Posts Tagged ‘yoga breathing’
Breathing 1
Breathing correctly is an integral part of Yoga. All the movements you perform, if they are to be beneficial, require correct breathing. To breathe correctly means breathing through the nose from the diaphragm, unless instructed otherwise. As we exhale from the diaphragm, our lung capacity increases and more oxygen reaches the bloodstream. This rejuvenates and revitalizes the cells, resulting in increased energy levels and a strong, healthy body.
When you are breathing correctly, you should breathe fluidly and evenly like a wave in the sea, flowing in natural rhytm. Take a few seconds to inhale and exhale. As you inhale the stomach extends outwards and as you exhale the stomach contracts inwards. As you practise, you will notice that your breathing pattern increases in depth and duration and become very quiet.
In Yoga, you will use breathing techniques, known in Sanskrit as pranayama, that wil balance the energies and focus the mind. Within the body there are seven energy centres known as chakras. Pranayama techniques unlock blockages so that the stream of energy flows smoothly from the head to connect with the universal energy.