As your breath flows, the mind goes. Have you ever noticed how when you are agitated or angry or breath is really fast and shallow, versus when you are calm and relaxed, and your breath is deep and long? Well we may not think about it in the moment, our breath is actually the fastest way to access our central nervous system and mind, and yogis have been using this knowledge for thousands of years.
This is why breathing properly during yoga classes it’s such an important and useful tool. By breathing deeply and slowly, we tell our central nervous system that it’s safe, which allows us to melt tension and get deeper into stretches while adapting to whatever life brings out us.
Pranayama is one of the eight limbs of yoga, known as the regulation of the breath through certain techniques and exercises. The goal of pranayama is to connect your body and mind. It also supplies your body with oxygen while removing toxins. This is meant to provide healing physiological benefits.
You can even try this quick exercise now to prove it to yourself. Inhale deeply into the lower belly (feel your stomach puffed out) and exhale as long and as silently as you possibly can. Do this 10 times. How does your inner-state feel right now? How is your mind stream?
With enough attention, consistent practice, and diligence, especially when we least want to, we can take hold of our life through this magnificent tool. This is the reason that we have Breathwork classes on our How to Practice Yoga platform, to help guide you to a deeper version of yourself.