To a certain degree, yes. We continue to breath, throughout the day and even the night when we are asleep, whether we give it much attention or not. But how well are we breathing and how does this affect us both physically and mentally?
For many of us, our breathing becomes modified and restricted in all sorts of ways, and this becomes habitual. When I started yoga I became much more aware of my breath and realised it could be shallow and irregular and that I often held it unnecessarily. It was almost as if there was some kind of block stopping me inhaling fully and allowing my body to expand to let the air in. Instead I would find myself tensing up and it was as if the breath was pushing against something.
Our breathing can be hugely affected by our physical and mental state. When we are scared or excited the breath may speed up, when we are stressed or tense the breath can get caught high up in our chest or throat, and when we are relaxed the breath tends to slow down.
So it figures that if we control the way we breathe, we can in turn influence how we feel, both in our body and mind. And this can be a very powerful tool to help in all sorts of situations. Whether it’s struggling to switch off your mind and get to sleep or trying to manage anxiety and find a sense of calm.
Yogic breathing, known as pranayama, can help us to establish regular breathing patterns. By combining abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing, thoracic breathing (expanding and contracting the rib cage) and clavicular breathing (upper ribs and collar bone are pulled upwards) it maximises our inhalation and exhalation. This in turn increases the benefits. On a physical level it reduces the toxins from our body and so prevents diseases and it improves our metabolism and therefore digestion. It also helps to relax the body allowing us to let go of tension and conserve our energy.
By focussing on our breath and even counting along with it, we can give ourselves the space and time to reflect on the feelings we are experiencing and let go. This can help to manage our emotions and reactions.
In a world where we are plagued by images of flat tummies and often encouraged to hold in our stomachs, it can feel counter intuitive and (yes I’ll admit it) even a bit risky to let go and allow the natural expansion of the belly with the breath. But I remember what my teacher said: imagine a baby sleeping, before any learnt behaviour or worries have imprinted themselves, and watch the rise and fall of their tummy with the deep peaceful rhythm of their breath. Wouldn’t we all love to be able to achieve this state again?
Luckily through yoga and pranayama we can.
There are a number of different breathing exercises which you can take a look at here. Whether it’s Ujjayi (also known as Darth Vader breath due to the sound created in the throat!), Anuloma viloma (alternate nostril breathing) or Kapalbhati (called shining skull because of how it energises the mind), you’ll never taking breathing for granted again.