Breath: The Key to Life and Yoga

Before we begin, take a moment and find a comfortable space to sit and relax.

Then close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath through the nose with your mouth closed — really get into it.

In this moment, nothing from the outside world matters.

As you inhale, be aware of how your diaphragm (the muscle on the bottom of your ribcage) moves downward, creating space for the air to fill your lungs. What does the air feel like as it flows past the tiny hairs in your nostrils called cilia?

As you slowly exhale through your nose or mouth, feel your tensions melting into a relaxed state of Being.

Repeat this a couple of times.

Remember to open your eyes afterwards, breathe normally, and keep reading…

Although this is a simple breathing exercise, it underscores the importance of breath as a bridge to improving your well-being and mastering your yoga practice. Unfortunately, many people take breathing for granted, seeing it as an involuntary function of the human body that helps to keep them alive.

Indeed, the ´breath of life’ is essential. As you breathe, the lungs, diaphragm, and other respiratory muscles work together to move oxygen from the air into the bloodstream, providing cells with the needed oxygen to function and remove carbon dioxide, and produce energy. The respiratory system also warms and moisturizes the air we breathe to match our body temperature and balance the body’s humidity level. It also functions to:

• Protect the body from harmful particles we breathe in.

• Balance the body’s acidity level by removing excessive carbon dioxide.

• What you may not know is that breathing contributes to how you smell. Inhaling moves air molecules past the olfactory nerve, signaling your brain about the way something smells.

Breathing from your chest or diaphragm, which is better?

In general, the lungs in your chest and the diaphragm both go into action during the breathing process as part of the respiratory system. The diaphragm is the large muscle located beneath the lungs that creates the necessary pressure for air to flow in and out of the lungs. When we breathe normally and inhale, the diaphragm contracts and moves downward, allowing the chest to expand into the extra space needed so air can get into the lungs. When exhaling, the diaphragm relaxes to decrease space in the chest cavity, causing the lungs to contract and push out carbon dioxide. So, they work together so you can breathe.

However, there is a difference between chest breathing and diaphragm breathing. A lot of people are unaware that they tend to use less of their diaphragm when breathing and breathe more from the chest. Over time, this can decrease the diaphragm’s muscle power, causing you to rely heavily on chest breathing.

• Heavy chest breathing doesn’t allow for enough air to enter the lungs. While helpful in short bursts, like in intense physical exercise, prolonged chest breathing can lead to poor oxygenation, muscle strain, and tension in the neck and shoulders.

• Breathing from your diaphragm into your lungs helps the respiratory function by improving your lung capacity and oxygen exchange. It can also calm the nervous system and reduce stress and anxiety while balancing your heart rate and blood pressure.

  
  

Diaphragmatic breathing and breathwork when practicing yoga

Diaphragmatic breathing (also known as abdominal or belly breathing) is an important part of yoga. It involves actively engaging the diaphragm to breathe more deeply and increase oxygen intake, working in conjunction with various asanas (postures). Breathwork, or Pranayama, is more than just a br

eathing technique used during styles like Hatha, Vinyasa, or Restorative Yoga — it is one of the core foundations of traditional yoga itself. Practicing diaphragmatic breathing alongside asanas helps deepen your practice, calm the mind, and strengthen the connection between body and breath.

If you’d like to explore breathwork practices that reduce stress, calm the nervous system, and deepen your connection to yourself, I invite you to explore our FREE Stress Relief Method or the full program Master Your Breath, Master Your Life , with Lifetime Access.

Breathwork, or pranayama, is vital in yoga. It improves your physical and mental well-being, connects your mind and body, and optimizes movement within various poses. It also improves oxygen flow and regulates the nervous system while reducing stress.

It also supports your yoga journey by:

• Helping to smoothly transition into different poses.

• Bringing you into a state of mindfulness, presence, and awareness.

• Releasing tension and imbalances in the body while calming the nervous system and promoting relaxation.

• Increasing your oxygen intake and improving blood circulation.

Your breath carries the life force energy called Prana in Sanskrit or Qi in Chinese. Breathwork helps to facilitate the flow of Prana and purify the body’s energy channels.

Here are some of the benefits of different pranayama techniques:

• Ujjayi breath — Involves inhaling and exhaling through the nose, creating a slight constriction in the throat to create a sound (like the sound of the wind or ocean). It promotes relaxation and focus.

• Nadi Shodhana — Inhale through one nostril while closing the other, then exhale through the opposite nostril, and repeat. This helps balance the brain’s left and right hemispheres, reducing stress and promoting calmness.

• Kapalabhati breath — A forceful, rapid breath involving forceful exhalations through the nose, followed by passive inhalations. This can help clear the respiratory system, stimulate abdominal organs, and aid in detoxification.

• Bhramari (Humming Bee breath) — Exhale through the nose while making a humming sound like a bee. This breathing technique calms the mind and reduces stress.

• Sitali and Sitkari (Cooling breaths) — In Sitali, you inhale through a rolled tongue. Inhaling through clenched teeth is called Sitkari. These breathing techniques can help reduce body heat and improve digestion.

The ´breath of life´ is not only key to your health. Breathwork is valuable in cultivating your yoga practice. It also supports developing deeper states of connection, presence, and well-being in your life.

Ready to explore your breath further? Try 5 rounds of Nadi Shodhana right now and notice how your mind feels afterwards.