Full Yogic Breathing and It’s Benefits
There are many different types of yoga and many different reasons for practising it, however; exercise, breathing and meditation are the three main structures that is the essence of all yoga.
Breathing is believed to be the source of life in our bodies and the breathing techniques practised in yoga are all based on this concept.
In yoga one of the first things we learn about breathing is that almost every one of us do not use the full capacity of the organs we have in our respiratory system, basically we don’t breath properly. Even more surprising is the fact that heart disease and many nervous system disorders along with several other complications defined as lifestyle disorders, are caused by not breathing properly. It has now been confirmed and reported by leading cardiac experts in medical journals that if only so many of their patients knew how to breathe properly, they may not even be patients.
Cardiac experts are in favour of the reprogramming of the natural breathing techniques practised in yoga stating that breathing properly could help in the prevention of heart disease, and also be used as a method of reversing a heart condition and therefore, reducing the need for drugs and surgery.
There are three methods of breathing in yoga and they are: abdominal, thoracic and full yogic breathing. Abdominal is through the abdomen, thoracic through the chest and if you combine these two methods this is known as full yogic breathing.
Never strain the body when breathing, always lie flat on your back for the full benefits and just let your breaths inhale and exhale smoothly and with practise your breaths will automatically increase in the length of time it takes to inhale and exhale.
A variation on the full yogic breathing can be practised when you are comfortable with the combining of the abdominal and thoracic breathing technique.
Combining the abdominal and thoracic breathing at the same time is then known as the full yogic breathing technique. Once you have mastered this way of breathing, and when I say this I mean you can lie flat on your back and your breaths flow in and out smoothly with no strain on any parts of the body, then you may want to intensify this breathing technique.
To do this you inhale the breath, through the nose with the mouth shut, to the count of ten, then hold that breath for a further count to ten, followed by releasing (exhaling) the breath again to the count of ten. As you exhale you release the breath with a gentle blowing action through the mouth. This gentle blowing action helps to dissipate harmful toxins from the body.
The benefits of learning to breath this way helps to release acute and chronic muscle tension surrounding the heart and the digestive organs. Yogic breathing used by asthmatics can help the sufferer overcome the fear of breathlessness, while increasing their lung capacity. Also the immune system is boosted by the increased energy to the endocrine system and on the exhale of breath harmful toxins are discharged from the body.
Just remember never strain the body as you practise this breathing and the more you practise this breathing the smoother and more natural it becomes, allowing all the health benefits it affords.
Yogic breathing is a fantastic way to calm the mind and integrate the physical and mental balance in the body, the perfect remedy to induce a good night’s sleep.
