Dear Yoga Student,
Ever wonder why people who sleep on their side
always sleep on their RIGHT side?
It’s because laying on your right side encourages
left nostril breathing, which activates the right side
of the brain and helps you relax.
Don’t believe me? Take a survey of everyone at
your work, and you’ll see it’s true.
BREATHING EXERCISE: How to Chill Out
Our goal today is to learn how to cool the body
(generally we’re talking about internal inflammation
from stress and lame food), relax the body, and
find some focus.
So let’s get started:
BELLY BREATHING
1 – Lie down on the floor, flat on your back,
arms at your sides, palms facing up.
2 – Take your right hand at put it over your
belly button. Relax completely.
3 – Inhale completely but don’t breathe into
your chest… instead let your abdomen fill up as
much as possible (this is difficult at first).
4 – Now exhale, allowing your belly to hollow
out completely.
5 – Once you’re comfortable with this motion
(chest stays still, belly fills like a balloon, then
empties completely), now we’ll count the breaths.
6 – Inhale to the count of 1-2-3-4 *PAUSE* at the
top. Now exhale to the count of 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.
Again, inhale 1-2-3-4… *pause*… exhale 8-7-6-5-
4-3-2-1.
Do 10 rounds and then rest.
CHEST BREATHING
1 – Lie down on the floor, flat on your back,
arms at your sides, palms facing up.
2 – Take your right hand at put it over your
belly button. Relax completely.
3 – Inhale completely don’t let your belly move,
instead your chest fills and rises up toward your
chin (this is usually easier than the previous
exercise).
4 – Now exhale, allowing your chest to fall toward
the floor.
5 – Once you’re comfortable with this motion
(belly still, chest inflating and deflating), now we’ll
count the breaths.
6 – Inhale to the count of 1-2-3-4 *PAUSE* at the
top, chest bulging. Now exhale to the count of 8-7-
6-5-4-3-2-1.
Again, inhale 1-2-3-4… *pause*… exhale 8-7-6-5-
4-3-2-1.
Do 10 rounds and then rest.
HOW THIS WORKS
A handful of scientists (and a boatload of yogis) have
studied this 1-to-2 ratio breathing pattern (here we
did 4 to 8… same ratio), and what they’ve discovered
is that by simply extending the exhale, it stimulates
that vagus nerve and immediately has acalming effective
on the body.
Is there more to learn?
Of course, but these two simple exercises take about
5 minutes to learn and you can do them anytime,
anywhere (as long as your boss doesn’t catch you lying
on the floor under your cubicle with your finger under
your nose… that would be a tough one to explain).
Stay bendy,
Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC
Yoga Practice Tools
p.s. Ideally, breathing is done on a empty stomach.
Right after you wake up or right before bed are ideal
times. 10 rounds of each practice will take you 10-15
minutes and you’ll feel the shift, energetically, right
away (at night, it’s great for knocking yourself out
too…).
Got Questions? Post them below.
at 11:01 pm - 7th August 2010 Permalink
This breathing exercise taught me a lot though I am having difficulties at the start of the steps. Step three of belly breathing almost made me stop, I find it hard. But I think it is part of disciplining my self. I am still in the belly breathing exercise for now. Thank you for the helpful post!
at 8:02 am - 12th August 2010 Permalink
This breathing exercises are really great, it keeps me relax and freed me from stress. Without a doubt this is really the reason why yoga breathing is so helpful to its practitioners.
at 8:39 am - 11th November 2010 Permalink
Breathing exercise the right way can really relieve stress and helps you perform at your best.