Yogi Full Breath: Technique. Seven Simple Yoga Breathing Exercises

Breathing yoga is an inseparable part of pranayama. The essence of these ancient techniques is control over your breathing. They are based on the ideological concept of the energy fullness of the Universe. A person also draws his energy from this source. For a practicing yoga, proper breathing is not only a source of energy, but also a path leading to physical health control over emotions, inner harmony body and soul. Consider what problems this technique will help to solve and correct ordinary people for a short time.

The first thing that beginners notice is activity and a burst of energy. Proper breathing enriches the cells with oxygen and accelerates metabolic processes in the body. One feels self-confidence, clarity of mind and clarity of thinking. stress and negative emotions decrease or almost cease to disturb. Thanks to this, sleep is normalized.

The benefits of breathing yoga for the body:

improvement of the nervous system;
pressure normalization;
reduction of pain;
skin rejuvenation;
improvement of the intestinal tract;
general stabilization of all abdominal organs (due to respiratory massage).

This is an incomplete list of all the benefits. breathing yoga. There is even a method of losing weight with the help of breathing techniques - sheetali pranayama. Beginners feel its results pretty quickly.

rules

Prepare the room for exercise: The benefits of exercising in a stuffy or cold room are questionable.

It is necessary to exclude other factors that may interfere: a sharp, eye-catching light, loud sounds, noises. You can not exercise immediately after eating.

Not less than important point What beginners in breathing yoga forget about is inner comfort.

It is important to be collected and ready for yoga classes. Don't do breathing exercises if you're distracted, tired, or sick. Training in this state will not benefit, and may aggravate your condition.

Practice requires a lot of concentration. You need to be very attentive to the technique of performing each inhalation and exhalation. Any yoga exercise is based on breath control.

Techniques for performing breathing exercises

Kapalabhati, in other words - the breath of fire, is a common technique in yoga. Its name consists of two parts, which are translated as "skull" and "clean". It means "cleansing". Practitioners note the freshness of the mind, good health and the rise of strength.

To fulfill it, you need to create conditions: check the room, exclude extraneous noise, turn off the phone. It is allowed to turn on music: quiet, conducive to relaxation. But if you are a beginner, then for better concentration, it is recommended to exclude music as well, so that it does not distract from the control of the breath and body.

Pick a pose. You can put your legs in front of you in a bent position or bend them under you. In yoga, the lotus position is common. Take the most comfortable for you, which will not cause discomfort.

Putting the index and thumb fingers of both hands together, place your hands on your knees.

The face and body should be relaxed. The eyes are closed.

Inhale slowly and deeply, hold the air in your lungs. Then exhale forcefully, sharply, as if you want to blow your nose. As you exhale, pull your belly in towards your spine. The diaphragm must be relaxed.

After a powerful exhalation, there is a light and slow inhalation. The abdomen returns to its original position.

What you need to pay attention to:

straight back;
relaxed diaphragm;
comfortable posture;
relaxed exhalation press;
even breath.

For beginners, three sets of ten breaths are enough. Gradually, this number should be brought up to one hundred repetitions in three approaches.

When you master the rules, focus on the area just below the navel. Beginners can concentrate on the area between the eyebrows.

Fundamentals of deep breathing

Deep breathing is one of the most efficient technician. Using it, a person saturates the whole body with oxygen. It is filled with energy and strength for a new day.

The posture should be comfortable, say the lotus position. You can put your thumb and forefinger together or just put your palms on your knees. The back is straight, the body is not tense.

The exercise consists of three types of breathing:

lower abdominal;
average chest;
high clavicle.

These are the stages of one full cycle of inhalation. Let's start to implement it.

We release all the air from the lungs.
Gently inhale air through the nose. At the same time, as you inhale, the stomach protrudes forward.
Breathing passes into the filling zone of the middle abdominal part. The area of the ribs expands, the stomach begins to pull up to this part.
The final part of a full breath is the filling of the upper chest, a smooth transition from the ribs to the raising of the clavicular zone. The ribs straighten out, but do not be zealous and bend.

It is not worth helping these processes mechanically: this will disrupt the technique and will not bring benefits.

Exhalation is as cyclical as inhalation. It starts from the lower part of the abdominal cavity. The abdomen is slightly tightened, the ribs are lowered. At this moment, a smooth protrusion of the abdomen begins forward. Collarbones fall, shoulders relax forward.

Inhalation and exhalation are performed continuously and evenly. Experienced yogis make inhalation shorter than exhalation, exhaling all the bad things from the lungs and the whole body. Beginners are advised to do no more than three repetitions of deep breaths, over time this number reaches ten or more times.

Benefits of deep breathing

Range positive impact on the body of this practice is wide:

the body receives oxygen, and with it - an energy charge;
anxiety disappears, the state of the nervous system improves;
lungs are deeply ventilated;
slags and toxins leave the body;
strengthens the immune system, increases the body's resistance to infectious diseases;
the work of the heart, stomach improves, blood pressure levels out.

Contraindications for this direction of yoga are minimal. It is undesirable to engage in hypertension, lung pathologies, hernias - in the abdomen or inguinal area.

The world of breathing yoga is multifaceted. The described techniques are the basis available for beginners. Having mastered breathing, you can move on to active asanas, perform complex combinations of breathing and postures. To master the wisdom of this teaching, you need to take into account the recommendations and be attentive to the body and breath.

First and most important rule correct breathing is the rule to breathe through the nose and not through the mouth, as we like to do without noticing it ourselves. As a result of systematic mouth breathing, problems with the thyroid gland occur and adenoids increase. The mouth, of course, can partially perform the functions of the nose, but only for the duration of the illness. Think about the fact that a healthy person will never take it into his head to take food through his nose, thereby replacing his mouth. This suggests that each organ must serve its true purposes, because. the basic requirement for the preservation of health is the accustoming of each organ to perform its task to perfection. Breathing through the nose gives us good protection against infectious diseases, while abundant breathing through the nose will supply us with vital energy (prana).

Types of breathing

The foundation and beginning of all yogi breathing exercises is the mastery of the yogi full breathing technique. It consists of three types of breathing:

Abdominal breathing.
Medium breathing.
Upper breathing.

To master full breathing, it is necessary to understand its constituent parts. Upper or shallow breathing, called clavicular breathing, is common among Europeans. It is believed that about 80-90% of Europeans breathe this way. With this breathing, only the ribs, shoulders, collarbones rise, and only the upper part of the lungs breathes. But since this is only the smallest part of the lungs, little air passes through them. As a result, it turns out that with such breathing, the largest number energy, but with the least result.

The second breath, the so-called middle or inner breath. Most non-sedentary people breathe this way. This breathing is somewhat better than the upper one, because. slightly involves abdominal breathing, but fills only the middle part of the lungs with air. Such breathing is typical for most people who breathe bad air while sitting in the cinema, in the theater or in rooms with closed windows. Nature instinctively does not allow us to breathe stale air, and we resort to thoughtless intracostal breathing.

Abdominal breathing is also called deep or diaphragmatic breathing. Most breathe like this when lying down. Often a person takes a convulsive, spasmodic deep breath while outdoors. This is the so-called reflex movement, which is done by an air-starved organism.

Abdominal breathing is used mainly by people with healthy physical inclinations. This form of breathing is common among the strong healthy people, athletes, peasants and mountain shepherds. The basis for the name of this type of breathing "abdominal" was the position of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a powerful muscular septum between the abdominal and thoracic cavities and at rest is domed with its apex upwards. During contraction, it thickens and presses on the abdominal organs and protrudes the stomach. During abdominal breathing, the lower most voluminous part of the lungs is filled.

Full Yoga Breathing Technique

Let us give as an example the simplest technique of full yogic breathing, which is described by V. Boyko. He recommends that beginners and those who use pranayama for medicinal purposes perform full breathing in shavasana. The fact is that there are few people who are able to freely stay in padmasana for 10-15-30 minutes without preparation. The rest of the breathing and meditation postures are simpler, but this is only in appearance. Shavasana is the most beneficial pose for beginners, because. it is easy to keep relaxed in it. Without relaxation of the body and mind, pranayama cannot be properly mastered. Therefore, if you do not practice pranayama in the morning, it is always better to start with shavasana.

So, let's move on to the full breathing technique. This process begins with a full exhalation. Then, lying in shavasana, we begin to inhale. It is produced by the stomach. Given the fact that we are lying down, the abdominal wall protrudes upwards. This is "abdominal breathing". The second stage of inhalation - the stomach completes the movement, and the area of \u200b\u200bthe solar plexus expands, the edges of the ribs slightly diverge. At the same time, the middle lobes of the lungs are filled with air. This will be "medium breathing". And finally, the entire chest expands, and this expansion should occur upwards, and not to the sides. At the end, the collarbones are slightly raised - this is “upper breathing”. These phases are, of course, conditional and introduced in order to be able to describe the process in detail. In fact, it is merged, unified and indivisible - one smooth wave, flowing from one pronounced stage to another, without any pushes and delays.

It should be remembered that inhalation should never be brought to the limit. This is a very important detail of the full breathing technique. On the one hand, the lungs should be filled with air by 80-85%, on the other hand, there should be a feeling of complete respiratory satisfaction. You clearly feel that you could inhale more, but you do not want to inhale all the way.

Exhalation also begins with the abdomen. But first, there may be a natural short breath hold at the height of inhalation, before moving on to exhalation. This delay should not be emphasized, it is natural and minimal. If suddenly her time starts to grow, you should rebuild the proportion or magnitude of inhalation and exhalation in order to “pick up the slack”.

Exhalation begins as follows. Holding chest motionless, keeping its shape, which it received after the completion of the breath, we "let go" of the stomach, and the abdominal wall begins to "fall" down. When this natural movement is completed, the chest begins to move, it seems to “fall off” - this is the second phase of exhalation. And the third - when the movement of the chest is completed, a slight push of the abdominal wall displaces the "residual" air. The so-called push by the muscles of the abdominal wall should not be forceful, but “virtual”, it is more indicated than perfect. The intensity of this movement should be such that the state of consciousness and relaxation are not disturbed. The natural pause after exhalation before inhalation should correspond to the nature of the pause before exhalation described above.

Benefits of Full Yoga Breathing

The full and perfect yogi breathing combines the benefits of all three types of breathing, including them sequentially one after the other and connecting them in one wave-like movement. It activates the entire respiratory system, every muscle and every cell, and expands the chest to its anatomical volume, and the vital capacity of the lungs can even increase due to the powerful work of the respiratory muscles. In turn, with a full breath, the diaphragm functions correctly and provides a surprisingly beneficial effect due to the gentle massage of the abdominal organs. Full Yogi Breathing is the simplest and most essential basis for all types of Yogi breathing.

Video. full yogi breath

The ancient yogis developed a technique based on the breathing of an infant. This is a completely natural way. It is a synthesis of three breaths and is often referred to as the full yogic breath.

It plays a key role in yoga practice. How important it is to breathe correctly in yoga is evidenced by a huge number of exercises and methods dedicated to learning. The whole philosophy of yoga begins with it, which allows the practitioner to achieve a state of unity of body and mind.

Full yogi breathing ensures the working capacity of the whole organism, it increases the lymph flow in the body, its practice allows you to get rid of partial breathing.

Breathing is the basis of all life activity. It connects with a delicate thread everything that happens to us, from the first breath to the last exhalation. All methods of working with the body and mind are less or more consciously connected and regulated by its rhythm.

In Eastern philosophies, it is given paramount importance - the quality of our life depends on how we breathe. According to the teachings of the Yogis, when the full breath of the Yogis is released, it gets rid of the polluting "poisons" of the mind.

These "poisons" irritate us the most in the form of what we call stress and everything related to it:

fatigue;
weakness;
depression;
decreased concentration;
lethargy;
sleep and relaxation problems.

Simple exercises do wonders

Each of us breathes, but few people know how to breathe properly. And this is very important, because by consciously working with the breath, you can change your mood, state of mind and emotions. Kabat Zinn, founder of the University of Massachusetts Medical University Stress Reduction Clinic, says the breath is a treasure we have under our noses.

Yogic breathing is an exercise for beginners and advanced. Mastering it is the basis of yoga. By controlling it, one can control body and mind.

Calm breath - calm soul.

It allows you to relieve tension and stress, calms the heart and calms the mind. What are the benefits of yoga breathing exercises? The mastery of yogis is the basis for:

health and vitality;
openness and creativity;
dominance over mood;
development of concentration.

Awareness of breathing begins simultaneously with the diagnosis of it as a gross physical, as well as a subtle life force of the body and mind (prana).

Both gross and subtle, it is automatic and conscious. The use and regulation of the physical breath leads to control over words and emotions.

Quantity, quality and circulation of it is the basis of life and creative activity. Most people have shallow breathing, only the upper part of the lungs works. Yogi full breathing - causes a state of relaxation of the mind and body.

Learning how to breathe deeply and fully is the most effective way for:

development of consciousness;
health improvement;
vitality (life force);
coherence in life.

Full yogic breathing will become habitual and natural if you regularly practice such simple exercises that can be performed lying down, standing, sitting.

Sit on a chair. The pelvic region should be in the middle position, not deviate back and forth.
Your lower back will serve as additional support.
Inhale and watch the belly expand in all directions, otherwise, over time muscle will lose its elasticity.
Exhale and draw in the abdomen, slightly holding the area from the navel to the perineum (mula bandha) in tension.
Perform diaphragmatic breathing 5 times, go to the chest.

Chest breathing - inhale, ribs up; exhale - go down. You can combine these two breaths, then on:

inhale - the stomach expands, the ribs diverge to the sides.
exhale - the stomach is first drawn in, and then the ribs are lowered;

In order to better control it, keep your hands in different places of the body. While inhaling, slightly press the body. (The first 2-3 respiratory cycles in the navel. Then, when you feel that the sides have begun to expand, move your palms to the area of the lower ribs, then to the upper ones.

The last stage is to lightly press your fingers on the collarbones and feel them rise as you inhale, and how they fall as you exhale.

The power of full breath

taking a full breath, the body receives 10 times more air;
long, deep and even, it enhances the work of the lymphatic system;
during breathing, 2/3 of unnecessary and harmful substances and toxins are removed from the body;
the brain consumes 80% of the oxygen inhaled with air;
cell regeneration occurs and the aging process slows down;
a person can live 21 days without food; three days without drinking; three minutes without breathing.

By the way a person breathes, yoga teachers can tell a lot about him, immediately determine the state of mind and emotions. Fast, intermittent, indicates that a person is under stress, uses drugs and lives under stress, has a rather low self-esteem, and can easily be thrown off balance.

Long, calm and even indicates that the person is relaxed, balanced, satisfied with life and self-confident. This is not a secret, but a completely natural physiological reaction of the body.

When they are nervous, they breathe shallowly and quickly, and when everything is fine and you are calm, breathing naturally lengthens.

Sit on the edge of a chair, or cross-legged on the floor.
Straighten your spine, relax your shoulders.
Close your eyes and put your hands on your knees forefinger and the big one join together into a ring.
Start breathing with your diaphragm: as you inhale, fill your stomach with air like a balloon.
Exhale and release the air.
Be aware of each inhalation and exhalation.
Take 10 breaths. Practice 1-2 times a day.

Breathing in yoga: what is right

There are several ways of breathing, although not all of them are good for us and healthy. In daily activities, there are three types:

clavicular (superficial);
breastfeeding;
abdominal breathing (belly).

Often we breathe in the upper part of the chest, including the neck muscles. Diaphragmatic breathing is acceptable and the healthiest for us. In yoga, all three breathing techniques are connected together and alternately. This kind of training is the most effective. The philosophy of yoga is the selection of the way of breathing to the variety of exercises.

Yogic breathing

Full yogic breathing is always done through the nose, and there are no pauses between inhalation and exhalation. It may be a separate exercise, but it is also used as a relaxation method. It allows you to feel the fullness of life, and whoever breathes only in the middle is half alive, said yoga instructor Joanna Jablonsky. It takes a little practice for yogic breathing to become a daily routine. It consists of three elements:

Abdominal, due to compression and expansion of the diaphragm (raising and lowering the abdomen). The diaphragm is the muscle that separates the lungs from the abdomen. During inhalation, it descends to make room for the lungs to fill with air, and during exhalation, it rises by pressing on the lungs, helping them get rid of air. Such breathing is common among people who spend a lot of time outdoors and nature.
Average (internal). The air that filled the abdomen expands and fills the middle part of the lungs with air, increasing the distance between the ribs and slightly raising the arms. This type of breathing is characteristic of people sitting indoors, without access fresh air. Nature protects her "child" and therefore we instinctively use the intracostal in such cases.
Upper, nasolabial (clavicular). Exhausted air in the abdomen and chest fills the throat and nose, including the nasal passages. Only the upper and smallest part of the lungs breathes. Shoulders, ribs and collarbones rise, a large amount of energy is spent, and the result is small.

There is a saying: who controls his breath, controls himself. Learn to breathe correctly in difficult moments in order to be able to quickly and effectively transform the state of your mind and emotions, to respond calmly, with dignity, without unnecessary emotions and anger to different life situations.

Principles of Complete Yogic Breathing

Modeled on the principle of children's breathing.
There is no pause between inhalation and exhalation.
It is carried out through the nose.
It is the sum of three types: abdominal, chest, naso-throat breathing.
You can only learn by practicing.

Benefits of Full Breathing

The lungs and respiratory system are cleansed and strengthened.
Since the exhalation is twice as long as the inhalation, along with the air used, all the toxins are pushed out of the lungs.
During breath holding, the pressure in the lungs increases, so that more oxygen enters the blood, and carbon dioxide and other remnants of air exchange are removed from the lungs and the body.
Anuloma Viloma helps maintain balance between the hemispheres of the brain, as well as between the two channels of energy (the Sun and the Moon) that run along the spine.
Energy (prana) and is consciously controlled.
Anuloma Viloma brings peace of mind, makes body light and sparkling eyes.

Fundamentals of the Science of Yogic Breathing

Kariba Ikken, a seventeenth-century mystic said: "If you want to reach peace of mind pay attention to your breathing. When it is under control, the heart is calm. And when the breath is convulsive, the peace in the heart disappears. Therefore, before you start anything, pay attention to your breathing. This will ease your situation and calm your mind.”

Breathing is the most important function of the body and everything else depends on it. Right is an integral part of yoga practice. Our lifestyle and low level physical activity contributes to negative changes in our breathing habit.

A full requires breaths through the nose, keeping the torso upright, avoiding contaminated areas and daily practice, even a few minutes of deep, full, calm breaths without undue strain and effort. Consciousness is an integral and important part of any yoga position. In each asana and in each exercise during warm-up, the energy during inhalation is distributed evenly throughout the body, and strengthens the immune system.

During the exercise, try to breathe effortlessly, calmly, quietly, without sound, while exhaling slowly release the air, and not in a fast and violent way, so that it is enough to complete the count.

A good preparation for full yogic breathing will be a 1-2 minute massage of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles with your fingers. After that, they function more efficiently and fully.

Full breathing helps a person cope with emotions, they calm down, thoughts are balanced, the nervous system is strengthened and healed, a person in any life situations operates effectively and appropriately.

First step for beginners

Preparation: Inhale, close the right nostril, exhale all the way through the left nostril.

Inhale through the left nostril: count: 1, 2, 3, 4 (right closed).
Exhale right: count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (left closed).
Inhale right: 1, 2, 3, 4 (left closed).
Inhale left: 1,2, 3, 4 (right closed)
Etc. Perform five cycles (one cycle begins with inhalation through the left nostril and ends with exhalation through the left nostril).
If you are completely new to yoga, you can inhale and exhale shorter, inhale - count to three, exhale - to six.

Second stage with breath holding

Preparation: inhale, close the right hole, exhale - left nostril to the end.

Inhale left, count: 1, 2, 3, 4 (right closed)
Without breathing (hold your breath - two nostrils are closed), count to 16o (for beginners, count to 8).
Exhale right: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (left closed).
Inhale right: 1,2, 3, 4 (left closed).
Without breathing: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 (both closed).
Exhale left: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (right closed).
Second cycle: left inhale: 1, 2, 3, 4 (right closed), etc.

Repeat 5 cycles.

Breathing exercise 1

Practice sitting cross-legged on the floor or in a chair, with a straight back. Lying on the floor

Place your right hand on your stomach and left rib, with the back of your hand down.
Close your eyes and breathe in through your nose. First, try to fill the lower part of the lungs with air so that the right hand feels the stomach rise.
Inhaling further air, fill the upper part of the chest. Then inhale the air to fill your nose and throat.
Exhaling, first of all, exhale the air from the nose, then the middle part of the lungs and, lower.

For positive results, the exercise is performed for 5 minutes without pauses.

Breathing exercise 2

Sit cross-legged on a flat surface or in a straight-back chair.
Drop your arms and shoulders, head up.
Direct your blind gaze in front of you, in the direction of the floor (about 1.5 meters), if you are sitting on a chair, about 3 meters. Relax your body.
Thumb right hand straight, and the second and third fingers are bent inside the palm, the rest are straight (Vishna Mudra).
Rest your left palm on your knee or fold it into Guyan Mudra (index finger lightly touches the tip of the thumb, the rest of the fingers are straight but not tense).
Inhale, close the right nostril and exhale only through the left.
On the next inhalation, with the right nostril closed, count to four, and then as you release the air from the right nostril, count to eight.
Inhale through the right nostril (count up to four) and exhale through the left nostril (count up to eight).

Mudra of Vishnu - 1, Mudra of strength - 2

Complete the series five times.

Important

If full yogic breathing causes discomfort on initial stage, or there is not enough air, the head begins to feel dizzy, it is necessary to stop exercising and return to the usual normal mode. Breathe freely through your nose or lie on your back and relax in Shavasana (dead man's pose) - the classic relaxed position to rest after you've finished your session.

Lie with your back on the mat, legs apart, arms away from the body, the back of the neck is lengthened. Close your eyes and take a few long, slow diaphragmatic breaths.

Practice every day. Exercise can help relieve stress, calm your mind, and help you focus.

Hatha yoga is a capacious concept. It includes effective methods of spiritual development along with the physical. Giving a definition from the point of view of physiology, a person agrees with the body on normal functioning. Practicing hatha yoga, he trains. During training, it compresses, stretches, relaxes and strains every muscle in the body. After that, he understands that he influenced the body, on each of the systems. Over time, the realization comes that one workout involves numerous parts of the body, the existence of which a person did not suspect before. Nutrition will be restored, organs will be cleansed, the body will improve.

Name etymology

“Yoga” in Sanskrit means “work”, and “hathi” means “tension”. The literal translation of the phrase is “work with the body under load”. It reflects the meaning that Matsyendranath and his student Gorakshanath put into the direction of yoga. In the 10th-11th centuries, Matsyendranath founded a new yogic tradition of the Naths, which formed the basis of classical hatha yoga in India during the Middle Ages. Performing psychophysical techniques, deflect the vibrations of the mind. Achieving the effect, prepare yourself for the practice of Raja Yoga. This is the first explanation. The second explanation is different. The yogis themselves consider the direction as an integral system that allows you to prepare yourself for mukti, moksha, samadhi. The practitioner observes niyam and yam, practices pranayama, asana, shatkarma, mudra, dhyana, dharana, pratyahara.

What are the main features of the method?

When signing up for hatha yoga classes, a person chooses a teacher who does not adhere to the methods of a single school. He coaches the group in his own way. Physical training includes doing yoga poses or asanas with relaxation at the end. At the same time, do not predict the pace of training and the level of difficulty. Beginners have no place in the group of a strong coach and vice versa.

Effect

It is difficult to predict what benefits hatha yoga breathing exercises will bring. Exercises for each trainer are of different loads, but it is possible to align the human body, get rid of clamps. Tissues, systems and organs function normally. The body will change, but for how long depends on the pace and level of load during training. If after that the desire to train remains, they will learn the subtle steps of yoga.

Who to train

Breathing exercises from yoga therapy are learned after mastering the first two steps of yoga. First, they cleanse the body of sins, cultivate virtues. Man observes Niyama, Yama. Then he masters Asana, learning to control the body. Why is it important to master the technique in this sequence. By training without spiritual purification, a person achieves endurance, flexibility, energizes himself, but without inner harmony, with increased self-esteem and pride. Over time, he realizes that mastery of the body did not bring happiness. He looks for mistakes and returns to the stage of Yama and Niyama. spiritual growth secured.

Benefit

When doing breathing exercises, hatha yoga, the exercises are done correctly. The benefits of breathing are undeniable. From time immemorial to associate this process with the soul. By filling the lungs with oxygen, there is a binding of the physical incarnation with the spiritual state. Fulfilling breathing exercises understand the psyche. Without deviating from the connection, they achieve harmony between the soul and the body.

Proper breathing is the basis of life and a way to cure diseases. It protects a person from diabetes, heart disease, sexual dysfunction. The respiratory system works differently. On the background effective fight excess weight is lost with diseases.

Types of breathing

How do humans take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide? He is helped by the respiratory organs, or rather the trachea, lungs, nose, etc. If a person is sick, he does not breathe and does not receive oxygen through the nose, but through the mouth. Although the entire respiratory system is exploited, breathing is different.

Deep. Inhalation into the lungs of the maximum volume of air when walking in the fresh air.
Superficial. A small volume of air entering the lungs leads to insufficient ventilation and circulation problems. If the phenomenon is rarely observed, this is normal, and if often, pathology develops.
Frequent. The person breathes frequently while running or pulling up. If the phenomenon is frequent, pathology develops.
Rare. Observe the swimmers. The technique reduced the wear and tear of the internal organs, giving them nourishment and rest.
Lower - diaphragmatic or abdominal. The chest does not work during diaphragmatic breathing. Instead, the diaphragm works when breathing. This is how male announcers breathe so as not to experience problems when pronouncing long phrases.
The average. The intercostal muscles raise and lower the chest during inhalation. This is how women breathe.
Upper. The clavicles and shoulders turn off the diaphragm and chest.
Mixed. Maximum ventilation of the lungs occurs with the upper, middle and lower technique at the same time. In other words, when practicing breathing yoga, the most effective breathing exercises involve mastering a mixed breathing technique.

Yoga is a set of exercises that involves the management of the physiological and spiritual functions of the body. When mastering the technique, they get acquainted with the concept of prana. If it is respiratory and food, there is support for human life. Pranayama is mastered at the fourth level. If you breathe correctly, prana can be controlled.

Yogis master full and mixed breathing. They open and achieve maximum ventilation of the lungs. Oxygen enters the body, pressure drops, metabolism improves, the nervous system is restored and immunity increases. Prana enters the body, as a result of which harmony and balance fills the body.

In breathing yoga, the most effective breathing exercises involve the muscles of the body.

What set of exercises do in the classroom?

Deep breathing

The man sits in Turkish to the north, and the woman to the south. At the same time, the practitioner closed eyes and straight back. The hands are placed on the knees, fingers gathered in Jnani mudra.
Take a deep breath, expelling air from the lungs.
Abdominal breathing is practiced by opening the lower part of the lungs.
At the next stage, the chest is raised, transferring oxygen to the upper part of the lungs. The abdomen is pulled in and held until the chest and shoulders drop when exhaling.

During the stages of this exercise, breathe evenly and smoothly. It is forbidden to strain the organs in the body and make movements through force. Learn to feel the muscles. Exercise is performed 3-14 times in a row.

cleansing breath

They put their legs apart. The person takes a slow breath through his nose. When exhaling, they compress their lips, as if whistling, do not puff out their cheeks. The exhalation of air occurs in short portions to fully include the ribs, diaphragm, and abdominal muscles in the process. They act gently so that the exercises are beneficial.

Having mastered the cleansing breath, headaches, colds, infections will recede. Repeat the exercise five times a day.

abdominal breathing

The person assumes any position. He lies, sits or stands. He concentrates on what is happening in the navel. Then he draws in the wall of the abdomen, taking a slow breath. Inhalation occurs with a weakened diaphragm through the navel. In doing so, the abdominal wall protrudes outward. Air accumulates in the lower part of the lungs. Exhale, pulling the abdominal wall. Air is expelled from the lungs through the nose. They do not affect the chest, and the stomach moves in waves, as air moves in and out of the lower part of the lungs.

Having mastered abdominal breathing, a person gives the heart a break, fights high blood pressure. The intestines work like clockwork, and digestive functions will be restored. The abdominal organs are massaged.

Exercise to strengthen the nerves

The practitioner assumes a standing pose, remembering to place his feet shoulder-width apart. He exhales. With a slow inhalation, raise your arms to shoulder level, holding your palms up. Gradually squeeze the hands into a fist. Do not breathe until the arms are bent at the elbows to the shoulders. Flexion and extension do 2-3 times. When they exhale, lower their hands down, giving them rest and tilting the torso forward. They allow you to bend your arms at a fast pace, but unbend slowly. With a breath hold, perform the exercise 2-3 times.

Doing the exercise, achieve the normalization of the nervous system. Your hands will stop trembling and your eyes will stop twitching.

Breath Ha

When performing, take a pose lying on your back. After inhaling, raise your hands above your head, without touching the floor. Breathing is held for a second, legs are raised up, bending at the knees. In this position, wrap your arms around your knees. The hips are pressed to the stomach, and then they exhale, pronouncing the word ha.

Rest for a couple of seconds, and then take a slow breath. The person raises his arms above his head, straightening and lowering his legs to the floor. Exhale air through the nose. Hands are thrown along the body. There comes a minute for a good rest.

Having mastered the ha technique, a person cleanses the respiratory organs. After the exercise, blood circulation improves, the sensation of cold disappears. It helps when relaxing in an unfamiliar society with unpleasant people. An unclean environment drives one into depression and turns away from past joys. Exercise is recommended for people with neurosis, neuralgia, an unbalanced psyche and depression.

Yoga is a technique that few people master. I don't have the patience to learn the postures and practice. People achieve success with daily training. Not every room is suitable for them, but only clean and ventilated. Eat 2 hours after a meal, and not on an empty stomach. Before exercising, they go to the toilet.

Being a rejuvenating and health-improving technique, a person does not exercise when feeling unwell. He listens to himself, to his feelings. If you feel unwell - dizziness, excessive emotions when performing, it is better not to do anything. It is important to relax and unwind. Beginners don't do multiple reps. Over time, repeats are introduced, and the value is increased gradually. After classes, vivacity does not disappear, the tone of the body increases.

Pranayama is a breathing practice in yoga. Literally, pranayama is translated as "breath control" or "stopping the breath." To be more precise, "control of prana", vital energy. The practice of conscious control of breathing through special exercises.

Pranayama has a variety of effects, both physiological and mental. Here are the main mechanisms of its influence:

Respiratory muscle training. A number of exercises are aimed at training the diaphragm, abdominal muscles, chest and neck. These techniques make the breathing process more efficient.
Increased ventilation and blood flow in the lungs, prevention of respiratory diseases.
Massage and increased blood circulation of internal organs. Active abdominal breathing massages the internal organs and activates the outflow of venous blood and lymph, improving nutrition, immune processes and the elimination of toxins.
. Rapid breathing exercises activate the sympathetic nervous system and have a tonic and stimulating effect. Techniques with slower breathing, on the contrary, stimulate the parasympathetic system, that is, they calm and relax.
Effect on the cardiovascular system. Slowing your breath dilates blood vessels, lowers blood pressure and trains the heart. Increased breathing, on the contrary, constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure.
Change in blood gases. Slow breathing causes a decrease in the amount of oxygen and an increase in carbon dioxide in the blood. This increases the adaptive resource of the body and resistance to stress (for more details, see "Exercises with a decrease in the intensity of breathing").

Breathing techniques can be classified in different ways. Here is one of the classifications:

Exercises with a decrease in the intensity of breathing (hypoventilation).
Exercises with an increase in the intensity of breathing (hyperventilation).
Exercise without changing the intensity of breathing.

Breathing exercises with a decrease in the intensity of breathing

Patanjali defines pranayama in the Yoga Sutras as "the cessation of the movement of inhaled and exhaled [air]" 1, that is, as a cessation of breathing. Therefore, pranayama primarily refers to techniques with slowing down and holding the breath.

Decreased breathing rate is called hypoventilation, and the resulting effect is hypoxia i.e. a decrease in the amount of oxygen.

The bodily-psychic effects of hypoventilation

In fact, short-term hypoxia is eustress, that is, “positive” stress that trains the body. Hypoxic training has a wide range of effects on both the body and the psyche. Many sanatoriums and sports bases are located in the mountains. The rarefied mountain air helps with a number of diseases, especially the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. It also increases endurance and performance, which is important not only for athletes. Physiological effects of hypoxia:

increased stress resistance, stimulation of hidden reserves of the body;
increased efficiency, reduced fatigue;
increasing the body's resistance to adverse climate, radiation and irradiation;
reduction and stabilization of intracranial and systemic arterial pressure;
increased synthesis of hormones;
production of antioxidants, increased immune and antitumor protection;
improvement of cerebral circulation and reduction of venous congestion;
relief of the work of the heart;
activation of peripheral circulation;
stimulation of the formation of hemoglobin and red blood cells;
an increase in the number of capillaries in the heart, brain, lungs and liver;
increase in the working area of the lungs;
increase in the number of mitochondria ("energy stations" of cells) 2;
acceleration of physical recovery;
reduction in body fat;
body rejuvenation 3 .

Psychic effects make pranayama a preparatory stage for meditative practices, positively affecting attention and mental performance and calming the mind. The same effects are relevant for people of mental labor:

increase in mental working capacity, decrease in fatigue;
increase stability and concentration of attention;
alignment of the activities of the right and left hemispheres of the brain;
relaxation and calming of the psyche;
release of suppressed emotions;
increasing mental stability;
reduced sleep duration and faster recovery.

Most of the breathing techniques in yoga belong to this group. Some exercises involve forced slowing of breathing (voluntary breathing for 10, 16 or more counts, breath holding). Others slow down breathing due to its external restriction (blocking one nostril in nadi shoddhane or surya bhedane, clamping the throat in ujjayi). The second option is milder and suitable for beginners, as the body itself adapts to the conditions, and the risk of side effects is minimal.

Side effects of pranayama

Some of the side effects I mentioned in a previous article. I will repeat and add:

1. Vegetative disorders. The depth and frequency of breathing is a powerful regulatory mechanism that affects chemical composition blood, hormone levels, the work of the heart and blood vessels, the activity of the psyche and the autonomic nervous system. Interfering with it arbitrarily, you can disrupt homeostasis, provoking jumps in pressure and temperature, sleep disorders, vegetative-vascular dystonia, hormonal disorders, etc.

2. Violations of the work of the heart. Slowing down breathing and holding it - especially when inhaling - increase the workload on the heart. Their incorrect practice can cause tachycardia, arrhythmia, angina pectoris and other disorders.

3. Violation of the respiratory center. The process of breathing occurs automatically due to the work of the respiratory center. When you breathe voluntarily, his work is suppressed. This can cause disruption of the respiratory center, up to a complete stop of the automatism of breathing. In this case, the person stops breathing involuntarily. This is a severe pathology that is not always subject to recovery. I am aware of 2 deaths due to such a stop and a number of less severe examples. In some cases, breathing was restored spontaneously, in others with the help of running training, and in one case resuscitation and mechanical ventilation were required.

4.Oxygen starvation. If the strength or duration of hypoxia exceeds the capabilities of the organism, organ or tissue, irreversible changes develop in them. The most sensitive to oxygen starvation are the brain, heart, kidneys and liver, as well as any weakened and diseased organs. For a weakened organism, hypoxia is too severe stress, which causes not adaptation, but destruction.

Pranayama safety precautions

To avoid the above side effects when practicing pranayama, it is important to follow the rules:

1. Beginners should not practice long breath holdings, especially when inhaling. Inhalation delays should be practiced with an "open throat", i.e. without clamping the glottis. Air should be held by the muscles of the abdomen and chest, and not by constriction of the throat. Otherwise, excess pressure is created in the chest and increased load on the heart.

2. Beginners should not practice pranayama in combination with strength training, because this increases hypoxia. Master breathing exercises only at rest, in a comfortable position with a straight back.

3. Avoid artificial breathing proportions(eg 1:4:2, etc.) At first, use techniques where breathing remains natural. And look for your own breathing proportion. For effective pranayama, the total duration of the respiratory cycle is important, and not how much of this time you inhale, how much you exhale or hold your breath.

4. Increased and increased heart rate, muscle contractions, uncontrolled spasms of the respiratory muscles, shortness of breath and the appearance of shortness of breath, shortening of the respiratory cycle - all this indicates an overload in practice. Reduce the duration of the respiratory cycle and delays. With the correct practice of pranayama, a person feels comfortable and relaxed, the heart beats calmer, and breathing spontaneously stretches towards the end of the session.

5. Pranayama should be practiced especially carefully in diseases of the heart, liver, kidneys and central nervous system. But any other chronic diseases, as well as general weakness require careful work.

6. Pain in the heart, tachycardia, arrhythmia (interruptions in the work of the heart), apnea (spontaneous respiratory arrest) are dangerous symptoms. It is necessary to immediately stop the practice and consult a doctor, delay is deadly!

7. On the part of the psyche, such symptoms are panic attacks, hallucinations, uncontrolled emotional outbursts high strength, persistent sleep disturbance, constant anxiety. Stop practicing and see a doctor!

Breathing exercises with increased breathing intensity

Such exercises are called hyperventilating, and the effect they cause is hypocapnia that is, a decrease in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood. Oxygen does not increase during these practices (after all, its concentration is determined by the capacity of red blood cells), and carbon dioxide is washed out of the blood during active ventilation of the lungs. Hypocapnia manifests itself in the form of dizziness, in the worst case, ending in loss of consciousness.

There are practically no hyperventilation techniques in yoga. Only widely known kapalabhati and bhastrika. But in kapalabhati, breathing, although frequent, is very shallow, so hypocapnia does not occur. In bhastrika, breathing is really deep and frequent, but short. After each cycle of bhastrika, breath retention is usually practiced to even out the gas composition of the blood.

Why is hyperventilation not commonly practiced in yoga, and what are its effects?

The concentration of carbon dioxide affects the tone of small arteries: when it is high, the vessels dilate, and vice versa, when it is low, they narrow. Therefore, with hypocapnia, the arterioles constrict, and blood pressure rises.

At extremely low concentrations, the vessels are compressed so much that this can cause a violation of cerebral circulation, as well as heart attacks. The brain is an extremely fragile and sensitive organ. Violation of blood circulation leads to loss of consciousness and death of nerve cells.

Hypocapnia also changes the pH of the blood, develops alkalosis(acidification). With alkalosis, the blood supply to the brain and heart decreases, nervous excitability, muscle spasms and convulsions develop, and the activity of the respiratory center decreases.

However, on the border with fainting, altered states of consciousness arise, which formed the basis of holotropic breathing.

Holotropic Breathwork- a method of psychotherapy, which consists in hyperventilation of the lungs. As a result, inhibition of the cerebral cortex begins, the subcortex is activated, which causes a feeling of euphoria, hallucinations, an altered state of consciousness and the release of repressed emotions. This method was developed by the American psychologist Stanislav Grof as a replacement for the banned LSD he had previously experimented with.

Grof believed that holotropic breathing has a psychotherapeutic effect, releasing difficult emotions and allowing a person to process traumatic experiences, including those from the birth process. However, the technique is very controversial due to the danger to brain cells, as well as uncontrolled emotional outbursts. In addition, the connection with the real experience of birth looks very controversial.

Therefore, hyperventilation should be avoided, especially in the following pathologies:

severe chronic diseases, primarily cardiovascular;
psychotic states;
epilepsy;
glaucoma;
pregnancy;
osteoporosis;
recent operations and fractures;
acute infectious diseases 4 .

In yoga, with some exercises ( kapalbhati, bhastrika, chest, abdominal and full yogic breathing) hyperventilation may occur. It feels like dizziness. In this case, you should stop the exercise and breathe calmly until the sensation passes. In the future, you need to do the exercise less diligently, not so deep and / or for a long time.

Exercise without changing the intensity of breathing

This group includes whole line a variety of exercises, where there is no arbitrary increase or slowdown in breathing, but somehow its pattern changes. These exercises can carry various effects:

Respiratory muscle training and deepening of breathing(b fluffy, thoracic, clavicular, full yogic breathing).
Improvement of pulmonary gas exchange, yoga therapy and relaxation (ujjayi, sheetali, shitakri, bhramari and etc.).
Influence on the autonomic and central nervous system (nadi shoddhana, surya bhedana, chandra bhedana and etc.)

Most of these exercises cause mild hypoxia. If they practice simple form(that is, without holding and consciously slowing down the breath), they are quite simple and safe and suitable for beginners. Although all the rules and safety precautions described in the section “Respiratory exercises with a decrease in the intensity of breathing” are also relevant for them.

The exercises from paragraph 1 (abdominal, thoracic and clavicular) were described by me in. Today I will give the full yogic breathing technique. And the most famous and effective exercises from paragraphs. 2 and 3 will be explained in the next article.

Full yoga breath

This is a basic breathing technique in yoga, which is used in the practice of other exercises. As the name implies, full breathing includes all parts of the lungs. It combines lower, middle and upper breathing.

If you have trained these three types of breathing as described, full breathing should not cause you any difficulty. If not, do these exercises for at least a few days until you feel confident. The literature describes the technique of full breathing in yoga in different ways. As for inhalation, all authors are unanimous: it is performed from the bottom up, i.e. first the belly comes out, then the chest expands, and finally the clavicles rise. Exhalation is described in different ways. Most - from top to bottom (collarbones fall - the chest is compressed - the stomach is tightened), but some - from the bottom up (stomach - chest - collarbones), and someone does not distinguish separate phases in exhalation at all. I recommend performing several breathing cycles in each of the described modes and choosing the most convenient one.

I will describe the most famous and, from my point of view, natural way. Avoid hyperventilation as described above, breathe calmly and not too deeply. Try to keep the breathing rhythm natural and spontaneous. If discomfort occurs, end the exercise and relax.

1. Sit in a comfortable position with a straight back. If you are sitting cross-legged, place a pillow under your pelvis. You can sit on a chair or lie on your back if sitting is uncomfortable. Exhale the air completely.

2. Place your palms on your stomach and inhale, pushing the abdominal wall forward. Move your palms to your ribs and continue to inhale as you expand your chest. Move your palms to your collarbones and continue to inhale as you lift your collarbones.

3. Begin exhaling by lowering your collarbones. Then move your palms to your ribs and continue to exhale, squeezing your chest. Place your palms on your stomach and end the exhalation by drawing in the abdominal wall.

4. Perform 5 breaths, as described in paragraphs 3 and 4. Try to keep the breathing rhythm natural, do not breathe very deeply and often. Do not pause between phases, you should have a feeling of a smooth wave that moves from bottom to top on inhalation, and from top to bottom on exhalation.

5. Place your palms on your thighs or on the floor. Continue to breathe in full breath for another 3-5 minutes. Try to feel the process from the inside. It's not scary if any of the phases is not working out well yet. Try to keep your breathing light, smooth and natural, even if not quite technically perfect. An indicator of a correctly performed exercise is the feeling of calming and relaxing the psyche, as well as slowing down breathing at the end of the practice.

6. Finish the exercise and relax in shavasana for 5-10 minutes.

1 Classical yoga. Per. and comm. Ostrovskaya E., Rudoy V.

2 Gainetdinov A. et al. The use of dosed normobaric hypoxic therapy in the medical rehabilitation of neurological and somatic patients.

3 Kulinenkov S. Pharmacology of sports.

4 Emelianenko V. Theoretical principles of holotropic breathing.