You’re doing something pretty important right now. You’re probably not even thinking about it… You’re breathing. Big deal, everyone breathes constantly, right? But there’s a lot more to breathing than you might realize. How you breathe affects your mind and body in powerful ways. And when you use different yoga breathing techniques, you’ll see just how impactful purposeful breathing can be on your overall health.
Why Yoga Breathing Techniques are Important
Your Body is Wired to React to Stress
You’ve probably heard of “fight or flight,” response. It’s your body’s natural response to stressors, pressures or perceptions of danger. You are hard-wired to protect yourself from bodily harm – and hey, that’s a good thing! But when your body undergo those danger! moments too often, it’s can take a toll on your health and well-being.
Of course, if you happen to randomly run into a bear, you want your system to kick into full defense mode and help you survive. But life’s stressors and other influences that aren’t actually life-threatening are usually what stirs up that response.
When your system frequently experiences prolonged stress (hello, global pandemic), you might notice symptoms like muscle tension, headaches, and digestive issues. In the long run, stress like this can contribute to dangerous conditions like heart disease, adrenal fatigue, and gastrointestinal diseases.
The Relaxation Response
The good news is that you can help your body counteract the effects of prolonged stress. The Relaxation Response can be activated through consciously shaping your breath. It’s a way of sending a message to your nervous system that you’re not in real danger and it lowers your stress level. A state of deep physical relaxation can feel far away when you’re wound up, but it’s worth taking time to learn how to activate the relaxation response.
When you can help your body achieve The Relaxation Response, it doesn’t just allow you to be completely calm and feel more chilled out (I mean, you can chill with a glass of wine too). Hanging out in parasympathetic/relaxation response is also where you can start to heal chronic health issues like insomnia, hypertension, anxiety disorders, and more.
Yoga breathing, also known as pranayama, is one of the best ways you can cultivate The Relaxation Response. With these yoga breathing techniques, you can start enjoying that deep state of relaxation your body’s craving.
1. Humming Bee’s Breath – Bhramari
The first yoga breathing technique you can use to destress and find calm is Bhramari or “Humming Bee’s Breath.” Don’t worry, though. It has nothing to do with insects or getting stung. Instead, it’s named in honor of the Hindu goddess of bees. Bhramari breathing calls for you to hum with your exhale–like, you guessed it, a bee.
Using the vocal cords to hum during Bhramari triggers your vagus nerve, which tells your parasympathetic nervous system to calm it all down. Bhrarami also helps to balance out any mental agitation, confusion or distraction.
Give Bhramari breathing a try:
- Get in a comfy position, whatever that might be for you (seated is recommended).
- Take a big inhale through your nose, with your lips closed.
- Slowly release an exhale through your nose while keeping your lips closed. Let out a humming sound throughout your exhale.
- Repeat as many times as you’d like.
2. Alternate Nostril Breath – Nadi Shodhana
Our two major energy channels (nadis), pingala and ida, represent the solar and lunar sides or the left and right sides of the brain. In subtle tantric anatomy, the pingala nadi and ida nadi end in the right and left nostrils. So, Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, creates an equilibrium between the two channels.
Doing nadi shodhana breathing is great anytime you need to clear your mind. Not only is it perfect to do at the start of your yoga or meditation practice, but it’s fantastic for other times, like when you’re trying your damnedest to fall asleep, when you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, or when your mind is racing.
Here is how you can practice this yoga breathing technique:
- Sit, stand, or lay down, whichever is most comfortable for you.
- Gently place your right thumb on your right nostril, your right ring finger on your left nostril. You can set your index and middle fingers between your eyebrows (your third eye) or inside your palm.
- Breathe deeply, inhaling and exhaling as usual.
- Press your right thumb into your right nostril, so it’s closed. Inhale through your left nostril.
- Before exhaling, release your right nostril, and press your ring finger into your left nostril. Breathe out through your left nostril.
- Next, inhale through your left nostril, release your right nostril, and close your left before exhaling through your right nostril.
- Continue this pattern until you decide you’re done, finally exhaling through your left nostril.
3. Equal/Square Breath – Sama Vritti
Before you scratch your head about what square breathing is, let me explain a little. Sama vritti means same or equal fluctuations, so this yoga breathing technique is all about an even and regulated breath pattern..
With Sama Vritti breathing, you’re trying to equalize your breath, trigger your parasympathetic nervous system, and steady and relax your mind. Just work on making your inhales and exhales even and equal in duration. For example, if you inhale for 4 seconds, you’ll also exhale for 4 seconds. There are more advanced versions of this technique that add an inhale retention and/or a hold after exhale, but in the beginning, I always teach it without any holds. Just inhale + exhale for 4. Easy peasy.
Once you’re established in equal length inhale/exhale, you can try adding a short retention. Breathing and holding your breath for counts to four shouldn’t feel hard or like you’re suffocating–instead, it should put you at ease. But, because holding your breath sometimes makes your body think something is wrong (there’s that danger! response kicking in), remember to release your body’s stress and tension as you go and be gentle with yourself.
- Assume a comfortable position.
- Breathe deeply and count to four.
- Then, hold your breath for another count to four.
- Exhale and breathe out for a count to four.
- Lastly, hold your breath for a count to four.
- Repeat and feel free to try different counts depending on what feels good for you and your body.
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