Breathing is an involuntary process that happens so naturally -- you don't even have to pay attention to it. Yoga, however, encourages you to pay attention to your breath as a way to concentrate and connect your body and mind. Emphasis is on exhaling, rather than inhaling, because of its ability to help you relax while doing your yoga poses.
How You Breathe
When you inhale, your lungs expand as the air passes through your lungs, your alveoli, or air sacs, and then to your blood cells. Your heart then pumps oxygen-rich blood throughout your body and, at the same time, moves carbon dioxide from the blood vessels to the alveoli through your lungs and out through your nose or mouth. By exhaling carbon dioxide, you release impurities from your body. You release about 75 percent of your body's natural toxins during exhalation, according to the American Meditation Institute.
Benefits of Exhalation
Exhalation is a mirror to your health. In yoga, breath is called "prana," or life force, and changes according to your actions and mood. "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali," a book outlining the precepts of traditional yoga, refers to exhalation as the way to calm, energize and balance your mind as well as elevate your mood. By exhaling fully, you eliminate toxins, release what no longer serves you, remove obstacles, increase relaxation, relieve stress, free your respiratory system to inhale more fresh air, and clear the movement of prana.
Yoga Poses
Notice how your breathing affects your body and mind in a yoga pose. Your exhalation takes you deeper into a pose. Yoga poses that begin with an exhalation include forward bends, twists and stepping back into downward-facing dog. Breathe out slowly and deeply. Restorative yoga classes, which focus on full relaxation, emphasize taking longer exhalations than inhalations --- sometimes even doubling the exhalation --- to help you relax in poses.
Breath Awareness
Focus on your breath to calm a restless mind. One simple exercise is to lie down and place a lightweight object such as a book on your belly. Inhale for four counts and exhale for six counts. Repeat nine more times. As you continue this practice, work on exhaling for eight counts. Keep your breath calm and clear. Stop if you feel dizzy or lightheaded. This most likely means that you are overexerting.
References
- "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali"; Translation and Commentary by Sr Swami Satchidananda; 1978
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: What Happens When You Breathe?
- Hatha Yoga Illustrated: How to Breathe in Hatha Yoga
- National Library of Medicine: Breathing as Medicine
