The Power of Pranayama
The breath is our lifeforce. It moves energy (or prana) around the body. It helps to bring fresh oxygen to the muscles and release carbon dioxide from the bloodstream. It has a direct impact on our nervous system and the release of certain hormones. It can even positively influence your blood pressure and heart rate. Basically, the breath is a pretty amazing thing. But how often do we actually breath consciously throughout the day? I mean really tune into the sensations of the breath and how it feels in our body? I'm guessing rarely.
When we practice Pranayama (breath regulation) we’re brought back to the present moment, witnessing energy flow around our system. Stress signals that we receive throughout the day cause the release of cortisol (the stress hormone) which if not managed appropriately, can have a negative impact on both our physical and mental health. Luckily the breath is an amazing tool that is available to us all of the time, and it can be used in a way that tells our stress response system that we’re all good and we don’t need the body to be in fight or flight mode. We can use the breath to tune into the present moment and activate our parasympathetic nervous system, physically changing the way our body responds. It’s really incredible when you think about it!
That’s why I start the majority of my yoga classes with pranayama techniques. This encourages us to bring your full awareness into our bodies and sets a president for maintaining the breath awareness as we move through asanas. But you don’t have to be in a yoga class or even doing an asana (physical posture) practice to do pranayama. It is a practice in its own right. So below I’ve shared a quick pranayama practice that you can do in any place at any time, calming the mind, coming back to the present, and managing the way your body responds to stress.
Deep belly breathing
Find a comfortable seated position with a lengthened spine and close off the eyes.
Take a couple of moments here to witness your breath. Don’t do anything to change it just yet, but simply tune into how the sensation of the breath feels in the body today.
Once you’ve tuned into your natural breath, inhale through the nose for a count of 6. As you inhale, think about sending the breath to the bottom of the belly, so the belly expands followed by the chest. Think of the belly as a big balloon filling with air on your inhale.
Exhale for a count of 6, first letting the chest drop, then the belly. Think of the balloon deflating as your exhale.
Top tip: I sometimes like to place one hand on my belly and one hand on my chest as I do this as it helps me to really feel the movements, but this is totally optional
Repeat for as many rounds as you have time for. 5 minutes or more is great. As you repeat your rounds, try and stay completely focussed on the breath. It’s totally normal for thoughts to come into your head, but when they do, simply witness them and without judgement let them go. Keep coming back to your breath.
Notice how you feel after completing the practice. Do you feel calmer? Does your heart rate feel a little slower? Maybe. Maybe not. Either is fine. Like anything, it takes practice.
This deep belly breathing technique encourages the diaphragm to work properly. Our modern lifestyles often involve a lot of hunching over at a desk or in a car, which means that the diaphragm is often compressed and not able to move fully when we breathe. By sitting in a strong posture and breathing deep into the belly, we allow more room for the muscle to move and get more effective use from our respiration system as a whole.
Come back to this breathing technique whenever you need to reconnect with yourself.
“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.”