CHAPTER 4. Pranayama - Yoga on High

Chapter 4. Pranayama 1 Yoga on High © 200-hour Teacher Training Manual

CHAPTER 4. Pranayama


Pranayama Basic Anatomy of Breathing

Breathing Muscles

1. The diaphragm is responsible for 75% of inhalation force, making it the primary respiratory

muscle by far. The other primary respiratory muscles are the intercostals between the ribs and

the abdominal muscles that girdle the front of the belly.

2. The secondary respiratory muscles are the scalenes and sternocleidomastoids in the front of the

neck, the pectoralis major in the chest and the upper trapezius in the back of the neck.

3. This categorization of muscles is cited in The Breathing Book by Donna Farhi. Other systems

name the diaphragm as the primary muscle, the intercostals and the abdominals as secondary

muscles, and the neck and chest muscles as tertiary muscles.

Breathing Rate

1. A normal breath rate is 10 to 14 breaths per minute (BPM); 20 or more indicates a panic attack

2. Optimal carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange is at 6 or fewer BPM.

3. A relaxed pause at the end of the exhalation releases the diaphragm briefly from the negative

and positive pressures exerted across it during breathing.

Breathing through the Nose

1. Breathing through the nose provides at least 50% more resistance to airflow than breathing

through the mouth. Breathing through the nose helps create slow, rhythmic breathing, and

helps to maintain normal elasticity of the lungs and good heart function.

2. All pranayama and breathing techniques are done inhaling and exhaling through the nose unless

otherwise indicated.

Causes of Dysfunctional Breath Patterns

1. Biomechanical – post surgical or postural

2. Biochemical – allergies or infections

3. Psychosocial – chronic emotional states (anger, anxiety, depression)

Hyperventilation

The most common dysfunctional breath pattern by far is hyperventilation or breathing more rapidly

than the body requires.

1. With both chronic and acute hyperventilation the problem is not too much oxygen (O2). The

bloodstream can only absorb so much of it, and the excess gets breathed right back out again,


unchanged. The effects of hyperventilation come from breathing out too much CO2, which

maintains the body’s acid-base balance.

2. If you hold your breath, your blood (and therefore your entire body) starts to become more

acidic. If you breathe more than your body needs, your body begins to turn more alkaline.

3. Hyperventilation affects the brain, nervous system and circulatory system, causing the heart to

beat faster and the coronary blood vessels to constrict.

4. The body works harder when hyperventilating. The O2 cost of breathing goes from less than 2%

to up to 30% of total O2 consumption.

5. Rapid breathing increases turbulence within the airways, which is important in obstructive lung

diseases such as asthma.

Psychosocial Aspects

1. How we breathe and how we feel are intimately conjoined in a two-way loop. Feeling anxious

produces a distinctive pattern of upper chest breathing leading to a chain reaction of effects and

inducing anxiety, reinforcing the pattern.

2. We can imagine and anticipate situations that invoke stress and thereby have stress reactions

including stressed breathing patterns based on imaginary projections.

3. When teaching breathing, remember that emotional factors are often unconscious.

4. Sometimes dysfunctional breathing patterns, regardless of their origin, are maintained by pure

habit.

What Do Your Beginning Students Need to Be Sensitized To

1. Abdominal vs. upper chest breathing

2. Ratio of inhalation to exhalation (fostering a long, complete exhalation)

3. Rhythmic coordination of breathing muscles

4. Posture and its effects on Pranayama

Much of the information in this document is taken from Multidisciplinary Approaches to Breathing Pattern Disorders, by Chaitow, Bradley,

Gilbert


Pranayama and the Subtle Body

Breath practices are our gateway to the subtle energetic body, the bridge between the physical and the

astral. The acknowledgment of breath as sacred is ancient.

It is significant to note the words for breath in many languages point to the understanding of breath as a

link to the subtle planes. In Latin, Spiritus means both breath and spirit. In Greek pneuma means wind,

spirit and breath. In Hebrew, ruach, means spirit or breath.

As we focus attention on the breath, we often move from the physical body (annamaya kosha) to a

sense of things more subtle. Breath work moves us into the pranamaya kosha – the energy body.

Various breath practices can awakening and enlivening our felt sense of energetic movements through

our system. Some of the practices leave a subtle imprint, while the effect of others, like Kapalabhati, are

hard to miss! Approaching these practices with patience and curiosity is advised for both you and for

your students.

Prana – life force energy or “the force that motivates life.” On the subtle level prana is said to run

through the chakras and the nadis (subtle energy channels). When prana is heightened, it allows a

blossoming of pure consciousness.

Ayama – to lengthen or extend

Richard Rosen defines pranayama: “to expand and extend our supply of live force energy”. Many other

popular sources cite the definition of Pranayama as “controlling the breath”. While it is true that the

practices overlay a pattern on our habitual breathing, at no time do we want to use force or an attitude

of domination or manipulation of the breath that results in strain or gripping. More, we want to

cultivate a relationship with the breath based on curiosity and invitation. A relationship of welcoming

and inviting the breath to take a certain shape or pattern. A relationship based on kindness and

allowing will lead to freedom of our natural breath and greater ease in our bodies and minds. From one

perspective, there is an element of control, life force energy (breath) is retained, suspended,

abbreviated, extended and patterned to result in certain energetic states. Hopefully this is done with a

softness of heart, a gentle listening to the needs of the body and breath rather than with the dictates

and judgements of a rigidly striving mind.

More significant than any fancy patterned breathing or days long retentions, is the way that the breath

creates a contrast between what is changing and what is unchanging. As we spend time with the

breath, a quality of dynamic stillness issues forth and the inhalation and exhalation both, become

pointers back to the stillness from which they arise and return. Let this stillness pull at your curiosity

and at your heart and see where it lands you!


Pranayama Teaching Breathing

Both breath awareness and breathing techniques are an important part of training for every level of

student you teach. Most people do not breathe efficiently or easily and are not aware of the various

restrictions in their breathing patterns. These restrictions have a number of causes including habit, poor

posture, tension or long-held emotions. Even in the most experienced students some long-held patterns

release very slowly.

There are five main questions and principles to keep in mind when teaching breathing to beginners.

1. Are they breathing? Are they holding their breath?

For the few first few weeks of class, it is probably enough to focus on whether students are breathing

through their noses and whether the right parts of their bodies move as they breathe. Check to see that

the students are in fact breathing while they do the postures and the relaxation. It seems to be human

nature to hold the breath when we are doing something new or something difficult. Most beginners

hold their breath. As the teacher, discern which students habitually hold their breath, and train them to

recognize their own patterns. Simple things like getting students to notice at any particular time

whether they are inhaling or exhaling can be very helpful. Ask them to notice how they are breathing

when they are in a car or in an argument.

2. Are students breathing through the nose?

The nose is designed for breathing as it cleans and warms the air going into the lungs. The inside of the

nose is lined with very special tissue and nerve endings that stimulate and calm the brain. Swami

Satchidananda told his students, “If you want to breathe through your mouth, then you should eat

through your nose.” (It’s silly but people laugh at this saying and they remember it forever.) If people

are really congested, they can breathe through the mouth, returning to nose breathing as quickly as

possible.

3. Is there movement associated with the breath?

Many beginners have scarcely any body movement when breathing. Ask them to notice what moves

when they breathe and what does not. The Breathing Book by Donna Farhi describes the natural

oscillation of the body with the breath. As one becomes familiar with the natural movements of the

breath in a relaxed body, begin to guide students to find these movements within themselves. Have

them watch babies and sleeping spouses’ breath, noticing how the body moves when it breathes.

Two good poses for teachers to use when watching for beginners’ breathing patterns are Savasana and

Balasana (child’s pose). In Balasana, touch places on the students’ backs and ask them to breathe into

your hands. Encourage them to breathe into the upper, middle and lower back. Tadasana with the

hands in Namaste position gives students a reference point in looking at the breath. On an inhalation,

students should be able to feel the breastbone floating forward toward the hands and the side ribs

spreading out toward the upper arms.


Once they understand and actually feel this gentle ebb and flow of the breath in simple poses you can

help them to find it in more challenging poses. This will have the added benefit of preventing students

from becoming too rigid in poses. For example, in a pose like Vrksasana (tree pose), where there is a

tendency to hold the breath. Say something like this, “Remember when you were relaxed and lying on

the floor and your belly moved when you breathed? Can you find some of that movement in this pose?”

Let them know that it is more important to breathe than to stay rigidly in the pose.

4. Deeper, healthier breathing is always easier when the body is relaxed; relaxation is the foundation

of a breathing practice.

While it can be very useful to have students lie on the floor, notice the breath, and relax at the

beginning of class, it is easier to teach breath awareness and the techniques of yogic breathing at the

end of the class when they are stretched out and relaxed. Reserve the bulk of breath training for the

time in the class that directly follows Savasana, when students are most likely to be breathing in the

freest way for them. In those first few breaths at the end of Savasana, when they are still lying down,

ask them to notice their breath and to learn from this relaxed breath how to breathe throughout the

rest of the day. At this point, give them some specific breathing instructions; they will have less of a

tendency to strain. If they do strain, they will be more likely to notice it.

With beginners, start by teaching the most natural kind of free breathing. This is breath awareness as

opposed to Pranayama, which offers something specific to do or to change in the breath. For beginners,

simple breath awareness is very challenging and requires lots of practice. It feels new to them, as they

do not normally breath freely and easily. Breath awareness is mainly a way of teaching students to let go

of the restrictions to a natural breath.

Work towards having the students’ bellies gently rise and fall in a relaxed body as the upper body

remains fairly quiet. In a relaxed state the body does not need much oxygen so the breath is fairly

gentle. Once students can do this, or at least know enough to keep working with it on their own, you

can begin to deepen this abdominal breath and later move on to practice the 3-part breath (Deerga

Swasam).

5. Yogic breathing begins with the exhalation.

Help students complete their exhalations, so a full, relaxed inhalation will develop automatically.

Generally, when students think about breathing “better,” they want to take a deeper breath, and they

do so with all the muscles of the chest and shoulders (the secondary breathing muscles.) Even lying on

the floor they may immediately begin to strain with the thought of doing something “more.”

Instead, ask them to do less work. Ask them to relax and deepen the exhalation. They can learn to

complete the exhalation by gently dropping the abdomen towards the back at the end of the exhalation.

As they let the belly completely relax, the next inhalation will come of its own accord. They can

experience this breathing pattern more easily if they are lying down with a blanket or bolster under the

back, the knees bent, and the feet on the floor. Have them put their hands on their abdomen to more

easily feel the movement in their bellies.


Teaching Students the Anatomy and Physiology of Breathing

Explain the difference between the primary muscles of respiration and the secondary ones (see Donna

Farhi’s The Breathing Book and Anatomy of Movement by Blandine Calais-Germain). Students can easily

mimic the movements of using the secondary muscles to breath, so have them do this once to feel what

it is like.

Most students have heard of their diaphragm, but have no real idea of where it is located in the body.

Use a skeleton or a large picture of the body to show them where the diaphragm is. Have them touch

their own bodies to feel the ribs where the diaphragm attaches.

Explain that the attachments of the diaphragm include the tendons that attach to the lumbar vertebrae

on the inside of the spine, and that breathing (and the movement associated with breathing) is very

healthy for the spine and the lower back. Movement associated with the breath is much healthier for

the back than constant contraction and stabilization of the belly and back muscles, a popular practice

today. The movement of the diaphragm also rolls and massages the organs that reside below it.

Show students where the lungs are in the body and have them touch as much of this area as they can.

Make sure that they understand that the lungs have depth and press against the back of the ribs as well

as the front.

In Body3, Tom Myers describes how proper action of the ribcage in breathing helps to create length

through the vertebral column. Even though it could be argued that this is more than new students need

to know, it illustrates the incredible interconnections within the body and generally inspires students to

keep practicing.

Deep breathing stimulates the part of the brain that releases neuropeptides into the cerebrospinal fluid.

They travel all the way down the spinal cord and affect all systems of the body. Depressed people often

don’t breathe in a way that does this. Also the chest itself has baro-receptors that, when stretched by a

deep breath, signal the body to relax.

Be aware of several things right from the start and anticipate who needs help understanding healthy

breathing mechanisms. Ask yourself these questions:

• Whose belly seems “frozen,” and never moves as they are relaxing? Notice this whenever

students are lying on the floor, as well as in Savasana when you ask students to inflate the

abdomen and hold the breath there. Some people in class will not be able to do this and will

always take the breath up into the chest.

• Who has movement in the back when in Balasana, and who does not? What part of the back

moves the most?

• Who pulls the upper chest upward toward the head as they breathe?

• Who seems to be mainly inhaling, and who seems to be mainly exhaling?

• Whose chest is collapsed as part of their habitual posture?


• Who thrusts the chest or ribcage forward as part of their habitual posture?

• Whose shoulder blades are creeping up around their ears?

• Who breathes through the mouth?

Some breath training programs for various breathing dysfunctions teach the student to exhale through

the mouth. People trained that way may be reluctant to follow your directions. Encourage students to

try what you are suggesting, at least in yoga class, and then let them choose how they want to practice

at home.


Pranayama Three-Part Breath (Deerga Swasam)

Standard script for class on 3-part breath

First Part

Breath Awareness and the Belly Breath

Students have just finished Savasana and are getting ready to move for the first time since lying down.

Please bend the knees and bring the feet to the floor. This relaxes the abdominal muscles so that the

breath can be a little freer. Bend the arms at the elbows and bring your hands to your belly below the

navel if you can do so comfortably. This area is called the pelvic belly. Notice if there is any movement

under your hands. Pause. In a relaxed body, the belly will rise with the inhalation and fall away from

your hands on the exhalation. You were all breathing like this during the relaxation. This is generally

true—if you know it is not, you can omit this statement. If you are not experiencing this movement now

please do not be concerned; it will come with more relaxation and practice. Pause. This is not the time

to try and do anything with the breath, just observe it and feel what is happening. Pause.

Now we will learn how to deepen the breath with the first part of the 3-part Breath. As we go through

this, remember that the foundation of all yoga breathing practices is relaxation, so stay right with all the

relaxed sensations that you feel from Savasana as you explore this breath. Lengthen the next exhalation

slightly, ending with a gentle contraction of the belly so that you have exhaled completely. When you

have finished, completely relax the belly, and allow the inhalation to come in on its own. Let the next

exhalation be a little longer than it was when you were just observing the breath and, again, let it end

with the contraction of the abdominal muscles back toward the spine. When you are ready to inhale,

relax the belly and let the air gently come in a little deeper than usual. Pause. This is called the Belly

Breath. As before, you may feel the belly rise with the inhalation and fall during the exhalation. In yoga,

each breath begins with the exhalation so that the lungs are empty and ready to receive the air that

comes in with the inhalation, therefore we emphasize the exhalation. Empty first, then fill. This is also

more relaxing for the nervous system. So let there be a bit more attention on the exhalation and feel as

though you are simply receiving the inhalation. Once you have emptied the lungs the body knows how

to inhale and you can let it happen, rather than forcing it. Pause.

Now, as you continue with the belly breath, briefly scan the body and check to see that you are not

creating any tension as you breathe. If you notice any tension, let it go if you can; if not, discontinue the

practice and relax in Savasana again. Pause. As you continue the belly breath for a couple of more

rounds remember to let all the breathing be through the nose. This too, is calming for the nervous

system, and the air is warmed, moistened and filtered as it comes into your lungs. Pause.

Now let the breath return to whatever is natural and easy for you: a simple inhalation, a simple

exhalation. Allow the body to relax again as you feel the effects of all the practices we have done so far.

Pause. This type of breathing will become easier and more calming for you as you practice it regularly.

A good time to practice is in bed just before going to sleep. Taking a few minutes to do the Belly Breath


will help you to release any mental or physical tensions accumulated throughout the day and prepare

you for a restful night’s sleep. Another good time to practice is first thing in the morning before you get

out of bed.

Taking all the time you need, bend your knees one at a time and roll to the side. Lie here doing nothing

at all. Pause. With your hands, bring yourself back to sitting, using whatever props you need to sit

comfortably. From here finish off the class.

Adding the Second Part

In this session, we will begin to focus on the breath as we did last week, but we will add the second part

of the 3-part breath. Bend the knees, bringing the feet to the floor. Bring the hands to the pelvic belly

just below the navel, allowing the elbows to rest comfortably on the floor. Watch the breath come and

go as it is right now, without trying to change or control it. Notice that, even though it is quite shallow

as you come out of the relaxation practice, there is still movement under the hands: the belly rises on

the inhalation and falls on the exhalation. Pause.

Now we’ll continue with the first part of the 3-part breath, the belly breath. As you complete your next

exhalation, end with a contraction of the abdominal muscles under your hands. Once you feel that as

much air as possible has been emptied out of the lungs, relax the belly and allow the inhalation to come

in. You will probably feel this as the belly rises some under your hands. Continue to lengthen and

complete each exhalation, then relax and gently inflate the belly on the inhalation. Pause. At this point

all of the movement of the breath is focused in the belly area: the ribcage and especially the upper

chest are hardly moving, if they are moving at all, for this first part of the breath. Pause.

To add the second part of the breath, begin by moving your hands to the lower ribcage just below your

breasts. If you can do so comfortably, have your fingertips nearly touch on top of the ribcage, as the

palms are more to the sides. Begin each breath as before, by lengthening and completing each

exhalation. Allow the belly to relax as you inhale but now bring the breath and the feeling of inflation

up into the lower ribcage area. Let the ribs retract as you exhale, and end the exhalation with a

contraction of the abdominal muscles. Again, relax the belly and bring the inhalation into the lower ribs.

As you do this, the front of the ribcage moves up toward the ceiling and the sides of the ribs under your

palms move sideways. Now, let the ribs relax and retract as you begin the exhalation, ending with a

contraction of the belly muscles. Just as we emphasized last week, there is a little more attention given

to the exhalation than to the inhalation, though this inhalation is still probably deeper than one of your

normal shallow breaths. Pause.

Note: Depending on how much time is left in class, keep elaborating on the basic points as the students

continue the practice. If you think that people are drifting off or dozing, you can put the lights up just a

bit or walk around the room so that your voice comes from different places. This will help them to stay

alert. Lastly, have students discontinue the practices and return to simple inhalation, a simple

exhalation. Have them roll to the side and, eventually, sit up.


Adding the Third Part

In this session, we will focus on the breath again and finish all the parts of the 3-part breath we have

been learning. Bend the knees, bringing the feet to the floor. Bring the hands to the pelvic belly just

below the navel, allowing the elbows to rest comfortably on the floor. As before begin by simply

watching the breath come and go as it is right now, without trying to change or control it. Notice that

even though it is quite shallow as you come out of the relaxation, there is still movement under the

hands: the belly rises on the inhalation and falls on the exhalation. Notice if this is easier for you to feel

now that you have been watching for this for a few weeks. Pause.

Continue with the first part of the 3-part breath, the belly breath. As you complete your next

exhalation, end with a contraction of the abdominal muscles under your hands. Once you feel that you

have exhaled completely, relax the belly and allow the inhalation to come in. You will probably feel this

as the belly rise some under your hands. Continue to lengthen and complete each exhalation, then relax

and gently inflate the belly on the inhalation. Pause. At this point all of the movement of the breath is

focused in the belly area: the ribcage and especially the upper chest are barely moving for this first part

of the breath. Pause.

Now add the second part again. Move your hands to the lower ribcage. Begin this breath as before by

completing the exhalation with a slight contraction of the abdominal muscles. Now, let the belly relax

and take the expansive quality of the inhalation into the lower ribcage where it expands toward the

ceiling and out to the sides. This expansive movement also lengthens the spine. To exhale, let the ribs

retract toward the body and end with the slight contraction of the abdominal muscles to complete the

exhalation. Again, allow the belly to relax and the lower ribs to fill with air. At this point the diaphragm

is spreading down toward the hips to create more room for air to come into the lungs. As you exhale,

the ribs retract and the diaphragm domes up toward the lungs to help press air from the lungs. Pause.

Remember that relaxation is the foundation of all we are doing in yogic breathing so that there is no

added strain to your system as you explore breathing more deeply. Check to see that the eyes and jaw

remain relaxed, and that the legs continue to fall heavily into the floor.

Now we will add the last part of the 3-part breath. Leave one hand on your ribs and move the other one

to your upper chest if you can do so comfortably. As always, begin this breath by completing the

exhalation with a contraction of the belly muscles. Now allow the belly to relax and bring the air into

the lower ribcage, expanding it. Continue the breath up into the upper chest expanding that as well. To

exhale, release the upper chest, then the ribs, and then the belly ending with a contraction. Inhale,

relax the belly, inflate the lower ribs with breath, and on up into the upper chest. When you breathe

into the upper chest you may feel the collarbones rise and spread, but the shoulders should stay

relaxed. Begin the exhalation by releasing the upper chest, then the ribs, and finally the belly, always

ending with that slight contraction to empty the lungs. Continue this full Three Part Breath for a few

rounds now as you fill from the belly through the ribs and on up into the upper chest. As you exhale the

body is emptied from the top down. Pause.


As you continue to breathe this way let the breath be more like one big wave, rather than three

separate parts: a long, slow, smooth exhalation, followed by a long, slow, smooth inhalation.

Relaxation continues to be the foundation of this practice, as you take in seven times more air than in a

normal shallow breath. Let the breath be completely absorbed into each cell of the body. Pause.

Because you are lying here relaxed you are not using the energy that comes in with the breath, and the

body will store it as if you are recharging your batteries. After a few minutes of breathing this way you

will generally feel totally relaxed, yet quite energized. Studies have shown that as little as five minutes

of this breath will deepen all your other breaths for the entire day even if you do not focus on breathing

again for the day. Pause.

Now we will discontinue the practice by allowing the breath to return to a simple exhalation and

inhalation. Release the hands to the sides, and roll over to one side. Rest here for a moment. Pause.

Using your hands, press up into a comfortable sitting position. Finish the class from here.

Other Breathing Practices

Another way to teach students about the natural movement of the diaphragm is in Setu Bandha

Sarvangasana (bridge pose) with the hips resting up on a block. In this pose the diaphragm naturally

releases into correct position with the exhalation because of its relationship to gravity. Because

students’ hips are elevated, the diaphragm drops toward the floor (which is also toward the lungs) on

the exhalation. Often this is the first way people can feel this action.

If someone is reverse breathing or breathing only in the chest, work with them in several ways. One

way to help is to sit at their head and put your hands on their chest. Show them how much activity

there is under your hands and ask them to keep this area still while they move more in the abdomen or

the lower ribs. Another way is to use a breath pillow. Once introduced to the class, any chest breather

or reverse breather should use them on the abdomen each week from then on, even if not all the

students are using them.

Anatomically, breath comes in the nose and goes down into the lungs. Several images are helpful to

create the proper muscular action even though they don’t reflect actual anatomical actions. Because so

many people tend to pull their inhalations in a strongly upward direction, invite them to drop the

inhalation as deep in the body as they are able before they bring it up. Rodney Yee talks about taking

the inhalation down into the groins before bringing it up through the body, and this can be very helpful

in creating a healthy breath experience.

Envision filling the lungs as one would fill any other container—from the bottom to the top. Imagine a

glass of water: as it fills, it fills from the bottom to the top. Exhaling, empty from the top to the bottom.

Breathing in a seated position feels very different from breathing lying down. Not only does gravity

affect the movement of the diaphragm differently, but also it is harder to sit up with a long spine in a

relaxed way for most people. Still, students will eventually have to learn to do breath work sitting up. If

there is time in class, have students sit up and practice three-part breathing after Savasana.


Further Breath Explorations in the Beginners Course

Once the students have been trained in the 3-part breath, add several helpful elements to the practice.

One is the use of weights. To better feel the belly breathe, have students place sandbags on the belly

and breathe into the feeling of the weight. This is especially helpful in the lower rib area, where few

people have good movement in the beginning. Once they have been breathing with the weights for a

few minutes, have them remove them (or even better, you lift them off). The feeling of expansion and

freedom that comes after the weights are off can be very helpful to the students.

After the students are comfortable with the 3-part breath and have adequate practice, train students in

the breath in a seated position. Go through the entire practice lying down as usual, perhaps taking a

little less time than before. Then have them sit up, get comfortable, and begin the practice while they

are seated. Because they are in a new relationship to gravity, the 3-part breath will feel different, and

they will have to work a little harder to sit upright. Still, people spend a good deal of time sitting, so it is

very useful for them do this practice sitting. Remind them that this is the breath to use if they need

more energy during the day or if they start to feel tense at work, in the car, or in a family situation.

Add a meditative focus to their breathing. As they exhale invite them to let go of whatever they do not

need. On a physical level they are letting go of carbon dioxide and other waste materials. They can also

let go of emotional stresses, tensions, habits, and so forth. On the inhalation invite them to fill up with

whatever they want more of in their lives, from more oxygen to more peace and loving kindness. As

always, have them empty first what is not wanted before filling up.

Breath Pillows and Bolsters

At Yoga on High, teachers have access to breath pillows, sandbags that shape to the body and highlight

the action of the breath. It is recommended to use them at least once or twice during the New

Beginners course and occasionally in other levels as well. Place the pillow snugly over the lower ribs and

ask students to breathe so that the sandbag moves up on the inhalation and down on the exhalation.


Pranayama Techniques

Ujjayi Breath – victorious breath

“Breathing is our most fundamental and vital act and holds a divine essence; exhalation is a movement

towards God, and inhalation an inspiration from God.” --Lino Miele paraphrasing Pattabhi Jois—

Uj is a prefix which means “to expand.” Jayi means “success” or “victory.”

Ujjayi breath is produced by narrowing the passageway of the throat (the glottis). It is characterized by a

unique hissing sound that is caused by this slight conscious constriction of the throat as the breath

travels through the larynx and over the vocal cords. The velocity of the air passing through the throat is

increased, which generates the sound of Ujjayi breath. The same action that softens the speech when

we whisper creates the sound in Ujjayi.

Listening to the sound of the Ujjayi breath is attentiveness training and is a tool to help us practice

mindfulness. The act of listening to Ujjayi refines the breath and quiets the mind. Breathing in this way

allows you to produce a constant flow, a fixed pattern, from which the asanas can manifest.

Pre-Ujjayi Exercises for Students

• Try speaking your name in a whisper.

• Now whisper your name again, this time with the mouth closed.

• Notice how the enunciation of words comes from the back of your throat, where the whisper

emanates.

• Whisper an “ahhh” sound with the mouth open. Draw it out.

• Now close your mouth and again whisper “ahhh.”

• You should feel a subtle tightening at the back of the palate, where the hiss of the whisper

originates.

• Try this on an inhalation. It is generally more difficult to produce as strong a sound with the

inhalation. Don’t worry. This takes time to learn.

• Try again, inhaling and exhaling with the mouth closed, keeping the air passing over and through the

area at the back of the throat where the sound of a whisper originates.

Adding bandhas—internal locks—to the Ujjayi breath further helps to train and strengthen the

intercostal and diaphragm muscles. This increases lung capacity and also strengthens the mind.


Bandha Exercise for Ujjayi Breath

• Establish mula bandha, the contraction of the perineal muscles, with an exhalation.

• With an inhalation, establish uddiyana bandha, the hollowing out of the lower belly. This action

should feel as if it were triggering the inhalation.

• When uddiyana is held, the lower belly will not expand during the inhalation.

Nadi Shodana

Nadi Shodana is a calming, balancing, centering breath. To practice it:

1. Sit in a cross-legged position, well-aligned and comfortable. Alternately, you can sit in a chair

without leaning against its back. You may wish to place a wedge-shaped blanket on the seat of

the chair if the chair seat is not flat or you find your low back rounding toward the wall behind

you. The feet are on the floor or a folded blanket if that is more comfortable.

2. If you are right handed, turn the index and middle fingers into the palm of the right hand. Curve

the thumb and ring and little finger slightly so that when you press again the side of the nose

you will be pressing with the tip of the fingers/thumb, not the flat.

3. Bow the head slightly.

4. Close the right nostril with the right thumb and breathe out through the left nostril. To close the

nostril, press the tip of the right thumb against the ridge of bone in the nostril.

5. With the right nostril still closed, breathe in through the left nostril.

6. Close both nostrils.

7. Open the right nostril, and breathe out through the right.

8. Breathe in through the right.

9. Close both.

10. Essentially, you are breathing out, then in, through one nostril; changing sides, and breathing

out and in through the second side. Repeat as desired.

Nadi Shodana balances the energies of the nostrils. Normally one nostril or the other is dominant, and

dominance switches back and forth between nostrils throughout the day and night, so don’t be

surprised to find it easier to breath through one side when you begin Nadi Shodana. Strive for a slow,

steady, even breath that, again, avoids upper chest breathing. This can be an Ujjayi breath.

Refer to the resources on your recommended reading list for more information on these topics.

The basic technique for beginners to practice is the 3-part breath because it teaches a complete, low

belly breath and lets students know whether they are chest breathers. If students are chest breathers,

they should concentrate on the 3-part breath and not practice Kapalabhati breathing until they can

control their breath with the diaphragm. Nadi sSodana can be practiced in moderation but should still

be done as a low-belly breath.


Kapalabhati Breath

To practice Kapalabhati:

1. Sit in a cross-legged position, well-aligned and comfortable. Alternately, you can sit in a chair

without leaning against its back. You may wish to place a wedge-shaped blanket on the seat of

the chair if the chair seat is not flat or you find your low back rounding toward the wall behind

you. The feet are on the floor or a folded blanket it that is more comfortable.

2. Place the hands on the legs, palms up. Other hand positions are appropriate (palms down,

mudras), but this position encourages the best arm/chest position in beginners. Beginners often

place their hands together in their lap, at the body’s midline, which should be avoided. That

tends to roll the shoulders forward and sink the breastbone into the body.

3. Keep the shoulders broad and your shoulder blades firm on the back.

4. Nod the head forward slightly (soft jalandhara banda). Close the eyes or gazing softly down the

nose.

5. On each exhalation, sharply contract your low belly muscles, which will encourage a strong

upward movement of the diaphragm and a short, sharp breath out.

6. Each inhalation, release the diaphragm and take the time you need for a complete, passive

inhalation. This is not forced.

7. Pace this practice as you need; your pace will change with practice.

8. To begin, do 3 rounds of 10 to 15 breaths (exhale/inhale) each. Take one or more normal

breaths between rounds. You can increase the number of breaths per round and rounds per

practice over time.

The shoulders should remain passive during Kapalabhati. If your shoulders and upper chest move during

Kapalabhati, return to the normal breath; you are chest breathing. You have lost the integrity of the

practice if your pace becomes ragged or you feel breathless or agitated. Do not force this practice.

Never teach Kapalabhati to others unless you have a regular Kapalabhati practice yourself.

Kapalabhati is actually a kriya, a cleansing, detoxifying practice. It is heating and stimulating and you will

find it can over-stimulate some students, but it is extremely beneficial when practiced correctly.

Do not practice Kapalabhati when pregnant, with eye diseases that affect eye pressure (glaucoma), with

untreated high blood pressure or before sleeping—Kapalabhati practiced in the evening can disturb

sleep cycles. It leads easily into meditation.


Viloma Breath

Viloma means against the grain. In Viloma pranayama, inhalation or exhalation is done with several

pauses. Thus the time taken to complete a Viloma inhalation or exhalation will be longer than that of

the normal or Ujjai inhalation or exhalation.

To practice Viloma:

1. Begin by watching the natural breath. 2. As you feel ready to begin the Viloma practice, set up your own rhythm, (for the first times in

this practice, pause for only a count of 1, over time, this count may be lengthened - as long as there is no gripping or strain).

3. Keep the breath steady and consistent without strain as you begin a three part inhalation. Inhale, pause Inhale, pause Inhale, pause Loooooooong smooth exhale.

4. If you become breathless or agitated, or if there's grasping/gripping, return to the natural breath.

5. If you’d like to build on this foundation, practice with pauses on the exhalation: Exhale, pause Exhale, pause Exhale, pause Smooth Inhale.

6. Finally, a third phase may be taught. Add the two together: Inhale pause Inhale, pause Inhale, pause Exhale, pause Exhale, pause Exhale, pause

Let this practice and the ratios be an experiment - take your time. No rush, nowhere you need to get . . . let ease be your guide.


“How the Body Breathes” It may be different than you think. by Roger Cole

Different schools of yoga advocate widely different breathing techniques, but they all rely on the same

physical apparatus to move air in and out of the lungs. Understanding the mechanics of breathing can

help you get more out of your preferred method, whatever it is. So let’s take a close look at the physical

structures that allow us to inhale and exhale. Along the way, we’ll bust some myths, reveal some

surprises, and try out some helpful tricks. Think of the trunk, from the top of the ribcage to the bottom

of the pelvis, as a partly flattened cylinder, divided inside into an upper section and a lower section. The

divider is the diaphragm, a roughly dome-shaped sheet of muscle whose lower border approximately

follows the lower border of the ribcage, and whose highest point lies just below mid-chest. The space

above the diaphragm is the thoracic (chest) cavity, bounded by the ribcage and spine. The space below

is the abdominal cavity, whose walls are partly bony (lower ribcage, spine, pelvis, sacrum), and partly

muscular (abdominal muscles and quadratus lumborum muscle). The only organs in the thoracic cavity

are the heart, lungs, and thymus gland. The abdominal cavity contains all the other organs of the trunk

(liver, stomach, spleen, pancreas, intestines, bladder, and so forth). The lungs cover a lot of territory:

their highest point (apex) lies behind and slightly above the clavicles (collar bones), and their lowest

point, on deep inhalation, nearly fills the angular recess between the diaphragm and the bottom of the

ribcage. The thoracic cavity is mostly filled with air, contained inside the lungs, but the abdominal cavity

is filled with organs and fluid. One of the most important things to understand, if you want to know how

breathing works, is that the thoracic cavity can readily increase or decrease in volume while the

abdominal cavity cannot. Thoracic volume can change because the air inside can compress or expand,

and, if the airway is open, air can flow out to or in from the outside world to compensate for volume

changes. Abdominal volume cannot change because the organs and fluid that fill it are not compressible

and cannot readily escape. If you press on the abdomen, the fluid merely shifts to a new position,

changing the shape of the cavity without changing the total volume of enclosed fluid. The familiar

analogy to this is a water balloon: if you set it on a table and press down on top of it, it will partially

flatten while bulging out on all sides.

The fundamental principle of breathing is extremely simple: to get air into the lungs, increase their

volume, and to get air out, decrease their volume. Increasing lung volume creates low pressure, causing

air to flow in, and decreasing volume creates high pressure, pushing air out. The design of the lungs

makes them always conform to the internal contours of the thoracic cavity, even as its shape changes,

so anything that increases thoracic volume also increases lung volume, drawing breath inward, and vice-

versa. Therefore, if we learn how to regulate the volume of the chest cavity, we learn how to physically

regulate the breath. How, then, do we control thoracic volume? The simple answer is that movements

of the diaphragm change the vertical dimension of the chest cavity by moving its floor down or up, and

movements of the ribcage change its horizontal dimensions by moving its walls in or out. But in reality,

things are much less simple, and much more interesting, because the diaphragm also moves the ribs;

the ribs move the diaphragm, and the spine, abdomen, pelvis, arms, legs, and neck can all directly or


indirectly move both. So even at the musculoskeletal level, breathing involves our whole body. Let’s take

a closer look.

The ribcage consists of twelve pairs of ribs. Each rib attaches to the spine and curves around toward the

front of the body. The front end of each rib, except the twelfth, is tipped with cartilage, called costal

cartilage. The costal cartilages of the first seven ribs are short and connect directly to the breastbone

(sternum) in front. Those of ribs 8 through 10 curve upward and merge with the cartilage of the rib

above. Thus, the first 10 ribs, along with their cartilages and the sternum, form a closed “cage.” The

cartilaginous tip of rib 11 and the bony tip of rib 12 are not tethered in front, so these ribs are called

“floating ribs.” The attachments of the ribs to the spine in back and to cartilage or soft tissue in front

allow them to swing up and down. Rib action is often compared to that of a bucket handle: when you lift

the handle from a downward to a horizontal position, it also swings out sideways, away from the bucket.

Similarly, when we lift our ribs they swing out away from the body, increasing the side-to side dimension

of the thoracic cavity. This sideways effect is especially pronounced in the lower part of the ribcage. The

spinal attachments of the upper ribs are oriented a little differently, so when they lift they cause the

sternum to swing up and forward, away from the spine, increasing the front to-back dimension of the

thoracic cavity. The overall effect of lifting the ribcage is to increase the volume of the chest cavity by

expanding the thoracic walls horizontally in two dimensions. Lifting the ribs, then, causes inhalation, and

letting them back down causes exhalation. Large movements of the ribcage take a lot of energy,

however, so in ordinary life we reserve this type of breathing, for times when we need extra air flow,

such as exercise.

During quiet, spontaneous breathing, we usually get all of the air we need from the up and down motion

of the diaphragm. The roof of the dome-like the diaphragm is formed by a large, flat, tendon, called the

central tendon, oriented in a mostly horizontal direction, and the walls are formed by muscle fibers that

emerge from all sides of the tendon and run in a generally vertical direction down to their points of

attachment. These attachment points form a ring, higher in front and lower in back, around the

circumference of the lower thorax. They include the xiphoid process (at the lower end of the sternum),

the cartilages and/or bones of ribs 7-12, related ligaments, and the upper lumbar spine. When the

diaphragm’s muscle fibers contract they pull the central tendon and the bottom of the ribcage closer to

one another. If the ribs are not allowed to lift, these vertically oriented fibers pull the central tendon

down toward the base of the ribcage, partially flattening the diaphragm’s dome shape as its roof

descends toward its foundation. This is the motion most people associate with the diaphragm. It

increases the top-to-bottom dimension of the thoracic cavity, drawing air into the lungs. Since the

diaphragm sits atop the fluid-and-organ-filled abdominal cavity, downward movement of its dome

causes the abdomen to bulge outward, causing the familiar forward and sideward expansion of the belly

that we associate with breathing (there is less backward expansion because the spine and floating ribs

block much of it).

Now it’s time to bust a few myths. Myth 1 is the notion that the deepest breathing is “abdominal”

breathing, in which the belly is seen protruding maximally on inhalation and the ribs don’t lift. In fact,

the deepest inhalation occurs when thoracic volume increases to its maximum, and that requires both

vertical and horizontal of the thorax, which requires both flattening of the diaphragm and expansion of


the ribcage. The ribcage only expands when the ribs lift up, so a purely “abdominal” breath that leaves

them down cannot produce the deepest breathing.

A second myth is that a breath that does not cause the belly to protrude is not a “diaphragmatic”

breath. While it is true that whenever the belly puffs out on inhalation, the motion is caused by

contraction of the diaphragm, it is not true that contraction of the diaphragm must always cause the

belly to puff out. When a strong contraction of the diaphragm is combined with a strong lift of the

ribcage, the belly does not protrude much, if at all. The reason for this is that the bottom of the

diaphragm is attached to the bottom of the ribcage, so lifting the ribcage brings the bottom of the

diaphragm closer to the top of the diaphragm. This allows the diaphragm’s muscle fibers to contract

without pulling the top of the diaphragm (the central tendon) downward toward their attachment

points on the lower ribs, because instead the lower ribs move upward toward the top of the diaphragm.

Since the top of the diaphragm does not move down, it does not press down on the abdominal

contents, so the belly does not puff out. This means that during the deepest inhalation, with the ribs

lifted as high as they can go, the diaphragm can contract maximally without moving the central tendon

down much, if at all. The resulting breath is both “diaphragmatic,” in the sense of using the diaphragm

to its fullest, and “deep,” in the sense of bringing in a lot of air on inhalation, but it creates little or no

puffing of the belly. This analysis is not a judgment that breathing one way or the other is “right” or

“wrong.” What we are doing here is just trying to describe accurately what is going on at the mechanical

level when we breathe in different ways.

A third myth is that the diaphragm cannot not lift the ribcage. In fact, the diaphragm can and often does

lift the ribcage very strongly (although it is certainly not the only muscle that lifts the ribs). Remember,

again, that its fibers are attached to the xiphoid process and to the costal cartilages or bones of the

lowest six ribs, and run in a primarily vertical direction upward from these points to the central tendon,

so they are perfectly placed to pull the ribs up toward the tendon if the tendon is held in place and not

allowed to move down. Stabilizing the central tendon is very easy to do, all that is necessary is to

contract the abdominal muscles so the waist cannot bulge out on inhalation. If the waist can’t bulge, the

abdominal contents can’t move down significantly, so as the diaphragm contracts and tries to pull its

central tendon down, the abdominal organs and fluid prevent it from moving. The central tendon now

acts as a stable platform, and the diaphragm’s contracting muscle fibers pull the ribs up toward it. The

diaphragm is attached directly to the lower part of the ribcage, so it lifts the lower six ribs most strongly,

but the rest of the ribcage follows, because all the ribs are attached to one another via cartilage, the

sternum, and/or soft tissue. There is a catch, though. There are several layers of abdominal muscles (the

rectus abdominis in front, two layers of oblique abdominals on the sides, and the transversus

abdominus underneath them all), all of which include a portion that attaches to the lower ribcage, and

all of which tend to pull the ribs down when they contract. So strong abdominal contraction during

inhalation will not only make it difficult for the diaphragm’s central tendon to move down, it will also

make it hard for the lower ribs to lift up. This will tend to hold the diaphragm muscle fibers at a fixed

length while contracting, that is, it will result in isometric exercise for the diaphragm. It is possible,

however, through skillful, selective contraction of some of the lower abdominal muscle fibers along with


lengthening contraction (eccentric contraction) or relative relaxation of the upper fibers, to deliberately

use the diaphragm to help lift the ribcage (see Practice).

As long as we’re on the topic of lifting the ribs during inhalation, let’s see what other muscles, beside the

diaphragm, can do it. The list is rather long. The scalenus anterior, medius, and posterior muscles run

from the side of the neck to the first or second rib, and help lift the ribcage from there. You can feel your

left scalenus anterior muscle contracting by turning your head to the right, placing the fingers of your

right hand on your left neck in the flat area about one inch (2.5 cm) to the left of the bulging neck

muscle (the sternocleidomastoid) and two inches (5 cm) above your clavicle, returning your head to

neutral, and lifting your chest as high as you can. The external intercostal muscles fill the spaces

between each rib, angling forward and down. They help lift the ribcage in two ways. First, when other

muscles, such as the scalenus anterior, lift the rib above them, they help transmit the force to the rib

below. Second, the external intercostals provide their own independent lifting force to the ribs by sliding

the rib above them backward relative to the rib below. The ingenious geometry of the ribcage dictates

that this action will lift the ribs upward. Some experts believe that the internal intercostal muscles,

which lie below the externals and run perpendicular to them, can also able help with inhalation, but

they are more often associated with exhalation. Serratus posterior superior (ribs 2-5), and levatores

costarum breves and longus (all ribs) run from the spinal column diagonally downward to nearby ribs,

providing the ability to voluntarily boost the lift of individual ribs from the rear.

Several shoulder or arm muscles can help lift the ribs, either directly or indirectly, if the arms or shoulder

blades are fixed in the right position. These include pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, latissimus dorsi,

and others. Backbending the upper back also lifts the ribs, so muscles that extend the thoracic spine,

such as longissimus thoracis and spinalis thoracis, can help deepen inhalation. Muscles that side-bend

the thoracic spine cause the ribs on one side to lift while those on the opposite side drop, causing one

lung to inhale while the other exhales. Additional neck or head muscles, such as the sternocleidomastoid

and iliocostalis cervicis can also help lift the ribs in some situations. There is more to breathing than just

inhaling. Anything that moves the diaphragm upward in the thoracic cavity or drops the ribs down and

inward toward the spine squeezes the lungs, forcing air out of them. A large part of exhalation happens

passively when you relax the muscles of inhalation. The lungs are elastic, like a balloon, and inhaling

stretches them, so when you remove the effort to inhale they spring back toward their former size,

pulling the ribs and diaphragm along with them. Elastic recoil of the costal cartilages (which twist or flex

during inhalation) and the internal intercostal muscles (which stretch during inhalation) also helps bring

the ribs back to neutral. Puffing the belly out on inhalation stretches the abdominal muscles, so when

you release the effort of inhaling, elastic recoil of those muscles pushes the peritoneal fluid in and up

against the bottom of the diaphragm, moving it deeper into the chest cavity and forcing air out of the

lungs. Because of all these factors, you can often get most or all of the exhalation you need simply by

letting go of the diaphragm and the other muscles that lift the ribs. Relaxing these muscles completely

usually requires conscious attention though, because we often hold them tense without realizing it.

Some schools of breathing use only passive exhalation, and recommend not trying to force out

additional air.


Before we leave the topic of passive exhalation, let’s consider some effects of posture. Forward bending

poses promote exhalation by bringing the ribs toward the spine and pushing on the belly, forcing the

abdominal contents up against the bottom of the diaphragm. In reclining poses, and especially inverted

poses, gravity helps the abdominal contents push the diaphragm deeper into the chest cavity. On the

other hand, if you are in a backbend, or even if you just stand with your arms raised high overhead, and

you want your ribs to remain lifted and your belly soft, it is difficult to exhale. The key to breathing in

this situation is to fully relax your diaphragm and allow it to move upward in your chest cavity. It helps

to deliberately allow your lower ribs to move inward toward the midline, being careful not to actively

pull them in. The resulting exhalation sets you up for a deeper inhalation on the next breath. If you want

to go beyond passive exhalation to get additional air out of your lungs, there are plenty of ways to do it.

Contracting all of your abdominal muscles at once gives you the biggest payoff, because it

simultaneously squeezes your abdominal cavity and pulls your ribs down and inward. Contracting your

quadratus lumborum muscles, which connect your twelfth ribs to the back rim of your pelvis, is also very

valuable for the similar reasons. Since these maneuvers put pressure on the organs and fluid in your

abdominal cavity, all the way down to the base of the pelvis, it may also help you get a bit more air out

of your lungs if you contract the muscles of your pelvic floor at the same time to apply a little more

upward push. To complete the picture, you can contract additional muscles that pull the ribs downward:

the internal intercostals, the transverses thoracis (which lies on the inside of the front chest wall,

connecting the sternum to the ribcage), the subcostal muscles (on the inside of the rear chest wall,

connecting one rib to another), and the serratus posterior inferior, which runs upward diagonally from

the upper lumbar and lower thoracic spine to pull down on the lowest four ribs.

Practice

This is not a formal pranayama practice, but rather a breath awareness exercise. Its purpose

is to compare ordinary breathing with two types of diaphragmatic breathing: one that minimizes rib

movement and emphasizes belly movement, and another that minimizes belly movement by

counter-balancing it with rib movement. The most important thing to remember while working with the

breath is to remain calm and comfortable at all times. Never force, and if you feel strain or agitation,

stop and let the breath come back to normal. If the breath “gets away from you,” pause and let it come

back to its natural, satisfying rhythm and depth before proceeding with any exercise or pranayama

practice. This is especially important if you are just starting to learn your first breathing practice,

because in the future, whenever you undertake any practice, you will tend to return by default to the

patterns and habits you learned first. Hint: to steady your mind, direct your gaze unwaveringly

downward under closed eyelids during both inhalation and exhalation.

Lie in Savasana. Pause and find how deeply you can exhale without contracting any muscles to do so.

Simply relax your abdomen, ribcage and diaphragm, allowing your ribs to move inward and down while

your diaphragm moves up, deeper into your thoracic cavity. At the end of exhalation, let a little more

breath out without using any force to do so. Inhale normally. Repeat for several breaths. Despite its

simplicity, this alone is a powerful and far-reaching breathing exercise. Now place your palms on your

lower ribs with the tips of your middle fingers touching one another about 2-3" below your sternum.


Breathe spontaneously for several breaths, noting the up and down movement of your abdomen and

the separation, if any, of your fingertips on inhalation. Now, at the end of a normal exhalation, again

extend the out breath passively by consciously relaxing your abdomen, ribcage and diaphragm to let out

a little more air without forcing. Use this exhalation throughout the exercises below.

Diaphragmatic breath with moving belly: Place one hand on your lower abdomen just below your navel,

the other on your chest. Inhale slowly, maximizing the upward movement of your belly under your

hands while avoiding movement of your ribcage. On exhalation let your belly fall passively and exhale as

completely as you can without pushing. Repeat several times.

Diaphragmatic breath with stable belly: Place your palms on your lower ribcage as before, middle

fingertips touching at the end of exhalation. As you begin to inhale, subtly tighten your abdominal

muscles just enough to prevent your belly from rising. As you continue to inhale, keep your abdomen

stable, but soft enough to allow your lower ribs to lift up and apart (this lift will occur automatically; it is

caused by the diaphragm, but you can encourage it by adding a deliberate effort to gently lift and spread

your lower ribs). The movement should separate your middle fingertips without making your belly lift or

fall. On exhalation allow your ribs to return to their starting position so the middle fingertips touch as

before; fully relax your abdomen, ribcage and diaphragm to breathe out as completely as possible

without pushing. Throughout inhalation and exhalation, carefully balance all actions to keep your

abdomen dead level, moving neither up nor down. Occasionally shift your hands to your lower belly to

check whether you are achieving this. When finished, lie quietly for several minutes.

CHAPTER 4. Pranayama - Yoga on High

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