When I first started practicing yoga, I was so caught up in trying to advance and perfect poses, I forgot the most basic element of all… Breath!
In today’s fast paced and every changing society we are taught to multi task in order to make the most of our time. Whether it be eating breakfast while driving to work in the morning or reading while working out we all do it in one form or another.
There is one thing that is with us from the moment we are born until the moment we pass… our breath. Oxygen refreshes our cells and keeps the momentum of life going. We can do without food for weeks and without water for days, but without oxygen, we will die within a few minutes. Little do we know most of us have created habits and tendencies over the years that prevent us from breathing to the fullest capacity.
I can remember when I was a kid, thinking that to take the biggest breath possible meant to puff up my chest and suck in my tummy. Boy was I mistaken! Most of us use short, shallow and quick breaths in our everyday breathing patterns. This is usually only brought on by activity, our body naturally adapts our breathing when the demand for oxygen is higher ie: exercise.
The breathing system of the body, the lungs, is very intricate and fuels each and every cell of our bodies. So if we are only breathing at half capacity, imagine all of the other body systems that are affected.
Take a moment to observe your own breathing patterns.
Practicing yoga has taught me more than just how to stretch, it has helped me to retrain my body and learn how to take long, slow, deep and complete breaths that allow for maximal oxygen intake. I never realized the utmost importance of breathing until I noticed how much it can help with sleep, anxiety and relaxation.
Whenever you find yourself tensing up in times of high stress, restlessness or anger just try to follow this breathing exercise, which works best lying down on your back. Keep in mind that breathing through your nose is preferred, as it sends calming signals to your nervous system.
1- starting from the crown of your head, slowly scan down your body relaxing every muscle. Release the tension from your eyes, jaw and shoulders and continue all the way down until your toes.
2-Inhale and feel your relaxed belly fill up with air ending with a slight upward shift of your rib cage.
3-Exhale completely, feel your ribs shift downward and then your belly falls.
4- Keeping your attention on your breathe, continue this “ocean’ breathing.
Watch your breath just like you watch waves in the ocean, endlessly arising, endlessly descending and changing one moment to the next. A constant dialogue.
