Turns out there is A LOT more to breathing than meets the eye. The 4th Limb of yoga teaches us to control the breath to various effects. I couldn't begin to list all the various pranayama breath work here, but I'll cover some basic info and you can Google for more info and instruction (YouTube has some great videos) -- which I find essential. It's hard to figure out on your own.
But let's start with what we know: Breathing happens automatically. We don't even think about it. The lower brainstem initiates and controls our unconscious breath -- in/out, in/out.
But we can override this automatic breath by consciously choosing to breathe in a different pattern, by engaging the diaphragm and using "belly breathing" where the inhale causes the belly to expand (not the chest) and exhale with belly pulled in.
If we are fearful, angry, or agitated our breath will naturally be shallow and fast. This helps us to run from danger! But do we need to run? Are we maybe just stressed over being late or losing our car keys, by a difficult conversation or an emotional shock? It might be time to see if there is real danger involved that necessitates our physical response (the autonomic nervous system kicking in). If not, we can calm these emotions by slowing and deepening the breath and soon, voila!, our very emotions are changed or at least calmed from frantic to easeful. We've engaged the "rest and restore" parasympathetic nervous system and can think clearly again to solve the problem and make a plan.
Using our breath to change and control emotions is like having a Secret Super Power!
This is pranayama at its basic level. From there you can experiment with various breath patterns to differing effects. It gets rather technical to learn the 4 parts of the breath (inhale, hold after inhale, exhale, hold after exhale), to learn your unique threshold (how many breaths per minute and how long on each side of the breath and then working to increase the threshold), then to begin to manipulate these basics to breathe with intention -- perhaps to energize, to calm, or to find balance.
Calming breath work would involve various breath patterns that feature a longer exhale than inhale. The opposite is true of an energizing breath which would have a longer inhale than exhale. Balanced breathing, obviously, would seek to have inhale and exhale of equal length.
Some techniques use sound as a component; some utilize closing opposite nostrils on inhale and exhale, some sound a lot like panting. All of them have profound physiological effects and benefits.
Does it take particular expertise to do this pranayama practice? No. Just experimentation and practice. Everyone will find the breath that works for them to support their intention. Sometimes we need to calm ourselves for meditation. Sometimes we need to energize ourselves for a vigorous asana practice, or a big meeting at work! Sometimes we just want to find some balance in life through the breath.
If you attend a yoga class you might find the instructor focuses on a pranayama practice for a portion of the class. But even if it isn't a separate segment of the class, pranayama is always there as the breath is linked to the movement of the pose. In the Viniyoga yoga tradition this is a very important component of asana practice. Each movement is paired with an inhale (usually on an expansive part of a pose, like stretching upward), and with an exhale (usually on a closing-in part of the pose, as in a Forward Fold.) See if your teacher cues the breath as you move through the poses. This is excellent preparation for a pranayama practice to follow the asana practice.
I hope this 4th Limb of Yoga is part of your practice. It's important to Keep Breathing!
Namaste, donnajurene
Photo credit: classroomclipart.com
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