What's breathing got to do with it?

Breathing is curious
 
We do it all day every day without thinking. Sometimes we might think about it when it doesn't feel right, when we have a chest infection, or are in an unpleasant environment where the air isn't fresh. 
 

Harness your breathing
 
In yoga, breathwork is one of the primary tools. There are a variety of ways it can be used to amplify the natural effects of breathing creating noticable effects on body, mind, energy and balance. 
 
You can try emphasising inhaling or exhaling, pausing after inhaling to stimulate your energy and vitality, you can add a gentle wait after exhaling to calm yourself and settle overactive systems and mental states.
 
However overdo it and the opposite is true, so skilled guidance and practice is important. 
 

It helps sleep, when you know how
 
One of my students couldn't sleep the other night so she tried the box breathing that we are working with this month.
 
It didn't help.
 
Box breathing is quite a stimulating, revitalising technique which when trying to sleep will overstimulate and wake you up more. It doesn't mean the technique isn't useful, just not for that time of night.
 
Getting to know your breathing and posture toolkit to help your daily life is brilliant. Extended, gentle exhales would be a good starting point if sleep is problematic. 
 

Breath-centred yoga
 
Breathwork is a whole branch of yoga practice.
 
One of the hallmarks of my classes is the way the breathing is applied both during poses and at the end of class to rebalance us.
 
We are moving air pressure in different parts of the body. Pressurising different places in the various poses. An opening posture (e.g. Warrior 1)  with an upper body inhale amplifies the effects of both the posture and the breath for a compound effect. Add a skilful breath pause and see what happens. 
 
Learning to direct our breathing into different areas of the body, emphasising chest or belly breathing to address imbalances in your normal patterns where tension and tightness may have become the norm. This can have a profoundly beneficial effect on mental and physical health. 
 

Emphasise inhale or exhale?
 
Emphasising the inhale, breathing into our upper chest, being stimulated, alert and vibrant, expanding to invite and lift energy is great for a morning class. But go carefully. Anxiety, aggression, disorganisation, can tip over into making these worse. 
 
The invitation to mindfully observe effects of the pose is exactly the place to note what serves you well and what doesn't. By the end of class, you should feel balanced, relaxed, vibrant, calm.
 
And the effect doesn't stop there. If you're agitated or annoyed in the rest of your day, then think again, a balanced state has not been achieved yet. Note the effects so you can learn what you actually need, not what you think you need. They are different. 
 
Evening classes can down-regulate your nervous system with closing postures and longer exhales to support a balanced ending to a busy day. Positivity and good sleep that night should follow effortlessly.
 

It can go wrong, let's get it right
 
Get it wrong and you'll be wired after your class and its 9pm when you want to be winding down for sleep. Or you feel zombified or disorganised mid-morning and may not sleep well later on.
 
Get it right and you'll feel balanced, vibrant, alert, calm, and in harmony with your body, mind, environment and those around you.  
 
Get to know your breath, learn where the techniques can be helpful so that you can draw upon them when needed.
 
As always, come and chat if you haven't yet got the hang of it as it does take a little practice but is well worth the effort. 
 
 
Enjoy