Pranayama Deep Breathing

"Welcome to Bikram's Beginning Yoga class! Please stand with your toes and heels together for Pranayama Deep Breathing, it's good for your lungs and respiratory system..."

Sound familiar?

If you are semi-alert at the start of class, it should sound familiar!

Every class begins with Pranayama Deep Breathing.

As a beginner, its common that people feel awkward with this breathing exercise. There are several things happening at once that require coordination... breathing in slowly by the nose, then breathing out slowly by the mouth, all with a synchronized arm and head movement, and all while thinking 'OMG... why is it so hot in here, what did I get myself into?'.

This deep breathing exercise may also feel a little uncomfortable because most people have never experienced using 100% of their lung capacity, and it's also common for the neck and shoulders to be tight.

The good news is, after a little practice, your lung capacity will increase, the elasticity of the lungs will improve, and the neck and shoulders will loosen up.

Soon enough, you will be able to breathe deep and slow for the required six second inhale, six second exhale and start your practice strong with this energy boosting Pranayama.

So many benefits develop from Pranayama Standing Deep Breathing. Here are a few of them:

1. Prevention of respiratory problems like emphysema, asthma, and shortness of breath.

2. Improves the flexibility in the cervical spine and shoulder girdle.

3. Improves overall breath control, not only improving the entire yoga class, but also activity outside class. It's common to hear from runners and other athletes, that they notice improved breathing in their sport, after just one Bikram class!

4. Gives you energy for class and any other physical exercise.

5. Stimulates circulation, which wakes up the muscles and prepares them for the practice.

6. Increases oxygen content of the blood stream.

7. Strengthens the leg and abdominal muscles.

8. Increases lung capacity... we use 100% of the lung capacity in this exercise, compared to 10 to 15% lung capacity used in normal daily activity.

9. Strengthens the diaphragm, which will improve the way you breathe, and in turn take tension out of tight shoulders and necks.

10. Develops your singing voice strong and clear - belt out those tunes in your car on the way home!

Here are some tips to improve the Pranayama Standing Deep Breathing experience:

1. Keep your body totally still. Just move your arms and head slowly. 
   
   
2. Keep your leg, hip, and abdominal muscles engaged the whole time. 
   
   
3. Breathe very slowly with the throat. Even though the air comes in through the nose, then out the mouth, you should feel the throat working like a valve as the air passes through. 
   
   
4. Keep some resistance with your knuckles against your chin as your head moves forward and back. 
   
   
5. Keep the body weight on the heels. 
   
   
6. Try and keep your elbows up above the level of your shoulders on the inhale AND the exhale.
   
   
7. Eventually your forearms will be parallel to the ceiling on the exhale, keep lifting the elbows up away from the body on the exhale, but without backward bending.  
   
   
8. Keep the stomach in... stomach in... stomach in...
   
   
   

Now that we have energized the body, opened up the lungs, built up internal heat, loosened up the neck and shoulders with our Pranayama Deep Breathing, we are ready to dive into Half Moon Pose with Hands to Feet Pose!

Is anyone sweating yet?

Article co-authored by senior teacher Erika Budson & studio owner Ian O'Laughlin