To safely learn to control the breath, stretch it and make it deeper, here are the basic foundations to
pranayama. The audio links are to tracks on
www.mahasriyoga.com.
Whole Body Breathing
| Conscious breathing requires some effort initially but after some practice it becomes a natural part of you. Another deeply relaxing practice, whole body breath is simple and effective. There is a gentle expansion and contraction of the body. |
Belly Breath
| A deeply relaxing practice, the belly breath is one of the first breaths taught in yoga. Also known as abdominal breath, it is a simple and effective way to slow down the breath and mental activity. Awareness is shifted from the mind to the belly. The belly is a space of stillness, a vast ocean of peace. Anxiety brought down to the belly dissolves in this ocean of tranquility. The belly breath is the most relaxed and efficient breath (once you get used to it, particularly if you are a chest breather). It is much more difficult and strenuous to deepen a chest breath than it is to deepen the belly breath. The body gets the most oxygen with the least exertion. It is an effective way to increase lung capacity. |
Full Yogic Breath
| An energizing and soothing practice, full yogic breath is a basic core breath. It flushes out the entire respiratory system. The breath becomes deeper, more relaxed, and more efficient. The muscles of the belly, midriff, and chest are gently engaged. The breath is experienced in different parts of the torso. A gentle expansion of the body helps stretch and elongate the breath. The stretch and expansion are predominantly vertical as opposed to horizontal. A vertical stretch engages the diaphgram so it actively moves the lower parts of the lungs. This movement helps flush out the lower lobes, areas that normally get little movement. |
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