Full breathing in yoga. Correct technique of three-frequency breathing of yogis

Before we move directly to full yogic breathing, let's first look at its individual components - this will help us master yogic breathing in the right way.

Natural breathing

Awareness of your natural breathing is the very first step towards mastering pranayama- yogic breathing system.

Here simple technique, thanks to which your breathing will become more conscious. It promotes general relaxation and slows down the respiratory rhythm (it is believed that increased breathing leads to a shortening of life).

In fact, nothing complicated. Sit in a comfortable place and in a comfortable position. You can even lie down in Shavasana and completely relax.

Now simply observe (or better yet, contemplate) your breathing without trying to interfere with it. Try to feel the rhythmic flow of your breathing, the way the air flows through your nostrils - as you inhale and as you exhale.

The main thing here: namely passively observing your own breathing, without controlling it or interfering with it.

Notice that as you inhale the air is cooler and as you exhale it is warmer. Feel the air enter the nostrils, flow down the back of the nasopharynx, pass through the throat, then down to the chest through the trachea, and finally fill the lungs. Feel your lungs expanding as the air enters them. Focus on expanding and relaxing your lungs and the surrounding ribcage.

Shift your attention to your stomach. Feel how it protrudes as you inhale and contracts as you exhale.

Maintain attention throughout the entire process, from the entry of air into the nostrils to the exit of it, then again and again. Be aware of this natural harmony in the rhythm of your breathing.

Bring your attention back to the awareness of your whole body as a whole, and open your eyes.

This simple practice can be done anywhere, anytime. It is advisable to keep your eyes closed. You can spend 3-5 minutes on it or as you wish.

The next important stage in mastering yogi breathing is proper breathing with the stomach (diaphragm). In this case, we activate the diaphragm and the ribs move minimally.

The diaphragm is a bulbous muscle that separates the lungs and the abdominal cavity. When it works correctly, we breathe optimally. The ability to feel and control the diaphragm muscle will come with practice.

During inhalation, the diaphragm moves down, pushing the contents down and out abdominal cavity. During exhalation, it rises, lifting and drawing in behind it internal organs.

Why is this necessary?

Using the diaphragm when breathing allows you to use the lower lobes of the lungs. The alveoli expand evenly, lymphatic drainage from the basal parts of the lungs improves, the liver, stomach, intestines and other organs that are located directly under the diaphragm are massaged. Positive influence affects the functioning of the heart and blood supply system, improving blood flow and oxygen exchange.

Belly breathing is the most natural and efficient look breathing. Why don't we usually breathe like this? The reason must be sought in, poor posture, tight clothing and lack of physical activity. But as soon as we start breathing from the belly again, our mental and physical health improves significantly.

Belly breathing: technique

Lie on your back in Shavasana pose. Relax completely.

Direct your attention to free and natural breathing, but do not try to control it. Let it flow unhindered as it is.

After a while, put your palm right hand on the stomach, just above the navel, and left palm- in the center of the chest.

The right palm will move up as you inhale and down as you exhale. There should be no tension in the stomach. Don't force his movements. As you breathe, simply feel your belly expanding and contracting in rhythm with your inhalations and exhalations. Try not to expand your chest or move your shoulders.

Continue to breathe slowly and deeply. Inhale, expanding your belly as much as possible without affecting your chest. In the final phase of inhalation, the diaphragm will press on the stomach, and the navel will be in highest point rise.

As you exhale, the diaphragm rises toward the lungs and the abdomen descends (retracts).

At the end of exhalation, the abdomen contracts and the navel moves towards the spine.

Image Source: Bihar School of Yoga

Do this breathing exercise for 2-3 minutes.

Yogi breathing: chest breathing technique

Chest breathing uses the middle lobes of the lungs due to the expansion and contraction of the ribs (or rather, the space between them). Compared to belly breathing, this type of breathing requires more energy for the same volume of air.

It usually occurs during physical activity, tension, stress - i.e. in cases where the body needs more oxygen.

However, many people continue to have a tendency to constantly breathe through the chest, even when the tension has long passed. As a result, a not entirely healthy breathing habit develops, leading to unnecessary tension.

Take a comfortable meditative pose (or just a sitting one, for example), or even Shavasana, and completely relax.

For some time, observe the natural flow of your breathing, directing your attention to side surfaces chest.

Stop using your diaphragm and begin inhaling, slowly expanding your chest.

Feel how individual ribs move, how their expansion causes the lungs to take in air. Expand your chest as much as possible.

Relax your chest muscles to exhale. Feel how its contraction pushes the air out of your lungs.

Breathe slowly and deeply, being fully aware of the entire process. Don't use aperture.

Continue breathing through your chest for several minutes, pausing briefly between each inhalation and exhalation.

Clavicular breathing

This is the final stage of full expansion of the chest - it is used when air has already filled the entire chest area (see the previous type of breathing). In order to force a little more air into the lungs, we raise the upper ribs of the chest and collarbone. Thus, the upper lobes of the lungs are filled with fresh air.

IN Everyday life Clavicular breathing occurs only with excessive physical stress, as well as with obstructive airway diseases (such as asthma).

Technique

Lie down in Shavasana and relax. Perform chest breathing for several minutes.

Inhale, fully expanding your chest. When you have reached the maximum in its expansion, inhale a little more until you feel expansion in the upper part of the lungs, at the base of the neck. At the same time, your shoulders and collarbones also rise slightly. It may take some effort at first to get it all going.

Exhale slowly, first lowering and relaxing top part chest, then other areas. Repeat several times, observing how such breathing makes you feel.

Essentially, this is proper deep breathing through the nose, which combines all three previous techniques. Thanks to it, you achieve maximum inhalation and exhalation. For what? To gain control over your breathing, correct bad habits in connection with it, and increase the efficiency of oxygen exchange in the lungs.

Yogic deep breathing can be practiced at any time, but it is especially useful during stress and anger, because... Great for calming the nerves.

If you include it in your daily yoga practice, it will optimize and deepen your breathing. However, in itself it should not be executed on permanent basis (so as not to disrupt the natural breathing control programs inherent in the body by nature).

Technique full breath yoga includes all three types of breathing described above.

Sit in a comfortable meditative position, or lie down in Shavasana and relax your whole body.

Inhale slowly and deeply, expanding your belly completely. Try to breathe so slowly that you can't hear the sound of your breathing.

Feel the air filling the lower lobes of your lungs.

When your belly is full, begin to expand and lift your chest. When you reach the limit, inhale a little more so that the air reaches the upper parts of the lungs. At the same time, you slightly raise your collarbones and shoulders. Some tension will be felt in the neck muscles.

All other muscles of the body should be relaxed.

When air fills the upper lobes of the lungs, it will be the end of one full breath. The entire process of inhalation, from the belly to the collarbones, must be performed in the form of a single action, where each phase gradually and smoothly passes into the next, and the transitions themselves are almost imperceptible. There should be no sudden movements or unnecessary tension. Your breath should resemble wave progress: from the stomach to the very top, to the collarbones.

Now begin to exhale, also in the form of a smooth wave-like movement.

First, relax your lower neck and upper chest. Then allow the ribcage itself to fall down and inward. Next, the diaphragm moves towards the chest, and the stomach relaxes and retracts.

Try to free your lungs as much as possible from the air, but without overexerting yourself - this can be achieved by drawing in your stomach at the end of the exhalation.

The entire movement of exhalation should be harmonious and, like inhalation, resemble a wave.

After you finish exhaling, hold your breath for a few seconds. This is one cycle of full yogic breathing.

How long to perform proper full breathing?

At first, do 5 to 10 cycles of full yogic breathing at a time. Gradually increase the total duration to 10 minutes per day.

Comment

Full yogic breathing is used in most pranayamas. The main condition for this is that your breathing should be relaxed and comfortable. Therefore, once you have learned to control and be aware of your breathing, you stop doing the clavicular stage, and leave only the chest and belly breathing stages. Your breathing should flow naturally and effortlessly.

Why do you need full yogic breathing?

It serves as the basis for many pranayamas (yoga breathing exercises). When you master it, it will, to a certain extent, turn into a habit - the habit of breathing correctly and optimally. But what will this give?

• Firstly, metabolism will improve (and this will improve digestion, immunity, and weight normalization).
• Secondly, you will become healthier (and your skin and hair will look better).
• Thirdly, you will be less stressed and various diseases(especially those related to breathing, such as colds and asthma).
• Fourthly, you will be less tired and think better (after all, your metabolism will become more efficient).
• Fifthly, there will be less worries in your life, because... breathing directly affects nervous system and mind, giving you more balance.

This is the full breathing of yogis and the technique of performing it. Even if you do not do any other pranayamas, this breath alone will give you a lot of benefits.

The best way to beat stress is to avoid it. Yogic breathing techniques - pranayama - can help you.

Try to observe how you breathe in different situations for a couple of days. You will notice that during excitement or an outburst of anger, breathing becomes rapid, and involuntary breath holding may even occur. What happens to the body? With shortness of breath, the load on the heart increases, blood circulation is disrupted, internal organs receive insufficient oxygen, tension occurs in the muscles, spasms, increased blood pressure, and headaches are possible.

To stop all this imbalance, you need to normalize your breathing. If you are feeling very nervous, take a few deep breaths in and out - this will slow your heart rate, normalize blood flow and saturate your organs and tissues with oxygen. After a couple of minutes, the overall tension will subside.

Try practicing calming and restorative breathing techniques every day, for at least 10–15 minutes.

Performing full yogic breathing

Yogis' full breathing is the basis of many pranayamas. And in itself it is a useful procedure. It activates the entire respiratory system, forcing the lungs to work at 100% capacity.

Starting position - Sukhasana (crossed legs), Siddhasana (deeper version, with knees on the floor) or Vajrasana (sitting on the heels). The main thing is to keep your back straight in all poses!

Breathing consists of 3 parts: abdominal (lower), thoracic (middle) and clavicular (upper).

Abdominal breathing

This is breathing in which the stomach moves forward as you inhale, and inward as you exhale. At the stage of mastering this breathing, you can place your palm on your stomach above the navel to control the movement of your stomach. This breathing uses 60% of the lungs' capacity. Usually men can easily master this stage of Full Yogic Breathing, since men ordinary life That's how they breathe. Women, on the other hand, may have difficulty learning this type of breathing because they most often breathe through chest breathing.

Chest breathing

During chest breathing, as you inhale, the chest expands, and as you exhale, it contracts. At the same time, the stomach moves inward as you inhale, and forward as you exhale. To control chest breathing, you can place your palms on your chest, placing four fingers in front, thumbs behind. With this type of breathing, 30% of the lung capacity is used.

Clavicular breathing

The least noticeable thing. To control it, hands are lowered to the collarbones. As you inhale, the collarbones and chest rise up, and as you exhale, they fall down. It is important to start moving the chest from the center, and not lift the shoulder joints up.

Full Yogic Breath includes all three stages described above. As you inhale, the stomach moves forward, the chest expands, and the collarbones rise up. As you exhale, the collarbones drop down, the chest narrows, and the stomach moves inward.

If you look from the side, full yogic breathing looks like a single wave-like movement from the stomach up and from the collarbones down.

Benefits of Full Yogic Breathing

The full breathing of yogis activates the entire respiratory system, every muscle and every cell and expands the chest to its anatomical volume, and the capacity of the lungs can even increase due to the powerful work of the respiratory muscles. In turn, when breathing fully, the diaphragm functions correctly and provides useful action thanks to gentle massaging of the abdominal organs. Full yogic breathing is the simplest and most necessary basis for all types of yogic breathing.

Despite the fact that Full Yogic Breathing is very effective, there is no need to strive to breathe this breath in everyday life. Breathing is an unconscious process. If you keep it under control all the time, then the automaticity of the respiratory cycle may fail. This can lead to breathing problems while sleeping.

Breathe for your health!

The breathing process is simple and natural for humans. However, many people perform these actions uncontrollably, although they could get the maximum benefit from the process itself. Pranayama will teach you how to breathe correctly and at the same time improve your health.

Natural breathing

Pranayama is the system of inhalation and exhalation in yoga. And understanding your process is the first step to mastering this technique. It is easy to perform and has a relaxing and healing effect on the body. During pranayama, the heartbeat slows down, which every meditator strives for. In yoga culture, rapid breathing and heartbeat are signs of shortening life.

Yogic breathing is a mandatory requirement for daily meditation. Exercises are performed outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. Access clean air necessary for proper full yogic breathing. The full breathing technique of yogis requires the following conditions:

• exercises are performed before meals, or two hours after it. A full stomach is not best companion physical and breathing techniques, as the body is busy digesting food and converting it into energy;
• full concentration on technology. The effectiveness of the exercise in a person’s thoughtful and distracted mood is reduced and will not be beneficial;
• tracking sensations during exercise. If you feel discomfort, dizziness or other abnormalities, you should lie down, relax and pause the exercise until the body normalizes;
• Increase the number and duration of breathing exercises gradually. In this way, the body will get used to the natural process and enter into desired condition it will become easier.

If the conditions of full yogi breathing are observed, the beneficial effect will not be long in coming.

The condition of the body is normalized, the pressure in the arteries will decrease, and the pulse will slow down. General state the body and mood of the yoga practitioner will improve.

Full Yogi Breath

Correct full breathing of people who practice yoga is done through the nose. Inhaling through the mouth does not bring a positive effect. Habitual inhalation disrupts the functioning of the thyroid gland, causing the adenoids to become larger and cause discomfort. The principle is comparable to eating: nature did not provide for the body’s nutrition through the nose, therefore full breathing should not be through the mouth. The only exception is the state of the body during sinusitis or simple sinus congestion. In addition, full yogic breathing through the nose serves as a kind of shield from infectious diseases, hypothermia and poisoning.

The second rule is the depth and type of inhalation. This also serves as the basis for all breathing exercises. Deep breathing happens:

• abdominal;
• average;
• top.

To properly understand full yogic breathing, it is necessary to understand the principles and differences of inhalations. The superficial or superior one is called clavicular. With it, only the shoulder girdle, collarbones, ribs of the chest and the upper part of the lungs are in motion. However, in terms of the volume of air consumed, this is the shallowest. As a result, the number of breaths increases in proportion to the energy expended.

Principles of full yogic breathing

As in many others breathing exercises, deep breathing has basic principles. The basics of inhalation and exhalation according to the yoga system imply:

• a model similar to the children's process;
• the moments of air consumption and release are carried out without interruption;
• exclusively nasal;
• a combination of 3 types - thoracic, throat-nasal and abdominal cavity.

Full yoga breathing is accepted by the human body without tension only after training and regular practice. As soon as it becomes natural, a person will be able to breathe uncontrollably.

Full yogi breathing: technique of execution

Following the technology of performing the correct yoga process will allow you to achieve the maximum positive effect. To do this, you must follow the following steps:

1. Take a position - a relaxed pose on your back in a horizontal plane.
2. They concentrate, but do not control every inhalation and exhalation. Feel the natural process after spending a couple of minutes in this position.
3. After maximum relaxation, the right hand is placed on the abdominal cavity above the navel, and the left hand is placed in the center of the chest.
4. The left hand remains motionless, while the second hand is slowly moved up when inhaling, and down when exhaling. The movements are smooth, no sudden jumps.
5. The abdomen is relaxed in the process, its contractions are carried out simultaneously with inhalation and exhalation. All other parts of the body should lie still, but without tension.
6. Gradually, the depth of inhalation is increased, but the speed remains the same.
7. Correct yogic breathing implies maximum expansion of the abdomen at the moment of air intake. At the top of the movement, pressure will be felt in the diaphragm.
8. During exhalation, the abdomen is deflated as much as possible, and the diaphragm returns to its original position.
9. The technique is performed for 3 minutes.

Depending on the type, the features of the technique will vary. For breastfeeding:

• initial position of the body - meditation pose;
• the process is carried out only by the lungs, the diaphragm should not move;
• when inhaling, the chest is as wide as possible, when exhaling, it is compressed;
• hands are motionless, back is straight, body is relaxed.

For clavicular:

• body position is horizontal, on the back;
• performed after a two-minute chest method;
• Only the upper part of the lungs begins to move, while the collarbones rise;
• the chest is motionless;
• The maximum point on inhalation should be felt by a slight pressure in the base of the neck.

The exhalation and inhalation of any of the full breathing techniques is unhurried, calm and rhythmic. Any haste will reduce the positive effect and may bring unpleasant sensations. The entire movement should be uniform, without pauses or jolts.

Why do you need full yogic breathing?

Full yogic breathing is the starting point for most breathing and meditation exercises. With regular practice, this way of breathing will become habitual, resulting in beneficial changes in the body.

These will be:

• internal metabolism will be regulated;
• weight will return to normal;
• the process of digestion and absorption of food will improve;
• the body's immune defense will increase;
• the condition of the skin, nails and hair will improve externally and internally;
• psychological imbalances are minimized, including depression, stress, Bad mood, apathy and melancholy;
• energy will increase, the feeling of fatigue will not bother you;
• the functioning of the central and peripheral nervous system is normalized;
• brain activity and blood circulation will improve;
• mood swings will disappear, which is especially important for emotional people and girls during the menstrual period.

The benefits of pranayama have been proven not only medical centers and dozens of scientists. This practice has been confirmed by entire generations of people of all ages, races and nationalities who profess the yogic lifestyle.

How long to perform proper yogi breathing

Full yoga breathing must be learned gradually. For beginners in the first stages, 5-10 breathing revolutions per 24 hours will be enough. As training progresses, the duration increases. On last stages mastering full yogi breathing will take 10-15 minutes a day. The only rule that must be followed is the regularity of exercise. Not a single day should be missed. It is impossible to stop daily exercise, as it is not so much exercise stress as much as a lifestyle.

Benefits of Full Breathing

The benefits and features of the beneficial effects of full yogic breathing on the body are symbiosis positive effects all breathing techniques. With proper execution and regularity of exercises, a person will be transformed physically and mental levels. The positive differences between yoga and other techniques are:

• low time investment;
• ease of exercise;
• there are no contraindications based on age and gender;
• can be performed in any state of health, but it is necessary to first consult with a therapist;
• does not require financial investments and special equipment;
• can be performed anywhere and at different times;
• does not cause discomfort or fatigue;
• has a beneficial effect on the vocal cords, which will be useful for people with speaking professions;
• can be an enjoyable time with friends and family.

The respiratory process is inseparable from life cycle. And correct execution of inhalations and exhalations can significantly lengthen and improve your health. The full breathing technique is proof of this.

With minimal energy expenditure, the body will receive maximum positive returns, and a person’s mood will improve several times.

And it has proven its effectiveness. It is quite easy to calculate the effects of improving gas exchange, improving the functioning of the body and brain in connection with the regular implementation of this technique. It is estimated that in a sitting position average person(when he is calm and relaxed) inhales and exhales about 0.5 liters of air. If a person specifically expands his stomach (affecting the lower sections of the lungs) and chest, raises the collarbones at the end of inspiration (upper sections of the lungs) when inhaling, he increases the volume of inhalation and exhalation by another 2 (!) liters. If exhalation is carried out with additional compression of the chest and pressing of the abdomen. It is possible to increase the total volume of inhalation and exhalation by another 1.5 liters! Compare: 0.5 liters of gas exchange of unconscious breathing, versus 4 liters of special breathing! By controlling your breathing, you can increase gas exchange in your lungs by 8 times! One can imagine what a rich potential for healing and influencing the mechanisms of the body is hidden in just banal breathing...

But the effects of full yogic breathing are not limited to physiology. It is no secret that the work of the brain, the endocrine glands, and ultimately the state of our mind directly depend on the breathing pattern. Knowing the theory of yoga, we also include the pranic level of influence in this coordinate system! Full yogic breathing affects a person at all levels: physiological (increasing the volume of inhaled and exhaled air), energetic and chakra (increasing the coefficient of prana in the body, strengthening Manipura and recharging Anahata), and mental levels (calmness and concentration, working out negative patterns - samskar) experienced yogis feel literally immediately, after several cycles of breathing, within a minute. But the most important results will still come over time: by practicing Full Yoga Breathing, we improve the performance of asanas, avoid injuries in asanas, and prepare the lungs, heart and blood vessels for more intense breathing techniques (Kapalbhati, Bhastrika, Murchha, etc.). All these are processes extended over time.

At the same time, working out the body with the help of breathing practices (and in particular with the help of Full Yoga Breathing) is noticeably, radically faster than with the help of asanas (yoga poses). If you have not yet mastered the Full Yoga Breathing technique, perhaps this is exactly what separated you from a new level in yoga mastery. Or from effective solution your health problems if we're talking about about yoga therapy or restoration of weakened health with the help of yoga as a general strengthening practice.

Breathing practices are known to be more powerful, more subtle (since they affect both the body and the mind), and more... dangerous. But in order not to harm yourself with Full Yoga Breathing, it is enough to perform the technique correctly and very gradually increase the pace of the workout. This mandatory rule for all yoga practice.

Full yoga breathing is performed as follows:

1. Preparation. Place one palm on your stomach, the other on your chest. Try to breathe only with your stomach - so that only the palm that lies on your stomach rises and falls (this is how aborigines, Taoists, martial arts masters and experienced yogis who have mastered pranayama can breathe; this type of breathing significantly improves physical health and fills the lower chakras with energy) . Then learn to breathe only with your chest - the palm that lies on your stomach remains motionless (this is how most people who are not familiar with yoga breathe; this type of breathing does not allow you to fully use your health reserves and control positive and negative emotions). Then try to breathe with clavicular breathing - the palm on your stomach is motionless, the palm on your chest moves only slightly, the main inhalation and exhalation is through the “throat”, the shoulders rise slightly (this is how young ladies sometimes breathe, and this type of breathing is the most energy-consuming and unhealthy).
2. Now do the final maneuver - move on to Full Yoga Breathing. Eyes should be closed, full concentration on the breathing process. Start inhaling as in the type of breathing with your stomach - then, on the same inhalation, expand your chest, and at the end, take a light inhalation with your collarbones. Exhalation occurs in the reverse order: shoulders and collarbones, the sternum drops, the stomach is pressed inward (without unnecessary tension!). Breathing should not be too intense to avoid dizziness, so slow down your breathing. Inhalations and exhalations should each be no shorter than 5 seconds; if in doubt, place a watch with a second hand in front of you (you can count up to 10 or 15 on each inhalation and exhalation).
3. Find a comfortable length of inhalation and exhalation. At first, it is not important that the inhalation and exhalation are equal in length, do not be distracted by this - pay all your attention to your sensations, follow the sensations. Don't overthink the process, just breathe as comfortable as possible. Discomfort is prohibited in this exercise! You need to increase the length of inhalations and exhalations gradually, again - according to your feelings, and not according to some (especially if someone else’s) training schedule. For many, lengthening inhalation and exhalation to 10 seconds each takes several months, this is normal. How quickly success will come depends on the initial state of the body, the absence of bad habits and sludge in the body, and how regularly you can exercise. I’ll say right away that in order to make stable progress, you need to exercise EVERY day. You need to devote Full Yoga Breathing every day: in the first week - 1-5 minutes, the second and third weeks - 5-10 minutes, and after 1-2 months of training (you will already get the taste and get the first results, no doubt! ) switch to a schedule of 2 Full Breathing sessions per day: that is, 2 times for 5-10 minutes). Just 20 minutes a day will make you much healthier! DO NOT exceed safety limits: 10 seconds maximum length of inhalation or exhalation, and no more than 10 minutes per set, no more than 20 minutes per day in total. By overusing this pranayama (like any other), you can undermine your health and psyche, so you should not practice with fanaticism. Success will come over time, subject to regular training. Do not change the technique, do not add “additional” elements to it: this, again, is fraught with unpredictable consequences.
4. The practice of Full Yoga Breathing is not compatible with drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, or taking strong medications (sedatives, heart medications, antibiotics). This practice should be started in excellent health, not during illness. During menstruation, after illness/injury/surgery, and during pregnancy, this type of breathing is NOT practiced.
5. Having achieved mastery in Full Yoga Breathing, you can further master (preferably under the personal guidance of an experienced teacher who is aware of your health status, daily routine and training, diet and lifestyle) Samaveta Pranayama - a more advanced practice of deep cleansing of the body and “recharging” » prana. It is done by holding the breath after inhalation and exhalation, based on Full Yoga Breathing. However, if the body is not cleansed by serious and long-term yoga practice, bad habits and consumption of heavy foods are not abandoned - Samaveta pranayama can be dangerous to health. It should be started (in the absence of restrictions) no earlier than after 3-4 months of practice described above - i.e. performing Full Yoga Breathing.

Full yogic breathing should first be practiced as a separate practice, because... requires full concentration. Do not combine practice with performing asanas or listening to music, watching movies or TV! You must first learn to breathe deeply and smoothly, rhythmically. Let's master this breathing separately, you will be able to introduce deep breathing techniques into your asana practice (there is a limitation - Full breathing is not performed in inverted asanas and twists), you will reach new round of your practice. Masters can also perform this practice with energy locks (bandhas) and psychic gestures (mudras), this is mastered in classes only with sufficient training and in ideal health.

Full yoga breathing is difficult to compare with anything in terms of effectiveness, except perhaps with correctly performed Shavasana. For all its (apparent) simplicity, it is this practice, one of the few, that really gives you a radical advantage in health and depth of comprehension of Hatha Yoga asanas!

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Full yogic breathing is the basis necessary for performing almost any pranayama. It is essentially one that trains all the major respiratory muscles. With regular practice, you will train yourself to breathe correctly on an unconscious level. Moreover, this exercise requires very little time. The article will help you step-by-step master the correct technique for performing three-stage yogi breathing.

Benefits and contraindications

Breathing is easy, this one is vital important process does not require any effort on our part. We never forget that we need to breathe, but we don't always do it correctly. Some breathe only with their chest, some with their stomach, some with their mouth instead of their nose. Practicing full yogic breathing will eliminate all your breathing deficiencies.

In addition to “accustoming” to proper breathing, during this pranayama the volume of inhaled air increases 4-5 times. During normal everyday breathing, we breathe shallowly and consume about half a liter of oxygen. With full breathing of yogis, this volume increases to 2.5-4 liters (depending on training and characteristics of the body).

Benefits of the practice:

• congestion in the lungs is eliminated;
• toxins are eliminated;
• metabolism accelerates;
• strengthens the heart and normalizes blood pressure;
• internal organs are massaged using the diaphragm;
• the mind calms down.

But there are very few contraindications - these are serious pathologies respiratory organs or hearts. You should also refrain from practicing if you have an abdominal hernia.

Execution technique

Full yogic breathing pranayama is quite easy to learn. But if you are new to yoga, then you should break the learning process into stages and concentrate on correctness performing the exercise.

Body position, asanas

According to yoga “standards,” three-frequency breathing should be performed in the lotus position (padmasana). But for beginners this pose is most often inaccessible. Therefore, for initial mastery, sukhasana (in Turkish) or shavasana (lying on your back in a relaxed state) is quite acceptable. The main condition is that the spine must be straight.

It is better to choose sitting poses (asanas). Savasana can be chosen to perform full yogic breathing if you are a complete beginner and cannot sit comfortably with your legs crossed. By the way, you can place pillows or a folded blanket under your buttocks. This significantly increases comfort and helps keep your back straight for a longer time.

Preparation and training

Correct yogic breathing consists of three parts or steps:

• abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing;
• chest breathing;
• clavicular breathing.

Preparation consists of working on each of the stages separately. This will allow you to feel well your sensations in the body at each stage and perform the practice as correctly as possible. Let's start in order.

Abdominal breathing

Sit or lie down in the asana you have chosen to perform the exercise. Start breathing from your belly, concentrate only on it. Feel how when you inhale, your stomach rounds, and when you exhale, it approaches the spine. Do this calmly, without any extra effort on yourself.

Relax your face and whole body and simply breathe calmly through your belly. Feel how your diaphragm expands and creates light pressure on your internal organs. Devote 5 minutes to this workout and move on to the next step.

Chest breathing

Now bring all your attention to the chest area. To complete the sensations, you can put your hands on the sides of your ribs and close your eyes. Forget about your stomach and breathe only from your chest. Feel all the muscles that are used during chest breathing.

Try to take deep breaths to expand your chest as much as possible. Five minutes will also be enough for this stage.

Clavicular breathing

This type of breathing is the most difficult to feel and realize. During everyday shallow breathing, the clavicular is practically not used. This is why stagnation of “old air” occurs in the upper parts of the lungs.

To use clavicular breathing, you need to inhale as deeply as possible. Try to breathe even deeper, even if you feel like you can’t breathe anymore. The indicator will be the clavicle bones and shoulders. They will rise slightly when you inhale, and fall when you exhale.

Spend 10 minutes with clavicular breathing to really get a feel for the top of your lungs.

Complete order of execution

Now you are ready to perform the full three-frequency yogic breathing. We combine the previous three stages into one cycle:

• sit/lie down in an asana that suits you;
• close your eyes and take a few calm breaths;
• exhale completely;
• start inhaling from the stomach, as in the first stage of training;
• Continue inhaling smoothly, expanding your chest;
• reach clavicular breathing and begin exhaling in the reverse order;
• the collarbones immediately drop, exhale through the chest and draw in the stomach;
• repeat the cycle again.

When and how much to do

For the first few days, practice 10 cycles of full yogic breathing 2 times a day. Over the course of two weeks, increase the duration of one workout to 5 minutes. When a five-minute session does not cause any difficulties (fatigue, dizziness), also gradually reach 10 minutes per approach.

Time to practice full yogic breathing better in the morning before meals and in the evening before bed. There is no point in studying for more than 10 minutes at a time. Regularity is much more important than duration. Create a habit for yourself - practice every day. And you will feel the result in the form of better health and well-being within a month.

1. Remember that yogi breathing is an exercise. You shouldn't constantly force yourself to breathe this way. Give this practice a conscious 20 minutes a day (10+10), your body will do the rest.
2. The entire cycle of inhalation and exhalation should occur smoothly, without jerks or delays. The deepest continuous breathing cycle possible.
3. The muscles of the body, face and neck should be relaxed. There should be no discomfort.
4. Keep your focus inward, concentrating on the breathing process.

The more you control your breathing, the better you will be able to control your mind. Full yogic breathing is necessary for the effective performance of many pranayamas. But this does not detract from its merits as a separate independent practice. A simple exercise that ventilates the lungs, increases oxygen levels in the blood, teaches you to control your breathing and eliminates poor breathing habits.

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