& WHAT DOES BREATH MEAN TO YOU?
Some of you may think: “What do you mean? Breathing is just a natural part of being alive. No?”. Perhaps you even take your breath for granted?
But have you ever seen someone taking their last breath? Or a newborn taking its first breath of air, ready for a brand-new life to begin? Breath is Life. Without breath we cannot live, we cannot move, think, or function in any imaginable way. Perhaps, at one point in your life, you were sick or had a bad cold, and you may have experienced how challenging it was to breathe, and how weak you felt? You may have tried to chase after something or someone, and suddenly felt like you hit the wall – just because you were out of breath? Or you may have noticed how you have a tendency to hold your breath every time you watch something scary, or when you focus really hard on something?
Whatever we do, and whatever we think of, will affect our breath. And HOW we breathe, will affect the way we feel and what we are able, or not able, to do! Even one little thought can be enough to change our breath.
When we inhale, we fill our lungs with oxygen, and oxygen-rich blood is being transported out to our muscles and organs, so that we can function and do the actions (move, think, speak) that we want to do. And when we exhale, CO2 (carbon dioxide), toxins and waste products are removed from our body, giving us a chance to function as proficiently as possible. Whatever physical activity we do, breathing is a very important and efficient “tool”. If you want to lift something heavy, you take a deep breath in, pull your stomach to your spine to protect your lower back, and lift. If you run, you need to breathe faster, so your lungs can receive the necessary amount of air and oxygen, and simultaneously get rid of the CO2. The more intense your activity level is, the more likely it is that you will need to exhale through your mouth.
One day in our Yoga class, I was asked why we breathe in and out through the nose when we practice yoga? This is a great question! Much has been said and written about this topic, and I will only touch briefly on it here…
Inside our nostrils we have cilia (microscopic nose hairs), and they do an amazing job to support our immune system. When we breathe through the nose, the air is filtered and cleansed, warmed up and humidified to a convenient state for the lungs. In addition, exhaling through your nose with sealed lips, will extend the exhalation and calm down the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), which is our “fight or flee” response. And this is huge!
Many of us are constantly moving around in high gear, with an overactive Sympathetic Nervous System. When we are anxious, nervous, upset, stressed, or anything similar, this system is highly activated. We need this system to prepare our body for strenuous activity, and to be alert and sharpened. However, if this goes on for a long period of time, it can cause various symptoms to emerge in our body, like high blood pressure, heart and circulatory issues, and many others.
In order to keep our body and mind healthy, we need to balance our Sympathetic Nervous System and our Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), which is the “rest and digest system”. This latter system (PNS) restores the body to a calm and composed state and prevents it from overworking. Both of these systems are parts of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), which is responsible for our involuntary bodily functions, such as the functions of our heart, stomach, digestion, dilation and expansion of blood vessels and pupils, and more.
In Yoga we try to balance these two systems, and one way of doing this is by using our breath in a conscious way. Therefore, breathing techniques, or Pranayama, are an essential part of practicing yoga. You can move through a flow of positions (Asanas), but without linking the movements with your breath, you are not really practicing yoga. Without focusing on your breath, you are just going through the motions. However, when practiced consistently, these breathing techniques can enhance your lung function, increase respiratory muscle strength, and even relieve stress and anxiety. Breathing is also a helpful tool during meditation and can help us turning our focus inwards.
When you practice yoga, you are normally encouraged to breathe in and out through your nose. As already mentioned, a main reason for this is to slow down the exhalation, so that our Autonomic Nervous System can get balanced and function in a healthy way; physically, mentally and emotionally. When all this is said, there are specific breathing techniques in yoga where your breathe OUT through your mouth. Some of these are simply “releasing breaths” or “sighing breaths”. Others, like “Cannon Breath” or “Lion’s Breath”, are often used in Kundalini Yoga to alleviate stress, become more energized, eliminate toxins, and even stimulate the throat chakra, the thyroid, and the upper chest.
A man I know, was diagnosed with cancer and had to go through radiation. After his treatments, his chest felt so tight and stiff that it was painful for him to inhale fully and to expand his torso with air. By focusing on taking long, deep and conscious breaths, every day for 5 – 10 minutes, he gradually opened up his torso, stretched the muscles between his ribs, and improved his lung capacity so much that he was able to continue with his daily activities and feel better and more flexible again. Breathing was the first step back to gaining increased muscular strength and endurance. Soon he was able to continue with other rehabilitating exercises as well.
Many people think that breathing is not an exercise. However, if “long, deep and conscious breaths” are all you do for exercising in a day, that may be a very smart choice! Without your breath, it is hard to live a good and active life.
With that, I will finish and say: “Turn your face towards the Sun, fill your lungs with Life, and let the Wind carry all your worries away.”
With gratitude and love,
Kari
PS: If you found this blog interesting, make sure to follow Open Air Yoga Key West on Facebook and/or Instagram. And if you want to practice more breathwork (Pranayama) in person, or have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me!
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