Breathe! Part 2

Starting from where we left off:
 Now that you have observed the breath, and prepared for pranayama practice, let's get into the techniques.
Breathing  Practices:
As a general guideline, if you feel a little lightheaded, discontinue pranayama and return to a comfortable breath.  You will find that the more often you practice, the longer your sessions can become.

1. 3 Part Breathing (Dirgha Pranayama or full yogic breath) – promotes focus/concentration, stimulates the vagus nerve to promote “rest and digest” and relieve “fight or flight”

• Place one hand on the solar plexus and the other on the upper chest.
• Inhale slowly and deeply to feel the belly push into the lower hand, then allow the breath to continue in the lower ribs, then allow the way up into the upper rib cage under the hand on the chest.
• Exhale, slowly releasing the breath from the upper chest, lower ribs, then abdomen
• Repeat for up to 5 minutes, feeling the lungs filling and emptying
• To bring a deeper sense of calm, make sure the exhales is slightly longer than the inhale.

 

1. Kapalabhati – forceful exhalation through the nose – diaphragmatic movement, energizes without nervousness, strengthens the primary muscles of respiration, pumps lymph,clears out the sinuses and nasal passages, clears air from the base of the lungs
   • The exhalation is forceful, using the diaphragm to push air out, the inhalations are passive. You allow them to occur between exhales. Practice 3 rounds. As you become comfortable with the practice you may add up to 5 breaths per round.
   • Round 1 –  take a deep breath in, 15 forceful exhales –then,  inhale, tuck the chin to the chest, hold the breath in as long as is comfortable, release the breath gently, lift the chin, inhale prepare for round 2
   • Round 2 – same as round 1, with 20 exhales
   • Round 3 – increase exhales to 25
   • Come to comfortable, natural breathing for a few moments before the next practice.
   
   
   
   
   
    Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhanam) - balances hemispheres of the brain, energy in the nadis (energy channels), has a calming effect, promotes focus and concentration
2. Using the thumb and ring finger of the right hand (called Vishnu Mudra), alternately close nostrils


3. Take a few comfortable breaths through both nostrils to prepare
4. Inhale both nostrils, close off right nostril with right thumb
5. Exhale out the left, inhale through the left
6. Close off left nostril with the right ring finger
7. Exhale out the right, inhale through the right
8. Close off the right nostril with the right thumb
9. Repeat  for as long as your feel comfortable – (up to 5 minutes)
10. Note: you could keep the inhales/exhales equal in length or shift to a more calming breath making the exhale about twice as long as the inhale
    
    
11. Viloma Pranayama stage 1 – could be practiced to relax before sleep. This breath may help to expand the lungs and increase lung capacity.
    1. Separate your inhales into equal thirds (you could go 4 or 5 parts if you prefer smaller inhales) As you hold the breath in between inhales, be sure not to relax the diaphragm. If you feel any strain while breathing, decrease the amount of breath you are taking in or separate the breath into 4 or 5 parts.
    • Inhale (1/3 of the way), hold for 2-4 seconds
    • Inhale (another 1/3 of the way), hold for 2 – 4 seconds
    • Inhale to comfortable capacity, hold for 2-4 seconds (or longer without strain)
    • Exhale slowly, smoothly and completely with no interruption
    • Practice from 2-4 minutes. Expand the practice by lengthening the hold times
12.  
    You may practice all the exercises; or choose the pieces that work for you. I suggest  starting with 1 to 2 minutes of comfortable breathing and the awareness of the energy centers (see Breathe! part 1).  If the practice of kapalabhati is too energizing during evening practice, reserve that technique for morning or afternoon only. If you have any question about breathing practices, please email [email protected]
    

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