How To Breathe Properly

We sat or lay down in a peaceful, quiet room with dimmed lights. With a gentle and soothing voice, the teacher started instructing us to breathe deeply, to fill up the lower, middle, and upper parts of our lungs. She repeated this several times and instructed us to keep doing it for the rest of the hour. It felt amazing, relaxing, and powerful.

When going to yoga studios or meditation classes, most teachers limit themselves to saying “breathe deeply,” but that is a vague term. Breathing deeply means something different for each one of us. The best way, as the Yogis suggest, is to be specific. And this was a teacher that did just that—told us how to breathe in a detailed way.

The Yogis, with their ancient knowledge and wisdom about the human body, recommend prioritizing the way we breathe. They consider it the most important and vital practice to keep the body in a healthy condition.

And breathing properly doesn’t cost anything, just time, practice, and patience. If, after learning it, it doesn’t bring any noticeable improvements, it certainly won’t hurt you. Try it. Fill your lungs completely. These are the steps:

1. Stand or sit with the back straight. Breathing through the nostrils, inhale steadily, first filling the lower part of the lungs, which is accomplished by bringing into play the diaphragm. Descending, it puts gentle pressure on the abdominal organs, pushing forward the front walls of the abdomen. Then fill the middle part of the lungs, pushing out the lower ribs, breast-bone, and chest. Finally, fill the higher portion of the lungs, lifting the upper chest, including the upper six or seven pairs of ribs. In the final movement, the lower part of the abdomen will be slightly drawn in, which movement gives the lungs support and also helps to fill the highest part of the lungs.

Even though there are three steps for inhalation, it should be continuous and steady. With practice, you will be able to complete it in a couple of seconds.

2. Retain the breath for a few seconds.

3. Exhale slowly, holding the chest in a firm position, and drawing the abdomen in a little and lifting it upward slowly as the air leaves the lungs. When the air is entirely exhaled, relax the chest and abdomen. A little practice will make this part of the exercise easy, and you’ll be able to perform it almost automatically.

This is what the Yogis call The Yogi Complete Breath. By this method, all parts of your respiratory system are brought into action, and all parts of the lungs, including the most remote areas, are used. Your blood will be completely oxygenated and brought back to the rest of your body full of vitality.

You will find it quite helpful if you practice this in front of a mirror, placing one hand slightly over your belly and the other over your chest so that you can feel the movements.

A daily practice will make perfect and make this technique a habit. You’ll feel the vitality it brings and make it your default method of breathing.

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