Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)

When I told a few people I was going to be writing something on the breath for this website, their reaction was either one of stunned silence or a raising of eyebrows.  This reaction is perhaps typical of a Western culture attitude towards something so second nature it is often overlooked in importance and as such taken for granted.  And yet we know the breath is fundamental to life and without it, we die.  That is where the stunning silence should have come in when the profundity of the sentence sunk into the listener!

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The benefits of breath and its life-giving properties are little understood here in the West by most people.  This is not so in the East.  There the breath of life is revered.  So much so there are even monasteries where much of their study is based on breathing and control of the breath is attributed to many 'miracles' carried out by experienced yogis.  This is pranayama.  For those more familiar with Wim Hoff and his breathing technique for alkalinising the body, it is pranayama in its original form. 

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So what is breath?  We know it is vital for sustaining life. Without it, we die - a sobering thought indeed. And why is there such a difference between the Eastern and Western attitudes to it?

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In the West, our focus is on the tangible matter.  Our science and medicine are preoccupied with the physical.  We predominantly treat the physical symptoms rather than look at the source of the issue or indeed the mental matter of the issue/illness.  In contrast, the East focuses on the mind/matter relationship of the issue/illness. We know that the physical/mental worlds are embodied by yoga. 

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Beyond this is the higher levels of consciousness; an awareness outside the thought process that can be reached by meditation.  There is, however, a vital link relating the body and the mind and that of higher consciousness - that of energy.  In Sanskrit, this is called prana.  But what has this got to do with breathing? 

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It is simply this: without this energy, we die.  Can you see a connection? The breath, to quote Swami Rama, Rudolph Ballentine and Alan Hymes in their book,  Science of Breath is the "vehicle for prana."  This pranic force is sometimes referred to as our subtle body made up of channels called nadis through which energy flows.

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The aforementioned authors sum the process up perfectly when they say, "Breathing brings in oxygen for fuel and energy exchange.  Its rate and rhythm, its course and depth, all have an effect on the way the body is energised."  This is the crux of the matter of the breath.  If the body has a poor supply of pranic energy, from a poor supply of breath, it will sicken.  So the quality of the breath affects the physical body.  This is where the physical/mental relationship is vital.  Prana is controlled by what the Upanishads describe as manomaya kosha or mental body.  

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So bringing our breath into our awareness is key to health and vitality.  If we are mindful of our breath, we are therefore mindful of what our physical body needs to function well.  Perhaps that is why the yoga breath is called Ujjayi Pranayama or 'Victorious Breath' as it is the main component of the vinyasa - the synchronicity of breath and movement.  Revered yogi, David Swenson, says "maintain awareness upon your breath and every moment becomes a meditation."  The breath is the lifeline that provides energy, movement and meditation and thus our ultimate health.  And as such, the physical and mental benefits of breath cannot be underestimated.  

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Ujjayi breathing requires practice.  It is a slight constriction of the glottis (the upper opening of the larynx) by partially closing it with the epiglottis which is part of the throat that acts like a door.  When we swallow, it closes and opens when we breathe. By partially closing the epiglottis, we stretch the breath which makes a hissing noise.  The vocal cords are not involved and should not be used to 'fake' this sound.  We hear this sound throughout our practice and by listening to it, it draws our attention inward, thereby providing a form of meditation as outlined by the aforementioned, David Swenson.  

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The sound of the breath can tell us how we are doing in a posture also.  If the breath is laboured, short or strained then our attitude to the posture needs checking.  We may be pushing ourselves into the posture because of our ego rather than our ability.  A gentle, smooth, rhythmic sound indicates we are gently easing ourselves into the posture or using the breath to reach that bit more (but comfortably) into the posture.   

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The flow of breath through the respiratory process is required for all functions of our body and mind.  Every cell in a living organism needs a constant source of energy.  This energy is created by the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats into the fuel which is then burned with oxygen from the respiration process to release energy.  The respiratory system is made up of such organs as our nose, lungs, circulatory system etc. all act to provide every cell in our body with oxygen and thus energy.  It is true to say then, that if any one of these organs were to change in some way, so then would the energy in the body.

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So if the quality of breath is key then that would explain the use of unusual nasal cleansing processes such as Jala Neti or water cleansing of the nostrils and Sutra Neti or string cleansing of the nostrils in yoga. (I might go into detail about these in another post - but they are not necessarily pleasant but certainly worth looking up as their benefits are amazing!)  Breath does not flow through both the nostrils equally.  This is due to structures called turbinates which are situated on either side of the septum and regulate the pathway of airflow.  They are covered in mucus membrane which expands and contracts thereby changing the airflow and thus the reason why the breath through each nostril is uneven.   You will know this effect in full force when you have a cold.  Yoga breathing techniques aim to equalise this flow of air through the nostrils through these cleansing techniques and the practice of Nadi Shodhanam.  

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Research has shown that the flow of air over the turbinites triggers neural responses that create reflexes throughout the body.  And so the nervous system is affected.  This was known to the ancient sages and that is probably why so much emphasis is placed on the breath in yoga and why yogic breathing techniques were invented.  

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So it is clear that we need good quality breathing but how exactly do we do this?  What is the Complete Yoga Breath?

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The torso is divided into three areas; the thorax (chest), the abdomen which is separated from the thorax by the diaphragm and the pelvis.  The spine and ribcage provide the structural support and framework.  There are three types of breathing; thoracic (chest), diaphragmatic and clavicular. Employing all three make up the complete yoga breath.  

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Most people tend to use chest breathing most of the time which is due to our flight or fight instinct.  Their breathing is quick, shallow and irregular and creates a chaotic thought process.  With chest breathing, the lower part of the lungs get insufficient oxygen and therefore insufficient energy.  Chest breathing fills the upper and middle parts of the lungs but is inefficient with the lower part.

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Diaphragmatic breathing pushes the abdomen out as the diaphragm pushes downwards as we inhale (which is not always seen as fashionable in our body-conscious society!) and pushes upwards as we exhale.  Large amounts of blood circulate in the lower lungs.  This is a very efficient way of breathing.  As oxygen is carried around the body by the blood as well as carbon dioxide, it is of paramount importance that all areas of the lungs are utilised fully with proper breathing.  Diaphragmatic breathing is the best type of breathing for everyday usage.  It has been seen in studies to help with hypertension and anxiety.  In contrast, chest breathing seems to exacerbate these conditions. 

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Clavicular breathing involves the very top of the lungs when the clavicles (collarbones) pull up expanding the top of the thoracic cylinder.  This happens when there is great demand for oxygen such as when participating in particularly strenuous exercise.

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We should breathe evenly into the full area of the lungs allowing our ribcage to expand which in turn exercises the intercostal muscles.  The external intercostals move the ribs upward and forward increasing the diameter of the chest allowing the lungs to expand and vice versa with the internal intercostals.  By keeping these muscles strong, the blood flow around the thorax is good.  If this blood supply is poor due to shallow breathing and slouching, the coronary and pulmonary disease can set in. Slouching leads to the rectus abdominus becoming relaxed which in turn lets the pubic bone drop which tilts the pelvis forward causing back problems and abdominal issues.  When the muscles surrounding this area are not used through effective breathing, they lose the ability to support this area and the thoracic organs are not massaged which leaves them vulnerable to disease. 

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By increasing our volume of breath, we are increasing the amount of oxygen for the body and therefore energy and as we exhale more deeply, we are releasing more toxins.  These toxins can be mental and emotional in the form of jealousy, anger, fear, thoughts of conflict etc. to physical and environmental toxins such as metabolic waste, nicotine, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide etc.  These toxins are stored in areas where there is little oxygen, usually around the joints and fat tissue.  If the toxins are left unchecked chronic disease sets in.  Therefore, if we breathe correctly we are well on our way to a more healthy condition. 

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Thus the complete yoga breath starts with the contraction of the diaphragm expanding the lower ribs and upper abdomen filling the lower lungs. Next, the thoracic phase kicks in filling the middle part of the lungs and then a further inhalation of air stimulates the clavicles thereby satisfying the very top part of the lungs.  An interesting fact is that on the exhalation, no muscle power is required.  The body simply relaxes and the area deflates as if by magic.  The intercostal muscles can speed up or deepen the exhalation but they are not necessary for the exhalation of air.

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In a nutshell, the complete yoga breath can be defined by observing our breathing and replacing the shallow breath with deep, rhythmic breathing filling the whole of the lungs giving huge benefits to both mind and body.  The body is getting all it needs to function at its optimum through the pranic energy brought about by the breath bringing in oxygen into the bloodstream and expelling carbon dioxide as well as the toxins that lead to disease.  When the breath is calm, the mind is calm, the road to our Atman merging with Brahman (according to the Vedantist School of thought) becomes more real - the self-realisation of the Self - the ultimate goal of yoga. 

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Mastering the complete yoga breath will help us live a more healthy existence and perhaps enable all of us aspiring yogis to perform our own 'miracles.'  With such a tempting thought, we can no longer be so dismissive about something so fundamental. 

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