Yoga breathing for relaxation is one of the main reasons why people even try yoga in the first place. People want to try and get the burden of stress and fatigue off their shoulders, and they generally want to wind down and let these entire problems slide off their shoulders.
This is why emphatic pauses and slow, focused breathing is where most yoga breathing starts.
The Purpose Of Slow Yoga Breathing For Relaxation
Before we talk about why breaths must be held in yoga breathing, we will first have to go about the process of breathing slowly.
The entire point of yoga breathing is to make a person aware of his life energy, awakening and releasing it. Slow breathing allows a person to do so, since his attention is focused on letting his body wind down and relax during the process. It is in this relaxed state of slow breath that a person allows his energies to be restored and refreshed.
Taking a less esoteric approach, the body best makes use of the oxygen in the air when it is inhaled slowly. Likewise, the body allows more carbon dioxide to be released when exhaling slowly. The mere act of slowing down one's breathing is relaxing in and of itself. People who breathe slow let their heart rate slow down, which in turn slows down other bodily functions. What you have is a body that lets go of tensions that weigh it down.
The Purpose Of Pauses In Yoga Breathing For Relaxation
Pauses work a lot like slow breathing, except that these pauses allow the body to make full use of the air it has inhaled before using up energy to take another breath.
Pausing after a full inhale and pausing after a full exhale allows the body to absorb oxygen from the air and empty the lungs before taking in another breath. The effect of pausing before and after a breath can be clearly felt by the practitioner, as long as it is done correctly.
No muscles need to be used to push out or retain air, as this runs counter to the purpose of yoga breathing for relaxation. Each pause must be held by the natural state of the muscles, not forced in or out by them. Forcing a breath only serves to add more stress to the muscles, which does not help a person to relax.
Some skilled practitioners take yoga breathing for relaxation to the next level by actually arresting their breathing, surviving for hours or even days on end simply by manipulating their flow of breath!
Always keep in mind that our dreams, needs, and goals are fully within our reach. With every breath, prana, the vital life force, is brought in. If performed properly, yoga breathing allows the life energy to flood our body, which in the process, enhances our our connection and perceptions while improving our physical state.
Author Resource:-
Analia Kerner is an avid researcher in the practice of Yoga and is committed to help people become healthier and more balanced. Discover how you can dramatically improve your health and benefit from Yoga Breathing, using 5 minutes a day or less, by visiting http://www.Yoga-Fitness-Wellness.com
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