Pranayama
Most people tend to take shallow breaths or simply breathe into their chests. But did you know that you’re actually supposed to breathe deep into your abdomen? Diaphragmatic breathing is the correct way to breathe. It pulls more air into your body with every inhale, allowing more energy to pass through you.
Practicing this Kundalini yoga pranayama will train your respiratory muscles to take deeper breaths, filling you with more life-giving oxygen with every inhale and more energy to help your body’s natural healing abilities. Long deep breathing pranayama is one of the basic breathing techniques you’ll need to master before building on it for more advanced techniques.
Benefits of Long Deep Breathing
Helps to calm and centre your mind
Aids circulatory and respiratory issues
Helps fight depression
Aids in breaking subconscious habit patterns such as insecurities and fear
Reduces and prevents toxin build-up in the lungs and cleanses the blood
Reduces stress and stimulates healing (both emotionally and physically)
Releases blockages in the meridian energy channels
Re-channels pre-conditioned beliefs
Increases energy and enhances intuition
How to do Long Deep Breathing Pranayama
You can practice long deep breathing sitting up on the floor, sitting on a chair, or lying down (this is best for beginners). Choose a comfortable position for you, then place your left hand on your belly and right hand on your chest to feel the movement of your diaphragm. Let this be your starting position.
Long deep breathing pranayama uses the full capacity of your lungs. You will inhale with an Abdominal Breath, Chest Breath, then Clavicle Breath all with one inhale. You will then exhale in the reverse order.
Directions
- Get into your starting position.
- Begin with an Abdominal Breath and start filling your abdomen with your inhale. Remember to breathe through your nose. You should feel your left hand start to rise, but your right hand should not.
- Next, start to fill your chest with a Chest Breath. You should feel your right hand start to rise.
- Then, continue to inhale and fill your ribs and clavicle with a Clavicle Breath. You should feel your rib cage continue to rise until your lungs are completely full.
- Now, start to exhale. You start the exhale by relaxing the clavicle first. Then, slowly let the air out from your chest. Finally, release all the air from your abdomen.
- Continue for 26 breaths, or if you are just starting out, start by doing this exercise for 3 minutes, then gradually build it up to 31 minutes.
