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W1.4. Basic Breathing Techniques
Question
Explain the difference between awareness of uncontrolled habitual breathing and conscious
controlled breathing. Discuss how you would introduce breath awareness to your students in a class
situation, including a variety of possible breathing techniques.
There is a yogic saying ‘your breath is your life’, however many of us live our lives allowing
our breathing to remain an unconscious process, which it is. The most fundamental action of
the human body, breathing isn’t something we have to think very much about and yet we
cannot live without it for more than a couple of minutes. Indeed, many of us only become
aware of it after strenuous activity when we become short of it!
For the majority of the time we remaining totally unaware of our own breathing but are more
aware of it in others; we notice the breathing of a sleeping partner, child or pet, and observe
that it is totally involuntary and organic. The inhalation and the exhalation sometimes match
in length and sometimes they vary. There are pauses between breaths; maybe there are
stutters, stops and starts, we may also observe that the breath is often shallow. Just as our
heart continues to beat throughout our life without any conscious effort on our part, so our
breathing continues even as mentioned above when we are in a state of deep sleep, part of the
amazing organism called our body, functioning in many ways of which we are unaware.
The way we breathe differs from person to person; over a period of time many of us will
develop bad breathing habits, either from poor posture or from the causes of stress. People
don’t breathe deeply using their diaphragm, they use shallow or chest breathing, if they spent
a few minutes listening to the sound made by their breath on its way out of the nostrils, and
then on its way back in, they would probably hear that it sounds uneven, hectic and rough.
The average rate of breathing is around 15 – 20 breaths per minute, however people with
high stress levels, breathing difficulties i.e. asthma and smokers, all tend to breathe quite
faster than the average rate, although athletes, swimmers and particularly yoga
practitioners, all tend to breathe slower than the average rate. Ann Thomas.
With each breath of air, we obtain oxygen and release the waste product carbon dioxide.
Poor breathing habits such as shallow or chest breathing diminish the flow of these gases to
and from the body, making it harder for us to cope with stressful situations. Improper
breathing contributes to anxiety, panic attacks, depression, muscle tension, headaches and
fatigue. Breathing deeply and rhythmically known as diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing
helps convey a sense of calm and of being in control, even during stressful situations.
Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing is the natural breathing of newborn babies and of
many sleeping adults. Inhaled air is drawn deep into the lungs and exhaled as the diaphragm
contracts and expands; breathing is even and non-constricting. The respiratory system is able
to do its job of producing energy from oxygen and removal of waste products.
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W1.4. Basic Breathing Techniques
As breathing is known as an involuntary process, (we just don’t think about it), how does the
body know how and when to breathe?
The act of breathing occurs as a result of the actions of voluntary muscles (such as the
diaphragm and intercostal muscles) which receive their nervous “instructions” via the
somatic part of the peripheral nervous system and, in particular, via the phrenic and
intercostal nerves. As a result, breathing can easily be brought under conscious (and
voluntary control) via input from the cerebral cortex. However, normally, the breath is
maintained and regulated by breathing centres (or respiratory centres) and these take their
cues from sensory input from the autonomic nervous system. sudokasana.co.uk
To simplify, basically two centres of the brain are involved, the respiratory centre in the
medulla oblongata and the pons varolli.
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W1.4. Basic Breathing Techniques
The medulla oblongata, which also controls many of the involuntary processes including the
heart rate, has within it an area called the apneustic centre, which enhances inspiration. The
respiratory centre sends nerve impulses that result in the contraction of the diaphragm and
external Intercostal muscles; air is drawn through the nose, where it is warmed to body
temperature, humidified, and partially cleansed and continues into the lungs (the inhalation),
stimulating nerve cells called stretch receptors found in the lung tissue.
The diagram shows the action of the
body during inhalation
Stretch receptors in the alveoli and bronchioles detect inhalation and send inhibitory signals
to the pneumotaxic centre in the respiratory centre, located in the Pons Varolli to prevent over
inflation of the lungs, (this would happen in an extreme scenario as many of us would reach
the maximum inhalation possible long before the lung tissues would reach a stressed level).
The inhibitory signals tell it to relax, thus provoking expiration. This negative feedback
system is continuous and prevents damage to the lungs.
The diagram shows the action of the
body during exhalation
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W1.4. Basic Breathing Techniques
Although organic and involuntary our breathing can be consciously influenced. We can slow
it down, we can quicken it, we can take a deep breath and we can breathe lightly. We can
blow out the candles on our birthday cake in one go, we can breathe a light sigh of relief and
we can practise our heavy breathing if we so desire. Singing makes us much more aware of
our breathing, and a good singing teacher will spend time focusing on the singer’s breathing.
We can also stop our breathing for a short time; however it can be overruled by the
autonomic system in the event of danger. For example if you hold your breath for too long,
the carbon dioxide concentration in the blood increases so much that the respiratory centre
forces you to gasp and take a breath
Our breathing therefore is capable of being both a conscious and an unconscious process,
and as such is a valuable connection with our conscious and our unconscious being.
Class situation.
Breathing exercises have been found to be effective in reducing greatly the general disorders
associated with bad breathing habits. Teaching simple, basic breathing techniques which can
be learnt in a matter of minutes and some of the benefits experienced immediately, although
the profound effects of the exercise may not be fully appreciated until after months of
persistent practice, after all we have probably spent a great deal of our lives breathing
incorrectly that to break a habit of a lifetime is going to take time. Now that we understand a
little more about our breathing mechanism and that we can consciously influence it, we can
harness this knowledge to help us in our yoga practice. Desikachar states that,
‘The breath is the intelligence of the body’ Desikachar, T.K.V.
In a class situation one could introduce students to breathe awareness in a number of ways;
however it must be stressed that this would not be a pranayama session. Pranayama is a
specific (and often advanced) set of breath control practices such as Kumbaka (Restraining
the breath) Kapalabhati (Cleansing breath), and is a discipline in it’s own right requiring
careful study and is an entirely different practice from the basic and simple breath awareness
exercise described below. The following examples are what I believe are an appropriate
introduction for students and would be what I would include in my teaching of breathing
awareness. They are simple to understand and follow, providing a good foundation for
students, starting with the very basic and simple exercise of just monitoring the movement of
the breath as it enters and leave the body, through to the introduction of gentle movement
with breath awareness such as cat pose.
The first exercise described is to allow students to just observe their breath, the inhalation and
the exhalation. Be comfortable and warm, get the students to can lie on their back with knees
bent and feet on the ground; this is a very good position in which to begin to observe the
breath. Students can also sit cross-legged, or kneel or sit in one of the lotus positions if this is
their preferred comfort position. Get the students to close their eyes and bring their awareness
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W1.4. Basic Breathing Techniques
to the breath. Begin by simply noticing each breath as it happens. As they inhale, just notice
that they are inhaling. As they exhale, notice that they are exhaling. Continue this noticing
until the students feel awareness settling comfortably and reliably on the breath. Repeat this
for several more inhalations and exhalations.
You can then refine their awareness, by noticing more subtle aspects of the breath. Consider
shifting the awareness to the following aspects of the breath:
·
Notice the breath entering and exiting the body at the tip of the nose.
·
Notice the breath move through the airway, from the nose to the mouth to the
throat as you inhale, and from the throat to the mouth to the nose as you exhale.
·
Notice the quality of your breath: Does it feel jagged or smooth? Does it feel
rushed or slow? Does it feel shallow or deep?
·
Notice the sound of your breath: Can you hear it? What does it sound like?
·
Notice the length of each inhalation and exhalation. Are they even? Is the
breath slowing down or speeding up?
·
Notice the belly moving with the breath. Place your hands on your belly and
feel the belly expand and contract.
·
Notice the rib cage moving with the breath. Place your hands on your rib cage
and feel the ribs expand and contract.
·
Notice the chest and upper back moving with the breath. Wrap your arms
around your upper chest and shoulders, and feel the chest and upper back move with
the breath.
·
Notice the full dimensionality of your breath: radiate out, in all directions, with
each breath.
Continue to notice whatever you notice - go deeper with this awareness practice and
notice the subtleties of your own breath. With this practice, you are not trying to
consciously control the breath. However, as you become more aware of the breath, you
may find that the quality of your breath changes. Allow this to happen naturally,
without strain or effort. (Breath awareness exercise adapted from a lesson found on
the openmindbody.com. Website).
From the simple awareness technique described above you can build on this by bringing the
attention to lengthening the breath. Again start by getting the students to lie on their backs,
eyes closed and simply let the students start counting in their own time and breathe rhythm to
four, repeat this for several more inhales and exhales, then lengthen this count to 5. Again let
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W1.4. Basic Breathing Techniques
them observe the movement of the breath, after repeating the count of 5 for several more
inhale and exhale, return the count to 4.
The next step would be simple breath awareness with movement such as in breath awareness/
centring using the following sequence.
1 Breathe in slowly, taking the arms overhead to touch the floor beyond the head as you
complete the in-breath
2 Breathe out even more slowly, taking the arms back, but only to an upright position –
pause.
3 Breathe in taking the arms out sideways to the floor, keeping them at shoulder level
4 Breathe out raising the arms back up to the vertical, again – pause.
5 Breathe in taking the arms overhead to touch the floor beyond the head.
6 Breathe out very slowly bringing the arms back to the sides – pause.
Repeat whole sequence 2 or 3 more times.
The next stage would be to introduce a very basic asana involving moving with breathe such
as cat posture. The following asana was taken from the website all about yoga.
Step-by-Step
Majariasana (mar-jar-ee-ah-sanna) Cat Stretch Posture
Majariasana is a moving posture that combines backaches and forward bends with breath
awareness.
1. From kneeling on hands and knees, place the hands shoulder-width apart and the knees
hip-width apart on the floor. Align the hands directly under the shoulders and knees directly
under the hips. Have your fingers fully spread with the middle fingers pointing straight ahead.
Make your back horizontal and flat. Gaze at the floor. Feel how this is your "neutral"
positioning where the back and front of the body feel equally long. Then, tuck the toes under
to stretch the bottom of the feet and to increase the flexibility of the toes.
2. As you exhale, slowly press evenly into the hands as you contract the abdominal muscles
up towards your spine. Lift and round your spine to the ceiling as you tuck your tailbone
under and bring the chin towards the chest. At the top of the stretch, feel yourself gently
pushing up and out of the shoulders.
3. As you inhale, relax the abdominal muscles and reverse the tilt of the hips. Lengthen the
front of the torso, as the gaze looks up to the ceiling and the pubic bone moves backward
through the leg. Reach the chest away from the waist and slide the shoulder blades down the
back. Feel the sit-bones turn upward. Keep the arms long without locking the elbows and
avoid sagging into the shoulders. Open the mouth to free any tension in the front of the neck.
4. Continue to flow the spine into these arching motions coordinating with the same breath
work several times. Feel the movement of every vertebra and welcome the growing mobility
of the spine with each cycle. Listen to your neck and spine. Never feel yourself
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W1.4. Basic Breathing Techniques
overextending and creating pressure in the spine. To exit, inhale to a neutral spine, release the
tucked toes and exhale back into Child's Pose
Modifications/Cautions
* If you have wrist discomfort or pain, try one of the following modifications;
* Place the wrist forward of the shoulder line will help take the downward weight off the
wrists.
*Perform cat with elbows on the floor under the shoulders keeping hands open shoulderwidth apart.
*You may also find that by rolling up a towel or a yoga mat will and gripping this may also
help alleviate any wrist discomfort.
* If you have neck pain when looking up, allow gaze to only look forward on the inhale
phase of the movement.
* Place a folded blanket under the knees for cushioning if the knees are sensitive.
Theses are very basic and simple breath awareness exercises, but they allow the student to
connect with their breath and its own rhythm, and by increasing their awareness to their
breathing patterns and shifting to more abdominal breathing, they can reduce the muscle
tension and anxiety present with stress not just in a yoga session, but at home or just when
they need to relax and reconnect.
From a personal perspective, my own breath awareness began with a simple exercise to
monitor how fast I breathe. Sitting relaxed and at ease I had to count the number of breaths I
took over a three-minute period. However, simply concentrating on the breath can affect the
regular rhythm, so a partner monitored my breathing rate; during the first minute I took 12
breaths with 10 on the second and third minutes. These were then added together to give total
number of breaths and then divided by three which gave me an average of 10.6 breaths per
minute (still trying to work out the .6!). Knowing this rate of breathes per minute allowed me
to work to a natural rhythm during simple breath/ movement exercises as described above.
During the period of time I have practiced and studied yoga, I’ve come across a number of
breath awareness techniques, some more successful than others. Some teachers have tried to
help awareness with suggestions of visualisation, but this has sometimes led to my mind
wandering off from the breath. I have found the most effective to probably be the simplest,
just observing the flow of the breathe on the inhalation and exhalation, concentrating on the
flow as it moves towards the lungs, slowing the breath down and using deep abdominal
breathing.
This knowledge of slowing the breath down and simply deepening the inhalation and
exhalation has helped me in many situations, especially during my day-to-day work when I
find myself in a particularly stressful situation. Basic, simple breath awareness has had a
profound effect on my ability to cope in these situations and I’m sure it is something
everybody would benefit from learning.
As I researched material for this essay I came across many quotes, but the one that simply
summed up breath awareness and the one I will end my essay with, was written by Phil
Ashton who simply states,
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W1.4. Basic Breathing Techniques
The breath is the perfect object for your attention. It’s free, non taxable, you take it
everywhere you go, if you forget it, you can find it again, you are NEVER too busy to do it.
It is your passport to the here and now, the present moment.
Bibliography
All about yoga www.allaboutyoga.co.uk/about/poses/catpose.aspx (site accessed March
2010)
Ambulance Technician Study. www.ambulancetechnicianstudy.co.uk/respsystem.html.
(Site accessed March 2010).
Ashton, Phil. www.yogaatwork.co.uk/breathing (Site accessed Feb 2010)
Davis, Martha. - The relaxation and stress reduction workbook
New Harbinger Publications Inc., 5th edition, 2000.
Desikachar, T.K.V. The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice
Publisher: Inner Traditions Bear and Company; New edition edition (May 1999)
Open Mind Body. www.openmindbody.com./deepbreath.html (Site accessed Feb 2010)
Sage, Rountree. The Athlete's Guide to Yoga: An Integrated Approach to Strength,
Flexibility & Focus (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert).
VeloPress; Pap/DVD edition (15 Dec 2007)
Sabatini, Sandra. Breath: The Essence of Yoga - A Guide to Inner Stillness.
Publisher: Pinter & Martin Ltd.; 2nd edition 2006.
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W1.4. Basic Breathing Techniques
Sudokasana. www.sudokasana.co.uk/breathingandpranayama/pranayamamain.html.
(Site accessed March 2010).
Thomas, Ann. BWY foundation course handout June 2007.
Tucker, Louise. An introductory guide to Anatomy and Physiology.
Publisher: EMS Publishing; 3rd Revised Edition edition (2 Jun 2008)
Image taken from
http://media.wiley.com/Lux/62/161462.image1.jpg (breathing) (Site accessed March 2010).
Sage, Rountree. The Athlete's Guide to Yoga: An Integrated Approach to Strength,
Flexibility & Focus (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert)
Paul Wigley.