Breathing control is a crucial part of the practice of yoga.
Breath control has been used across the world for thousands of years, perhaps originating with yoga practitioners, for whom it comprises a major part of their spiritual and physical practice. Today, it is used by people in diverse ways. Hunters use it to keep still, singers use it to perfect their art, scuba divers use it to help them dive deeper, and people with anxiety problems use it to keep themselves calm. Across the many breathing techniques adapted for specific purposes, the basic principles remain the same.
Yoga Breathing
Pranayama, or yoga breathing, is an integral part of the proper practice of yoga. It is widely acknowledged by yoga masters that without proper breathing technique, you cannot benefit fully from the exercise. In pranayama, one breath cycle consists of a smooth inhale, a pause, a smooth but active exhale, and a pause. The inhale should have no breaks in it, and the exhale should involve muscular action, meaning you force the air out, instead of simply letting it go. The pauses should involve only your breathing muscles; the rest of your body must remain still. This technique brings more oxygen to the blood and brain and is said to help control your life energy.
Relaxation Breathing
Relaxation breathing, to prevent stress or anxiety, is similar to yoga breathing. Breath control for relaxation means, most importantly, deep breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing. Breathing in this manner allows fuller oxygen exchange, which in turn slows your heartbeat and lowers your blood pressure. To control your breath in this way, you must breathe in slowly through your nose, letting your lower belly and chest rise until your abdomen is completely expanded and your lungs are full. When breathing out, you can do it through your nose or mouth, whichever feels more natural.
Cadence Breathing
Cadence breathing is a method used by many athletes, notably swimmers and runners, who use their system of breathing as part of their form. In either sport, erratic breathing can hurt your performance and make you feel out of control. To avoid feeling like this as you run, choose a breathing pattern. For instance, if you are "2-2," you inhale on left foot-right foot, and then exhale on left foot-right foot. You can pick a pattern that makes you comfortable, but stick with it throughout your run. All breathing you do while running must be belly breathing and performed through your mouth, not your nose. Swimmers do something similar, but they breathe on strokes. Pick a stroke pattern and stick to it. Breathe actively, as you do in yoga breathing, and switch sides evenly.
Singing Breath Control
Breath control in singing is crucial to help singers maintain pitch and keep the music going without breaks at inappropriate points. Singers must perform breath control exercises on a daily basis to strengthen their diaphragm and increase their lung capacity. To strengthen your diaphragm, inhale fully into your abdomen and exhale forcibly. Repeat this exercise. You can also hiss the air for as long as you can after you inhale into your abdomen. As you practice this more, you will be able to hiss air out for a longer period of time as your lung capacity and the strength of your diaphragm increases. While singing, practice something similar and stick to the marked breaths as much as you can. This may be difficult at first, but will get easier with time.
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