For me, breathing is not something to take lightly. (The sad part here for all the asthmatics reading this is that there isn’t a magic moment coming up where I say, ‘And yoga will cure your asthma!’) However, over the years yoga has gone a long way to helping me control my anxiety around it. The breath is a tool that can physically calm, emotionally ease and spiritually invigorate. You just have to know how to use it.
Remember that breathing is simple: it’s an inhale and an exhale. Approaching each and every breath one at a time reminds us to live in the now. Yogis will say that life only exists within the space of the inhale and exhale, and to ignore this is to ignore true living. So the longer the breath, the more we are putting into living.
Most of us forget to value the breath. It becomes an afterthought and often we don’t honour its purpose. A lack of integrity in the body, much like the breath, will only lessen its benefit to your life and the things you want to do. Don’t wait until it’s compromised to prioritise it.
Jake Paul White
Go Deep, Go Slow
Omar Sultani
‘Take a few deep breaths …’
I bet you’ve heard this phrase once or twice before in your life. Maybe your other half said it to you after someone royally screwed you over. Maybe your colleagues have said it after your manager yelled at you unnecessarily.
Taking a deep breath has immense value. It can be like a warm and comforting hug you didn’t know you needed. It’s the support you want, the space you need and the permission to know that everything is going to be ok (and the world will not end).
In yoga the breath is everything: it’s the first thing we do and the last thing we let go. We lead with the breath in the first pose, the last pose and every pose in between.
How To Take A Deep Breath
Do you actually know how to take a deep breath?
It’s funny how we all have a tendency to say, ‘Of course I do.’
But to be honest, I didn’t until I was taught. The truth was that I’d never really thought that hard about it.
Do I open my mouth or keep it closed?
Do I fill up my belly or my chest?
How slow is ‘slow’ for the inhale and for the exhale?
These are all questions many of us ask when we really think about it.
For me, I believe slow is the way to go. Slowing down the breath gives you time to appreciate the inhale and exhale, the quality of breath and its value to every moment of your day. In yoga, like life, first we breathe, then we do everything else.
Regardless which technique you choose to use, every breath you take has four parts.
The first two are easy.
Part 1: The inhale. The air enters the body through the nose.
Part 2: The exhale. The air exits the body through the nose.
The last two are a little more subtle.
Part 3: The space at the top of the inhale where no more breath enters.
Part 4: The space at the bottom of the exhale where no more breath exits.
The spaces at the top and bottom of the breath are where we find the calm. They’re our escape from the chaos. It’s in these gaps that we’re not distracted by what’s coming and going and we’re in the now. They are the still point. This is how we find quiet, and the breath is the gateway into the silence.
Take a moment and give it a try.
Inhale, pause, exhale, pause, repeat. It was a real mind-blowing, life-changing moment for me when I first learned this. If you’re lucky enough to have learned this already, then keep doing what you’re doing and just breathe.
The Breathing Techniques
There are a few breathing (pranayama) techniques that will help you on and off the yoga mat, and in this book we’ll talk about three specifically. While there are many techniques, each with their own purpose and value, it’s good to learn a few basics that will serve you well in everyday life.
When practising these techniques for the first time, find yourself a comfortable position, cross-legged on the floor, or sitting easily in a chair. Don’t overcomplicate it and just focus on the inhale and exhale, no matter the technique.
These are just a few of many breathing techniques. If you find they are helpful and valuable, then continue to do them as often as you can.
Go slow, be gentle and don’t overthink it.
Just breathe.
The Box Breath
This technique is focused on balance and support. It’s simple and not forced. Breathe in long, slow and deep; breathe out long, slow and deep.
How to do it
• Inhale to the count of four, mouth closed, evenly drawing the breath in through the nose, letting the air wash across the back of the throat, filling the chest and lungs from the front to back (not bottom to top). Imagine blowing up a balloon, rather than filling up a glass of water. This will minimise unneeded movement in the body.
• Pause effortlessly and hold for the count of four.
• Exhale to the count of four, mouth closed, evenly moving the breath out and warming the back of the lips as it exits the nose.
• Pause effortlessly and hold for the count of four.
• Repeat with ease until you feel calm.
The Victorious Breath
Referred to in yoga as the Ujjayi breath, this technique focuses on energising the body, filling you up with an empowering and vibrant life force. This is one of the most commonly taught breathing techniques in a yoga class and is a great tool for courage, motivation and creating some internal heat as you practise.
This breath is strong, warming and uplifting.
How to do it
• Inhale with the mouth closed, deeply and vigorously drawing the breath in through the nose and across the back of the throat, filling up the chest and lungs from the front to back (see the Box Breath).
• When you’re ready to exhale, empty the lungs, with the mouth closed, warming and heating the breath as it escapes, the same way you would fog up a mirror. Retain a slight constriction in the back of the throat.
• Continue and repeat.
The Lion’s Breath
This technique is about letting go – the euphoria of the release. This is an open-mouthed, let-it-all-go type of breath. And it feels pretty damn good. Most people have a tendency to hold on to too much inside – we keep things bottled up and never let them go.
This breath reminds us that, often, it’s better out than in.
How to do it
• Inhale with the mouth closed, deeply and vigorously drawing the breath in through the nose and across the back of the throat, filling up the chest and lungs front to back (see