Control YOUR BREATH

Soothe your nervous system, still your mind and energise your entire body with these powerful pranayama exercises

On average, your body takes around 23,000 breaths a day. From the instant you are born to the moment you die, your breath is your constant companion – providing cells with life-giving oxygen, removing toxins and reflecting the state of your mind and emotions.

In yogic philosophy, breath is linked with prana – the all-pervading energy that nourishes and sustains all living things. Prana also refers to the upward-movement of energy in the body, created by the in-breath. You can experience this for yourself by taking a deep, rich inhalation and noticing how it invigorates and refreshes you. Its opposite, apana, removes toxicity and waste, and is connected to the out-breath, associated with the downward movement of energy. After inhaling, let go into a long slow exhalation, and observe its calming, grounding effect. It’s this dance – receiving the inhalation and surrendering on the exhalation – that feeds your yoga practice. It will help you attune to your natural rhythm and bring a sense of rooted stillness as you work through the poses. Aim to breathe for an equal length on the inhale and exhale, through your nose if you can, as this allows a cleaner, warmer breath, and gives you more control. And let your breath be your guide – if it becomes strained, laboured or held, it’s likely you are working too hard. Ease up a bit and listen to what your body needs. If you are feeling sluggish and unengaged with the postures, breathing in a more conscious way, perhaps using Ocean breath, will soon energise you and help you feel more present.

Let your breath instigate movement, inhaling as you unfold your body, lengthen your spine, open your chest or raise your arms. Follow your exhalation when you root into the ground, deepen into a forward fold or release into a twist, each time giving your weight back to the earth that supports you.

OBSERVE THE BREATH

Becoming aware of your breathing habits can lead to a more balanced emotional life. For one week, keep a breathing journal, checking in three times a day to observe how you are breathing in that moment. Is it shallow or rapid? Are you breathing only from your chest? Maybe you’ll discover you’ve even been holding your breath.

After a few days, you may see some patterns begin to emerge. Notice if you repeatedly pause your breath around a particular person or task. What situations leave you taking shallow breaths? When do you take deep, easeful breaths, and how does that make you feel?

As you understand about your individual breathing patterns, see if you can intervene before they become established. Take a few slow, deep breaths when you meet that ‘challenging’ person. Breathe deeply into your abdomen before you write your to-do list, and notice if it changes what you want to make a priority.

ABDOMINAL BREATHING

Lying flat on the floor, as below, gently close your eyes and take a moment to let go of the day and arrive in your body.

Take a deep breath in through your nose, then exhale through your mouth, letting go of any tension on your out-breath. Do this twice more, releasing any thoughts as you do so. Make any minor adjustments you need to feel comfortable, then let your breath settle, your heartbeat quieten and your mind gradually become still.

Bring your attention to your breath and, without trying to change anything, become aware of your natural breathing pattern as it is now. Is it fast or slow? Shallow or deep? Do you take a full in-breath and completely empty your lungs when you breathe out? Remember, there’s nothing to change, just observe how you are breathing in this moment.

Become aware of any movements in your body as you breathe. Can you feel your chest lifting or your belly expanding? Maybe you notice your back presses slightly into the mat as you inhale. Start to become conscious of the micro-movements in your body as you breathe in and out.

Take your hands and place them on your lower belly, beneath your navel, with your fingertips touching and the heels of your hands resting on your hips (pictured). Allow your belly to soften, and see if you can notice it rising as you inhale and gently falling as you exhale.

Gently slide your hands to your side ribs, thumbs beneath your back, fingers wrapped round your front ribs. As you breathe, notice if you can sense any movement beneath your hands. If you’re finding it hard to feel anything, very gently draw your abdomen towards your spine. Continue for a few breaths, following your natural rhythm, and tuning in to the movement of your ribs as they respond to the action of your diaphragm.

Finally, slide your right hand back to your lower belly and your left hand up to your chest, to rest over your breastbone. Notice how your hands move as you take a few slow, deep breaths. Maybe they both move, maybe just one moves.

Now, begin to direct your breath, first filling your abdomen, then your ribs and finally your upper chest, as if you were filling a vase with water – first the base, then the middle and lastly the neck. As you exhale, reverse the process, emptying from the chest, then the ribs and lastly the belly.

Like the vase, your diaphragm and lungs are three-dimensional, so allow your breath to travel to the back and sides of your body as well as the front.

Continue in your own rhythm for a few breaths, then gently let your breathing return to normal.

OCEAN BREATH UJJAYI BREATHING Also known as Victorious breath, ujjayi breathing soothes and tones the nervous system, and energises every cell in your body.

Lie in Mountain brook pose (above), and take a few moments to allow your breathing to settle.

Gently close your eyes and gradually deepen your breathing, inhaling to a count of three and exhaling to a count of six, allowing the pause period between breaths to naturally lengthen. Consciously release any tension as you exhale, letting your body melt deeper into the mat with every breath.

Let your breathing return to normal then, in your mind’s eye, as you inhale, imagine a fine golden thread of light streaming down from the sky to enter the front of your throat. Sense it travel to the back of your throat, then, as you exhale, feel the light move from the back of your throat to the front and return up to the sky.

Continue attuning to this golden ray of light with each breath, focusing on it entering and leaving your throat. Allow your breath to be gentle and to naturally slow down. Be here for a few minutes, allowing a softness and stillness to settle around you.

Gently release this contact, then slowly and mindfully come up to a comfortable seated position, sitting on a block or bolster if your back rounds.

Allow your breath to settle once more, then continue to imagine you are drawing golden light into your throat, this time from the horizon rather than the sky. Once you sense a quietness enveloping you, continue for a few more rounds, then softly let go and let your breath return to its normal rhythm.

Maintaining the sense of softness you have found, gently open your lips and this time breathe in and out through your mouth, making a soft ‘haaa’ sound as you do so. This action slightly closes your throat, and is the central physiological action of Ocean breath. Aim to keep the quality of your breathing very gentle, so the sound would only be audible to someone sitting very close to you. Continue in this way for a few minutes then gently let it go, and softly open your eyes.

You may find yourself naturally moving into Ocean breath without thinking about it. This is quite beautiful when it happens; just trust that your body knows what itʼs doing, and is supporting your practice in the way you need.

ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING NADI SHODHANA In yogic philosphy, a nadi is an energy channel, and shodhana means to cleanse. This practice calms the nerves, stills the mind and balances the left and right sides of the body.

Sit in a comfortable position and take a moment to centre yourself. Bring your right hand to your nose, and rest the tip of your thumb on the fleshy part of your right nostril and the tips of your index and middle fingers between your eyebrows. Curl your ring and little fingers under, and rest the inside of your ring finger on your left nostril.

Close your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale fully through your right nostril. Keeping your left nostril closed, inhale fully and slowly through the right nostril. Close your right nostril with your thumb, then release your ring finger to open your left nostril and exhale slowly.

Pause, then slowly inhale through the left nostril. Close off the nostril with the ring finger. Pause, release the right nostril with your thumb, then exhale slowly and steadily through the right nostril.

This is one round. Repeat, breathing slowly and mindfully for five minutes.

BELLOWS BREATH KAPALABHATI BREATHING Also known as the Cleansing breath, this breathing exercise energises your whole body very quickly. Do not practise it if you are pregnant, menstruating or after eating.

Sit in a comfortable position and connect to your breathing for a few moments to centre yourself.

When you are ready, place your hands on your belly and draw your navel in and up as you quickly exhale through the nose. Rather than consciously breathing in, allow inhalation to happen naturally.

Repeat this pattern four to eight times, noticing your belly move in and out like a bellows beneath your hands, and ending with an out-breath. This is one cycle.

Do another three or four cycles, gradually increasing the speed of your breath, so each exhalation lasts around one second. Take a few, deep Ocean breaths (opposite) after each cycle to rest your lungs and diaphragm.

As you become more experienced, you can build up to 15–30 breaths per cycle.

GROUNDING BREATH PRANAYAMA Yogis believe that energy follows thought. I learnt this delightful practice from Alexander Filmer-lorch. It teaches you to build up a connection with your lower body and the ground beneath you, increasing your sense of security.

Sit in a comfortable position and, once youʼre centred, place your hands palm-down on your thighs. Align your spine so your shoulders are directly above your hips and allow your weight to sink down through your sitting bones.

Gently close your eyes and bring your attention to the tip of your nose. On a long, slow inhalation, travel with your mind’s eye to a point 12 fingers’ width above the crown of your head.

Pause, then, on a long, slow exhalation, imagine you’re travelling back to the crown of your head and down through the centre of your body to your tailbone. Once there, have a sense of your out-breath, attention and energy dispersing beneath you into the ground.

Pause, bring your attention back to your nose, and repeat the cycle for five to 10 minutes, travelling up to the 12-finger point on an inhale, down to the floor on an exhale. Keep your breathing very soft, and allow a stillness and peace to settle around you.

When you have finished, open your eyes and pause for a moment or two, to absorb the effects of the practice.