Breathe Better: Exploring the Benefits and Techniques of Pranayama

It’s the beginning of yoga class after a long day, but you made it just in time. You quickly roll out your mat and sit, feeling the slight cushion beneath your hips that encourages you to sit up nice and tall. The air smells faintly of essential oils, and the tension you didn’t even realize you’d been carrying in your shoulders, starts to melt away. You recognize how much you need this practice and feel your body begin to buzz with anticipation for the upcoming movements. Then, your teacher’s voice gently filters through the silence, informing you that you will not be introducing movement into the practice just yet…

When most people think of yoga, the first thing that typically comes to mind is the flow. We may start to imagine the series of poses we will be guiding through. Maybe you’ve been looking forward to attempting a standing balancing posture or surrendering into a satisfying deep stretch. These are things I look forward to myself, but there is one element of yoga that does not get nearly as much credit as it deserves. An aspect that should be guiding every movement, sealing our intentions, and setting our internal space.

I am referring to our breath.

Pranayama

I, like many yoga teachers, choose to start each of my classes with a few rounds of breath work, also known as pranayama. In Sanskrit, “Prana” means “life force”, while “Yama” means “control” or “discipline.”

Yoga Journal describes Pranayama as:

Pranayama consists of different breathwork techniques designed to gain mastery over the respiratory process while recognizing the connection among breath, mind, and emotions.

Even if you’ve only taken a few yoga classes, you’ve probably heard a teacher refer to “connecting with your breath”. As the Yoga Journal states, it is important to connect our breath with our mind and emotions, but I would add our bodies as well.

Our breath is our very life force, and ideally, we’d like to remain aware of it throughout our entire practice.

A big part of why so many people are drawn to yoga is it encourages them to stay present in the moment which they may not experience during their daily lives. Noticing our breath is the secret to remaining present. Before you read on, I encourage you to try this simple yet effective meditation exercise.

Set a timer for one minute (on your phone is probably easiest), sit in a comfortable seat, resting your hands on your knees, and either close your eyes or look down at your hands. For the full minute, count your breaths. Avoid allowing your mind to wander, focus on counting your breaths. When the minute is up, say how many breaths you took out loud to yourself, and notice how you feel.

If you were able to recall the number amount of breaths you took, congratulations! You stayed present for a whole minute. It’s a lot easier said than done. This short exercise was to show you how, while focusing on your breath, it’s almost impossible not to remain in the present moment.

This is what we’re trying to achieve during our yoga practice.

Benefits of Pranayama

Breathwork is not reserved just for yoga, it is something you can also use outside of your practice, and I encourage you to do so! There are various techniques (that we’ll go over later) that may emphasize specific benefits, but here is a list of general benefits of regularly practicing pranayama.

Relaxation and Stress Relief– Pranayama can soothe the sympathetic nervous system, triggering the parasympathetic system. This relaxes the body and lowers the heart rate. This Study dives deeper into the physiological effects of practicing techniques that intentionally slow the breath.
Improved Focus– As we established when we did that short exercise earlier, by keeping our attention on our breath, we can stay present. This will allow us to focus more clearly during our practice or whatever activity you may be doing.
Supports Immune System– This Study found yogic breathing can reduce pro-inflammatory biomarkers.
Improve Respiratory Function– Not only can intentional breathwork clear respiratory passageways to improve airflow, but it can also improve your lung capacity allowing for deeper breaths. In turn, this strengthens the muscles of your diaphragm and abdomen.

Types of Pranayama

Now that I’ve hopefully convinced you that you need to adopt a regular pranayama practice immediately, let’s go over a few of the different types you can do.

Disclaimer: Note, if you have respiratory issues you will want to consult a doctor before starting pranayama. If you begin to experience feelings nauseous, dizzy, or light-headed, stop and rest to allow the feelings to pass.

Box Breathing

An excellent pranayama for beginners, which aids in calming the mind by bringing mindfulness to your breath, and reduces stress by regulating your breathing to lower levels. This was the technique that I first became familiar with. It was a simple, yet effective way to draw awareness to my breath and teach me to be intentional with my inhales and exhales. You may also hear it referred to as 4×4 breathing or square breathing.

Start with exhaling all the air from your lungs.
Gently seal off your lips.
Slowing inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
Hold for a count of 4.
Exhale slowing through your nose for a count of 4.
Hold for a count of 4.
Repeat for 3 or more rounds.

As your practice becomes more consistent, you may notice the 4 counts begin to feel easier. When this happens, add one or two extra counts to your inhales, exhales, and holds. This will allow you to slow your breathing even more, providing further benefit to our nervous systems.

Ujjayi Breath

This technique is my personal favorite, I use it quite often in my practice! Ujjayi Breath is said to translate from Sanskrit to “Victorious Breath.” It’s also known as “Ocean Breath”, this is due to the sound that is made during the deep exhale. The benefits of this technique include increased focus and concentration, the building of inner heat, the linking of breath to movement, and the potential to strengthen the lungs.

Start by releasing a deep exhale to clear the air from your lungs.
Gently seal off your lips and inhale fully through your nose.
As you exhale out the nose, create a slight constriction in the back of your throat. This will create an oceanic or snore-like sound. Some will even refer to it as a “Darth Vader sound”. It should be a smooth and continuous sound until all of the air has been released.
Notice the rise and fall of your belly and chest, and feel the heat build in your center.
Continue this cycle for 3 or more rounds, ensuring no interruptions between the inhales and exhales.

Dirga Pranayama

This is also known as “three-part breath”. This is a great technique to keep us mindful of where our breath is traveling as it enters our body; it’s also great for those who are typically “chest-breathers”. Allow the air to only expand within their chest before exhaling, resulting in short and shallow breaths. Dirga has you breathing into three parts of your abdomen, the low belly, rib-cage, and throat. Some benefits of Dirga include deeper and more calming breaths, increased oxygen intake, and strengthening of the breath-body-mind connection.

After a few rounds of your natural breath, exhale all the air from your lungs.
Gently seal off the lips, place your hands on your belly, and inhale through the nose. Feel your belly expand beneath your hands.
As you continue to inhale, notice the breath now filling the ribcage.
Finally, feel the air fill your upper chest, inhaling until you cannot anymore.
As you exhale, you will do so in the reverse order. First by feeling the chest deflate, followed by the ribcage, ending with the lower belly.
Repeat for three or more rounds.

If you find you struggle with this breathing pattern, I like to encourage my students to start with one section at a time. Start by breathing in and out of just the lower belly. Once you feel comfortable with this, expand to the ribcage as well. From here, you are ready for all three parts!

Final Thoughts:

Although the most important aspect, our breath is often one of the most underestimated elements of our practice. It seems quite simple, we breathe in, we breathe out, but pranayama can be quite challenging and uncomfortable in the beginning. Just like with anything new, it takes time and consistency. The more you practice these techniques, the more you’ll experience their wonderful benefits. Remember, being mindful of our breath isn’t just for while we’re on the mat, it is one of the most valuable things you can take off of it as well!