The Wind Through the Instrument

“Think of your body as a musical instrument, a wind instrument. Your breath, accordingly, is the wind through the instrument. As such, it is the single most important aspect of yoga technique. Traditionally considered the primary carrier of prana - life force - your breathing originates deep inside you, radiates outward and then inward, providing a gentle and steady rhythm for movement, stretch and release... Proper breathing brings the poses to life, inspires every subtle shift and movement in every yoga posture, and can help center your awareness in your conscious experience of the now.”

-- Erich Schiffman
Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness

Belly Breathing

1. Belly breathing emphasizes mindfulness of the breath, and the action of the transverse abdominal muscles during an active exhale
   

2. It can help calm the central nervous system, and create of feeling a being connected to your center
   

3. Assume a comfortable sitting posture and bring your awareness to your abdominal area
   

4. On the exhale, draw the belly inward by contracting the transverse abdominal muscles (the muscles you contract when you cough or sneeze) in order to press most of the residual volume of air out of the lungs
   

5. On the inhale, simply allow the transverse abdominal muscles to relax so that the belly can slowly release outward, away from the spine
   

6. Repeat this pattern, exhaling as completely as possible by drawing the belly in, and then just relaxing to release the belly back out
   

7. This is not a deep breath, as you are not trying to fill your lungs on the inhale... rather, you begin the exhale again as soon as you feel that the belly has become fully relaxed
   

8. Repeat for a couple minutes, mindfully observing the action of the belly as you breath
   

9. You should get comfortable with the belly breath before beginning the practice of kappalabhati
   

Kappalabhati (the cleansing breath)

1. Kappalabhati is classically considered to be one of the many yogic kriyas (cleansing practices), which are meant to help eliminate toxins from the body and thus purify the body for spiritual practice
   

2. The practice of kappalabhati has many other benefits:
   

3. •it helps to strengthen the transverse abdominal muscles, and many accessory breathing muscles
   

4. •it improves the synergistic relationship between the transverse abdominals and the diaphragm (when one contracts, the other releases)
   

5. •it helps to warm up the breathing muscles
   

6. •it increases the level of oxygen in the blood, which helps facilitate deeper breathing
   

7. •it helps bring balance to the nervous system... if you are feeling tired it can invigorate you,but if you are feeling hyperactive it can calm you down
   

8. To practice kappalabhati, begin with simple belly breathing, but:
   

9. •make the exhales more vigorous, similar to what you might do when you cough or sneeze (the inhales should remain passive, as with the belly breath)
   

10. •all of the action is at the belly... the chest is not involved, and the shoulders and head should remain as still as possible
    

11. •the pattern is active exhale/passive inhale, active exhale/passive inhale, etc.
    

12. •perform two or three rounds of 30-50 repetitions per round
    

Ujjayi (the ocean breath)

1. The main type of breathing we do in yoga is called ujjayi (ooh-JAI-yee) breathing
   

2. Ujjayi breathing is often referred to as “ocean” breathing, as the practice of ujjayi creates a sound similar to the sound of the ocean
   

3. Another analogy that might be helpful is to imagine that you are breathing through a respirator, creating an audibly hollow, deep, soft sound that seems to emanate from your throat
   

4. To practice ujjayi breathing...
   

5. •inhale deeply, then open the mouth and whisper the sound “haaaa” 
   

6. •draw your belly in at the bottom of the exhale, making the breath last as long as possible
   

7. •initiate your inhale by allowing the belly to release slowly, as with the belly breath, but then allow your ribcage to expand as you fill your lungs
   

8. •when you are ready to exhale, keep the mouth closed but make the same whisper sound (as if whispering the sound “haaaa”)
   

9. •once you can create the ujjayi breath on the exhale, try to create it on the inhale (the inhale may be more challenging, and it can be helpful to cough lightly or swallow to clear the throat first; it may also be helpful to image that there is a small mirror on the back of your throat that you are trying to fog as you inhale)
   

10. With regular practice, your Ujjayi breathing should begin to feel more and more effortless and natural, and ultimately more quiet and subtle
    

11. The practice of ujjayi breathing has many benefits:
    

12. •it is more audible and has more texture than normal breathing, which makes it easier to focus on during the asana practice
    

13. •it helps to create more of an awareness of the ratio between inhale and exhale, so that you can equalize the length of the inhales and exhales during the asana practice (so that movements performed on the inhale take the same amount of time as movements performed on the exhale)
    

14. •it requires the diaphragm, transverse abdominals and accessory breathing muscles to work harder, which strengthens them and helps to build internal heat
    

15. •it is slower than normal breathing, which helps to slow down the speed of the movements performed during the asana practice
    

16. •it helps to create a more conscious link between the mind and the body, allowing for the expression of more subtle and refined movement