By Raquel Issenberg

Working with the flow of the breath is one of the steps in the path of yoga that carries you into a restorative sense of balance, that which brings out your radiance. For all that, preparing your body to receive prana, the intelligent source of energy, is more than a rite of passage.

Referred to as breathwork or Pranayama, this technique has been utilized for centuries to calm the mind and balance the nervous system in spiritual traditions. In modern times, it has gained popularity as a valuable tool in the realms of wellness and yoga.

In Sanskrit, Pranayama is interpreted as “breath-restraint” or “stopping the breath (to work with it)”, a term that reflects the advantage that human beings have over their breath: it’s automatic, and it can be manipulated.

However, as the powerful Fourth Limb of the Eight Limbs of Yoga (Yamas, Niyamas, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi), breathwork relies on physical preparation to foster its radiance. More specifically, your diaphragm needs to strengthen up; this way, it can move up and down more easily to do its work, including expanding your lung capacity.

Hence, Pranayama begs for preparation, a step that can be tackled in the preceding stage: Asana (physical yoga postures). While engaging in poses or simple yogic stretches, you can work on three aspects that will settle the ground: to help your body reestablish a relationship with the breath, to train your body to receive the breath, and to align the breath with movement.

▵ The breathwork-prep:
It is highly recommended to work with a yoga teacher after class or in a private session to develop a steady foundation in breath awareness. Doing prep work for Pranayama will increase its potential and sustainability.

Breath Awareness = By noticing the flow of your breath without judgment, you start loosening up into your internal awareness, beyond the movement of the mind (e.g., breath in the nose, breath in the heart, or breath in the abdomen).
Breath Training = Healthy breathing consists of the strengthening of your diaphragm through basic yogic practices, in order to facilitate a deeper intake of breath into your lungs (e.g., crocodile pose, sandbag training, five qualities of yogic breath, or basic diaphragmatic practices).
Breath Aligned Movement = Prioritizing the breath over movement prepares your body to practice with effortless effort. This exercise helps you develop more control over your pelvis, abdomen, and torso, and decreases the tension of your shoulders and neck while manipulating your breath (e.g., using the breath to move, or engaging in conscious movement while breathing diaphragmatically).

▵ The vast world of breathwork:
Pranayama practices are endless. You can find them in several yogic and non-yogic traditions, from the Vedic texts all the way to the most modern variations designed by teachers from different paths.

☉ In classical Hatha Yoga, the blueprint for most modern pranayamas, you have probably heard about or practiced Nadi Sodhana (and all its variations), Kapalabhati, Bhastrika, Bhramari, Ujjayi, Sitali, Siktari, Chandra Bhedana, Surya Bhedana, or Pracchardana/Vidharana, to name a few.

☉ You may find traditional breathing techniques in ancient lineages such as the Chinese Daoist tradition, Tibetan Buddhism, or Zen Buddhism, for example.

☉ Nowadays you can also try The Navy SEAL’s powerful breathwork exercises like Box Breathing and Tactical Breathing, which have become popular among civilians.

☉ Crafted by signature, modern breathwork therapies offer several techniques as diverse as Transformational Breath, Somatic Breathwork, Frequency Breathwork, The Wim Hof Method, Rebirthing Breathwork, Vivation Breathwork, Clarity Breathwork, Owaken Breathwork, Shamanic Breathwork, Holotropic Breathwork, or 4-7-8 Breath.

Are you still with me? Great!

If you made it all the way here, maybe you are wondering what breathwork would serve you best.

⫸ Well, this is my suggestion: After you have built a breathing foundation with at least two of the three Pranayama prep works aforementioned, start with Nadi Shodana (Alternate Nostril Breathing/balancing). Then, move to Chandra Bhedana (inhalation through the left nostril-moon channel/calming) or Surya Bhedana (inhalation through the right nostril-sun channel/activating). Then try Bhramari (Bee Breath/calming), and eventually move on to more vigorous and energizing disciplines, such as Kapalabhati or Bhastrika. Allow a teacher to guide you, especially while working with the last two styles.

I understand that we all long for the most interesting and promising breathworks, but it’s important to prepare our system beforehand to avoid the frustration commonly felt when an exercise turns overwhelming, especially when tapping into the breath.

By circling back to your preparatory breathing practices, you can move into more advanced pranayamas, with the confidence that you have trained your diaphragm, you have warmed up your lung capacity, and you have improved overall muscle control in order to receive all the benefits of this masterful discipline. Believe me, it can all run smoothly from this point.

⫸ If you suffer from sleep apnea or encounter breathing challenges while reclining in bed, breathwork can serve as a valuable and potent tool to aid in your treatment. Learn more about my workshop: Yogic Methods for a Healthy Sleep.

I wish you happy breaths!

BLOG & MUSINGS