breath work

Breath-Work

In my teaching of Yoga I make a distinction between Breath-Work and PranaYama. I refer to Breath-Work as the foundation practices to PranaYama. Breath-work practices are excellent for beginners to Yoga and breathing techniques. These Breath-work practices can be undertaken without vigorous preparation of the body and mind for PranaYama practice. These practices can be taught safely by teachers experienced in these basic techniques.

After some years of preparation (or simply because the teacher is experienced enough to guide the beginner appropriately), a practitioner can undertake more demanding breath practices — those that I consider intermediate to advanced level practices of PranaYama.

Whether a practice is suitable for beginners, or what I consider intermediate or advanced, is all relative to one fact — regular practice. It is primarily in daily, regular or extended practice that we can harm ourselves if we are diving too deep at once. If we are just testing an “advanced technique” occasionally, or just for short spells, most people with generally good health will find immediate benefit and will not create any lasting damage to their systems, and will likely recover from most depths the journey may have plunged them into.

Still, I say this with caution, as I have over the years heard unhappy breath stories where people went too far, too long, too soon and found it hard to endure the effects. If we are regularly practising techniques of breath that are above our level, we can cause imbalances that are not there to begin with, or enhance imbalances that already exist. Why rush it?

The breath is profoundly intimate and I have great respect for breath practices. I advise you to proceed with care and with an experienced teacher if you wish to practise breathing techniques often or extensively.

In the category of Breath-work I include

Natural Breathing, Abdominal Breathing, Thoracic Breathing, Clavicular Breathing and Full Yogic Breath (FYB), which uses all three of the latter techniques and is the usual or typical “beginner level” Pranayama practice in Yoga.

Even simpler, and where I usually start everyone, is with Belly Breathing. After first exploring Natural Breathing, which in itself is an ever-ongoing breath practice for life, and after checking the client’s FYB expression, I suggest Belly Breathing combined with occasional FYB milestones to see what changes have manifested.

My version of Belly Breathing differs from Abdominal Breathing as it does not keep the structure of the Abdominal Breath. It is freer and allows the practitioner to be a true beginner to Breath-work and to start breathing better. It is a relaxing and simple practice and a great place to begin a daily Breath-work practice.

All breathing involves the diaphragm and supporting organs and structures in the body. All movement that helps us become relaxed, soft, connected, upright and in good posture (which also involves having good tone and alignment in the body) helps us breathe better.

Movement is therefore an essential part of Breath-work in the YM Method, as in all Hatha Yoga.

Read also

Breath

Prana

PranaYama,

YM Breath-Work

Related Free Material Video:

Check out these videos where I invite you to breathe a bit deeper.

Link to 15 minute guided free breath practice - click image below.