Why The Breath Is So Essential In Yoga + 4 Yogic Breathing Techniques

Here's a peek into the benefits of yogic breathing and how to get started with the technique.

Studies have repeatedly shown that conscious breathing is an effective way to combat stress. A 2017 study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology1 found that participants who completed eight weeks of breathwork training had significantly lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol compared with those who did not receive the training.

If you find your mind constantly wandering, breathwork might help. A 2018 study published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition2 found that breath-focused yoga boosted attention span in participants. Furthermore, deep breathing can improve oxygen levels in the prefrontal cortex (the area of our brain responsible for reasoning, logic, and acuity).

Breathwork can help improve digestion in two ways. Firstly, by calming the stress response and lowering cortisol, it naturally frees up energy that the body can then use for digesting food. Secondly, powerful abdominal breathing such as the pulsating method in Kapalabahti (see below) works by massaging the internal organs3, which is thought to improve the digestive system.

Begin by bringing your awareness to your breath; breathing through your nose, observe the inhalation and exhalation. Be inquisitive but non-judgmental: what’s the depth like? The direction? The quality? No need to change or do anything. Stay here for a few minutes.

With the hands resting on the belly, breathe in deeply, sending the breath away from the chest and down toward the abdomen. Imagine there is a balloon in your belly: On the inhale that balloon expands into your hands, and on the exhale it deflates. Try this for a few minutes at the beginning and end of your yoga practice, or any time throughout the day.

The key here is to stay relaxed so that you don’t generate a “rasping” sound. Inhale through your nose, then open your mouth and exhale slowly, making a “HA” sound. Try this a few times, then close your mouth, keeping the back of your throat in the same shape you used to make the “HA,” as you exhale solely through the nose. Try introducing this into your yoga practice, feeling the oceanic-like waves of breath guiding your movement.

To start, take a full, deep inhalation through the nose and exhale slowly through the nose. Keeping the mouth closed, inhale again, and begin exhaling by quickly pulling in the lower abs to force air out in short spurts. Your inhalation will be passive between each active, quick exhalation. The pumping sensation should feel a little as if someone is poking you in the stomach on the exhale. Try 10-20 breaths, take a break for a few deep, regular breaths, and then try another round.

Breathwork is an excellent tool to supercharge your yoga practice. Breathing consciously during yoga helps us access the practice’s deeper spiritual levels of connection, as well as prevent injury by keeping the body and mind in a relaxed and aware state. The best way to learn how breathwork can help your yoga is to experience it for yourself. So go forth, and don’t forget to breathe.