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Pranayama & Breathwork

 

I don’t remember how or when I found my breath. It came to me in a series of revelations. When I started yoga in 2014, I do remember that I hadn’t taken a deep breath in very long time. I wasn’t short of breath but, when forced to think about it, I would feel like my breathing was unnatural and that would precipitate a feeling of shortness of breath. Maybe a little panic colored my perception.


Breathing is one of a group of body functions that are controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is a control system that acts largely unconsciously and regulates bodily functions such as the heart rate, digestion and respiratory rate. The only way breathing ascends to consciousness is when we feel short of breath… an asthma attack, emphysema, pneumonia, skiing or hiking at altitude, etc. So, only in the negative are we aware of breathing. We take our breathing for granted most of the time.


Breath-based yoga brings breathing to the fore of our consciousness. We focus on the breath and explore its many facets. It is much more than feeling the air move in and out. It is energy. It supports and informs my yoga. It is immensely pleasurable and comforting. My breath has become a physical entity. It has palpable dimensions. I feel it as it moves through my body. I am a lucky man!


Parameters of breath:

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breathwork yoga breathing chart

 

So, how do you bring consciousness to your breath? It helps to perceive the effects a breath has on your body. Your chest and belly expand to make room for the breath. You feel the warmth of the breath. To maximize my proprioception, I close my eyes and focus on all the sensations in the breath.

 

A Breathing Routine:
1. First, ensure that your posture is “breath friendly”.  You must make the body available to the breath. We tend to assume a “turtle” posture which further restricts our breath. 
a. Sit tall. Top of head reaches for the ceiling. Spine elongates. Feel lighter. 
b. Chest open: Sternum forward. Shoulders back. Pelvis forward while occiput moves back. 

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2. 3 cleansing breaths. A cleansing breath is a maximal inspiration followed by a slow, active, controlled maximal exhalation. The inspiration is rapid, but the expiration is slow. I imagine an old balloon deflating. 


3. 3’ quiet breathing. Also called “Barely breathing”. As the names imply, these are not big breaths. I search for an inspiration that is comfortable and
not forced and an end-expiratory volume that is comfortable. Now, close your eyes. Breathe through your nose. Feel your breath. Feel the air as it moves past your nostrils. It’s cool. Feel that same air as it enters your trachea. It’s warm. Feel that same air as it enters your body. Your chest and abdomen expand. The exhalation is passive. You did work taking the breath. Now enjoy the fruits of your labor. As the air leaves your body, feel caressed by its presence.

 

4. 3 stacked breaths. Take a slow deep breath. Hold it for a count of three. Then, without letting and of your breath escape, take another breath, hold
for a count of three and take another breath and let it out in a controlled expiration to a comfortable end-expiratory volume. Do quiet breathing
focused on the breath until ready for the second set. Repeat the sequence a third time.


5. 3’ quiet breathing.


6. 25 Kapalabhati breaths. This breath is an active short exhalation followed by a passive inhalation. The inverse of most breaths. The exhalation is

produced by contraction of the abdominal muscles. Focus your energy on the abdominal muscles and feel the passive inhalation on the rebound.

(A yoga instructor I know has short, sharp exhalations at a rate faster than mine. With my ALS, my yoga is only improving my slow-twitch muscle
fibers. My Kapalabhati breath are not as sharp and not as fast. My rate is 100/minute and when I was learning the breath, much slower.)


7. 3 cleansing breaths.
Start with one cycle. Each cycle should take 10-12 minutes. Don’t rush, explore and enjoy. Work up to three cycles. Then increase every exercise to 5’ with 50 Kapalabhati breaths.

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