Breath awareness gives you a tool to work with your mind.
Breathing and Asana
When we focus on breathing during yoga practice, our breath control changes due to the fact that we are aware of breathing. It is only when we become aware that magic takes place. The mind will become calmer and a state awareness will appear.
Emotionally and energetically
As a result, emotional stress and random thoughts are less likely to occur. So, basically, the whole system gets a break. Energy, prana, begins to flow more freely, pushing through any emotional and physical blockages and thus releasing the body and mind. Which results in a good effect after a yoga practice. Therefore, we can say with certainty that breathing has an intimate relationship with the general movement of prana (vital energy) throughout the body.
In physical practice, breathing is connected to the alignment and patterns in which we maintain, perceive, and move the body. Breath awareness can eliminate joint compression and other imbalances in posture, being the foundation for moving smoothly in the practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa.
Breath and mind
Breathing gives us a tool with which we can explore the more subtle structures of our mental and emotional world. When your breath changes, it tells you that something is going on in your mind. When something happens in your mind, such as a disturbing thought, for example, your breath will reflect it back to you in your body.
You will then understand that because the breath and the mind are so connected, awareness and attention to the breath can lead to a perspective on the nature of the mind. Knowledge of the nature of the mind ultimately leads to the release of physical suffering.
Regardless of styles and teachers, the moment when you inhale and exhale during asanas has become a fairly standardized practice.
Before you bend over, exhale. When you exhale, your lungs become empty, making your torso more compact so that there is less physical mass between your upper and lower body. Heart rate also slows down on exhalation, making it less active than inhalation and inducing a relaxing response. Because bending is usually a relaxing posture, this breathing rule increases the energy effects of posture and the depth of the fold.
When you lift or open your chest, inhale. In a heart-opening backbend, for example, you increase the space in the chest cavity, giving the lungs, chest, and diaphragm more space to fill in with air. And the heart rate accelerates on inspiration, increasing alertness and pumping more blood into the muscles. Positions that lift and open the chest are often energizing components of the practice.
When you twist, exhale. In torsions, inhaling accompanies the posture preparation phase (elongation of the spine), and exhaling is associated with the twisting action. From a postural point of view, this is because as your lungs are empty, there is more physical space available so that your rib cage rotates even more. But the twists are also appreciated for their detoxifying effects, and expiration is the mechanism of cleansing the breath to remove carbon dioxide.
If you hold your breathe on your yoga mat, know that you are not the only one doing this. It’s like the classic Cinderella story. Pranayama is often overlooked, while her beautiful sister, Asana, is the guest of honor in yoga studios. Give her a chance to breathe and you’ll realize she’s the real queen.
Here are 3 pranayama breathing techniques:
Ujjayi’s breath
This type of pranayama is usually done in association with asana, unlike some of the other forms of pranayama. Ujjayi breathing is the type of breathing used in a dynamic Vinyasa / Ashtanga style of practice. Close the back of your neck, like whispering something. You should now feel the flow of air moving through the back of your neck. Keep your mouth shut while you do this. The sound of your breath will resemble the sound of the wind through the trees or the sound of the ocean waves. The inhale and exhale are equal, long, slow and with sound.
Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (nasal breathing, alternative)
This practice of alternating between right and left nostrils, as you inhale and exhale, unblocks and purifies the nadis which, in the yogic faith, are energy channels. From a sitting position, with the eyes closed or fixed on the floor, you raise the right hand and place the index finger and middle finger in the space between the eyebrows. Keep your thumb on your right nostril without putting too much pressure, but enough to block the air. Inhale through your left nostril and count to 3 in your mind, cover your left nostril with the ring finger, and exhale through your right nostril. Maintains a 1: 1 ratio, that is, inhaling equals exhaling. Then inhale on the right nostril, cover and exhale on the left. This is a cycle, practice at least ten.
Kapalabhati Pranayama (Breath of Fire)
This fast breathing technique is energizing and activates the sympathetic nervous system. To start, inhale completely and deeply and exhale, quickly pulling on your lower abdomen to force the air out in short bursts. The inhaling will be passive between each active, fast exhalation. 25-30 exhalations are recommended.