Breathing: The Essence of Yoga

Yoga has an extremely long history; over 6,000 years in fact! This ancient form of exercise is great for conditioning the body and the mind alike.

The practice of yoga is largely thought of as just the asanas (postures and exercises), but breath is really at the heart of yoga. Some have said “if you can breathe, then you can do yoga”. The use of breathing techniques to quiet your mind is one of the primary objectives of yoga.

By practicing yoga on a regular basis, you get to know your breath intimately. Not only will you learn about proper breathing , which will soothe and relax you, but you will bring your postures to life through the use of your breath.

Our minds tend to wander; thinking of the future and the past constantly. With yoga, you’ll train yourself to consider the present – where we are, where our bodies exist. The practice of yoga through breathing techniques helps you to draw your thoughts inward and release all of your worries and tensions.

Yoga can help to prevent stress and disease by letting you do this – letting go of these harmful, stressful thoughts, even for a short time, restores your body and mind to a healthy balanced state. Focusing on the present is what brings about this benefit.

Yoga teaches the practice of conscious breathing while doing poses – this fosters consciousness of your technique and greater mental alertness. By drawing your mind into the moment and forgetting all else, you will garner the benefits which yoga has to offer.

The following breathing exercise is a simple method of practicing yoga that will help you to let go of stress and balance your mind.

* Lie or sit comfortably and become aware of your normal state of breathing.

* Be aware of your breath while you inhale and exhale, counting to four each time. Do this several times.

* Next, make your inhalations and exhalations last for five counts each.

* After several rounds of breathing in and out for five counts, increase to six counts. Be conscious of your body at all times and don’t tense up.

* Continue increasing the count of your breathing until you get to nine. If you start to feel stressed, drop back down to a number that is more comfortable.

* Keep bringing your mind back to your body to check to see if there is any tension anywhere in your body. If so, attempt to relax that part of your body.

* Whatever your final number of breaths is, continue breathing with long breaths for several rounds, then drop the counting and breathe naturally for 10 rounds.

What you should learn from this and any other yoga breathing exercise is to still your thoughts and relax your mind so that you are conscious of your body. Over time, you will gain control of your breathing and you will be able to draw on its power to calm yourself during stressful moments.

Tags: Yoga