Yoga is an activity that coordinates and aligns body movements with the mind, making it more of a form of meditation. While breathing, we take in good air and let out the toxins. By breathing in a particular pattern, we allow energy to enter our bodies.
Our daily routines and fast-paced lifestyle lend themselves to a constant state of increased activity. With this, as a natural reaction, even our breathing becomes faster. Therefore, it becomes essential for us to pause and slow down a bit to improve our overall health and inner peace. The breathing patterns taught in yoga help us to achieve the much-needed calm in our everyday life.1 Let us look at a few reasons why yoga instructors ask us to focus on our breathing while doing the asanas.
Why You Need To Focus On Breathing In Yoga
1. Yoga Breathing Is A Phased Process
Any physical activity, including yoga, needs a warm-up session to get the body ready for action. Breathing helps promote an inner sense of strength and also protects the body from injury. It increases the flexibility of the joints, the body, and the mind as a whole, making it easier for you to reap the intended benefits from performing an asana. This is why each asana is done in phases of inhalation and exhalation, to give more time for the body to adjust and align to the breathing patterns.2
2. Rhythmic Breathing During Yoga Is Good
The speed at which we breathe the air in during a yoga session has an important role to play in the exercise. The pace at which we breathe helps determine the internal temperature of the body. When we breathe quickly, the body doesn’t have enough time to heat up the air that enters the body, thereby losing most of the precious oxygen inhaled in the process.
When the breathing is slow and rhythmically in line with the exhalation process, the internal temperature is not lessened, which in turn helps the body to absorb more oxygen. So, the next time you go in for a yoga session, be assured that you are going to fill up your oxygen tank.3
3. Breathing During Yoga Calms You
Today’s world is filled with stress. There is a great need for a calming force for the mind and body. Yoga comes to the rescue here. The breathing exercise in yoga plays a focal role in calming and strengthening the internal organs and mind. When you breathe rhythmically during an asana, the mind is put in control and the stress and accompanied tensions lessen, thus promoting internal harmony. When you become more aware of how you breathe, you feel more relaxed and tension-free.4
4. Breathing During Yoga Is Blissful
Have you encountered a situation when you cannot recall an emergency number? Have you ever forgotten your own address? Try Pranayama to enhance your memory through focused breathing. The breathing exercises in yoga help shift the effect of the high stress levels to a state of relaxation and thus improve memory. A number of studies show reduced pain and chronic conditions in people who practice yoga. Yoga imparts more of a holistic healing compared to mere physical healing.5
So, rejuvenate yourself after a hectic work schedule with a yoga detox session. Breathe in, breathe out, and relax!
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