts acidification. Further, deeper breathing intensifies the positive effects on digestion and metabolism.

Anatomy of Yoga Breathing

Breathing is a complex process in the body. But I want to break it down a bit: As we breathe in, we draw air into the lungs, some of the oxygen enters the blood, and we breathe out air with lower oxygen content. This biomechanical process keeps us alive.

An adult person breathes in and out approximately 0.5 liters of air per breath. If we change our breathing at will (which we consciously do in yoga), we can expand this volume by an additional 3 liters of air.

Rather than breathing just shallow, we can breathe deep into different parts of our body, such as the belly, chest cavity, flanks, lung tips (collarbones), and back of the body. The deeper and more consciously you breathe in, the better you can fill these spaces and absorb more air.

Yoga breathing versus breathing in everyday life

In the yoga exercises, we want to make ourselves aware of the breath and change it. For example, we lengthen the breaths in yoga exercises and can thus experience inner peace. A prolonged exhalation sends the message to the brain that everything is fine, making it easier for us to relax. In addition, we use the Ujjayi breathing technique, for example, to focus and to practice more powerfully, but also more meditatively. However, in our everyday life, the breath should flow naturally. Our breath beyond the yoga mat is allowed to be free and without control.

Breathing techniques in yoga

There is not just one breathing technique, but many different ways to change yoga breathing, for example:

• Change the length of inhalation and exhalation

• Insert breathing pauses at the end of inhalation and/or exhalation

• Make the breath sound

• Breathe in and out through different nostrils

In Pranayama there are several techniques which you can practice:

1. Nadi Sodhana: alternate nostril breathing; this breathing practice is great for balancing the body’s energy.
2. Ujjayi Pranayama: One of the most used Pranayamas in yoga classes today. The Ujjayi breath, also called Victorious breath, is meant to mimic the sound of ocean waves. This rhythmic sound can help you focus and connect your movements to the sound of your breath.
3. Kapalabhati Pranayama: This Pranayama is also called the ‘breath of fire’. Its purpose is to build up heat in the body.
4. Bhramari Pranayama: When practicing this Pranayama, you make a humming sound, which helps you calm your mind and body and release stress.
5. Sheetali Pranayama: This breathing practice effectively cools the body and mind.
6. Bhastrika Pranayama: Also knows as ‘bellows breath,’ this Pranayama is quite similar to Kapalabhati. However, with Bhastrika, the in- and exhales are more forceful.
7. Viloma Pranayama: This Pranayama is suitable for beginners as it is easy to execute. It helps you to calm your mind and relax the nervous system.
8. Dirga Pranayama: When practicing ‘three-part breath,’ you breathe into three different areas of your abdomen. Like this, you can pay attention to the other parts of your body and focus your mind.
9. Chandra Bedha: This Pranayama has a cooling effect on the body, as you inhale through your left nostril. The left body side is associated with lunar energy, which is cooling and calming.
10. Surya Bedha: This time, you breathe through your right nostril. This Pranayama stimulates the solar energy in the body, which is warming and energizing.

On my Instagram account “how.about.a.little.yoga” I will explain each breathing technique more elaborate in the upcoming weeks.

To conclude, I just can say that yoga breathing is absolutely essential. It will help you to become more focused and consequently mindful of yourself and your surrounding. Whether you already practice yoga regularly or you’re still a beginner, your breath should always be a priority.