The power of breathing is a central foundation of all yoga practice. Also known as Pranayama, or yoga breathing, the principle is deeply involved in all yoga poses, stretches, and routines. In this article, you will discover why breathing is such a powerful concept in yoga.

Are you aware of how you breathe?

People breathe involuntarily at an average rate of 20,000 times per day. Because it comes so naturally to us, we tend to lose awareness of the way we breathe. Did you know that this lack of awareness around breathing can lead to poor health? For example, stress can constrict the lungs and cause us to breathe harder. This can put a toll on the respiratory system and also prevent proper oxygen absorption. 

Our body responds to stress in different ways. In many cases, the body’s “fight or flight” response can lead to hyperventilation – a condition characterized by rapid and shallow breaths. Hyperventilation is associated with panic attacks, which could trigger other conditions such as asthma and heart disease.

Can you now see why the power of breathing should not be underestimated? It is directly tied to our overall well-being. Get your breathing right and you’ll instantly point your health towards the proper direction. On the other hand, neglect the way you breathe and your body will react negatively in many ways and you’ll be left wondering what you did wrong.

Good yoga practice starts by using mindfulness and proper breathing techniques as powerful tools. At Real Yoga, we support your good health by guiding you through the right techniques for breathing.

Do you know breathing properly can help you de-stress and even reverse your age?

The pressures of modern life can take its toll on anyone. There are many people who physically age faster because of extremely busy lifestyles and information overload. Without an effective plan for stress management, you will easily fall in the rabbit hole of health problems. 

But do you know that one of the easiest ways to de-stress is to simply correct your breathing? It might sound too good to be true, but it is. The key to a more relaxed you is in the way you inhale and exhale.

Deep breathing sends a message to your brain to calm down. The vagus nerve, which is in charge of regulating many body functions, slows down in pace when you breathe deep from your belly. As a result, all stress indicators relax as well. 

The body responds rather quickly to proper breathing technique. The heart rate starts to normalize within a few minutes of yoga breathing sessions. This will help pump oxygen-rich blood more productively throughout the body, right down to the cellular level. 

Maintaining a habit of inhaling and exhaling properly can eliminate many stressors from your life. In turn, this will revitalize you as a person and even reverse how you look in some cases! Could this be the fountain of youth? It might just well be. But all we know is that it definitely works wonders for your body and mental health.

Proper breathing also enables you to sleep better at night 

Sleep plays a very important role in overall health. It is involved with the healing of tissues, recovery of muscles, and repair of the blood vessels and the heart. Any health improvement plan should include long periods of rest. 

But do you know that breathing directly affects the length and quality of your sleep? To better understand how breathing affects sleep, it’s important to understand what causes us to get sleepy:

The body has an internal clock (also known as Circadian Rhythm) that signals when it is time to rest. When it is time to sleep, the body releases a hormone called melatonin. This hormone relaxes us and causes us to feel drowsy. 

However, there is another hormone secreted in high amounts for people with chronic stress. It is called cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone”. Elevated levels of this hormone can cause sleep disturbances and affect one’s ability to relax.

Proper breathing techniques help the body fight stress and lower its cortisol levels. Good quality sleep is a good side benefit of this. As a result, the body will be able to heal and repair properly.

Performing yoga breathing exercises before bedtime is a great way to prepare your body to rest. If you just ended a busy or toxic day, all you have to do is find a quiet spot and prepare to use Master Saumik’s breathing techniques and be mindful about each breath you take. 

Breathe correctly to provide a great balance to your emotions

Have you ever noticed how your emotions affect the way you breathe? When you are sad, you tend to exhale slower than you inhale. Fear can cause rapid, shallow inhalations. Meanwhile, happiness can cause deeper and more relaxed breathing. 

This means that you can directly influence your feelings and emotions by changing the way you breathe! A lot of people reflect sadness and fear in their breathing, and it becomes true. But thanks to yoga breathing techniques, you can learn how to inhale and exhale like a happy, calm, and satisfied person.

Yoga is all about finding balance. If you have a busy and fast life, you need to balance that with spots of relaxation and meditation. Deadlines and tight schedules can invoke emotions such as fear, worry and exhaustion. Balance your emotions by taking a step back from the daily grind and finding time to practice mindful breathing techniques.

This article highlighted the vital importance and power of breathing. As you progress in your yoga practice, you’ll find more stability in your emotions and stress factors are less likely to affect you that much. And it only starts just by learning how to breathe properly.

Learn Proper Breathing Techniques Here At Real Yoga

To ensure that all our students learn and benefit from it, all classes in Real Yoga have included proper breathing techniques in the asana sequences. These techniques are guided by professional instructors. To book a trial session, speak to one of our yoga consultants today!