Yogic breathing, or pranayama, revitalises the entire body, balances the emotions and promotes clarity of mind. All the breathing exercises described here are performed sitting down, keeping the spine, neck and head in a straight line. This will facilitate the flow of prana and create the space for the lungs to expand more fully
Full yogic breathing
Sit cross-legged (sitting on a cushion relieves tension in the lower back and knees). Place one hand on the ribcage, the other on the abdomen. Keep your back straight, chin parallel to the floor and shoulders relaxed.
Make sure that you breathe through your nose with your mouth closed. Inhale slowly, feeling the abdomen expanding first, then the ribcage, and finally feel the air filling the entire chest area.
As you exhale, the air will leave the lower lungs first, then the ribcage area, and lastly the chest. Check that you fill your entire lungs with air and that your breathing is slow, rhythmic and deep.
Breathe for life
According to yogic belief, life expectancy is linked to the frequency of respiration. The tortoise, which is a reptile, breathes very slowly and lives a long life. A small mammal, such as a rat, breathes faster and has a much shorter life. If we can learn to slow down our breathing, yogis believe that we can add years onto our lives.
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