Many of you are probably aware of the immeasurable wisdom found in yoga philosophy and practices, not the least of which is breathwork. The ancient yogis knew what science confirms today: that you can manage your feelings and moods (as well as your nervous system responses) by managing your breath*. One of my yoga psychology mentors, Amy Weintraub, likens this to teaching teenagers when to accelerate and when to brake when learning to drive, and I love this analogy for utilizing our breath to create different physical, mental, and emotional states.
One of the easiest but very effective breathing exercises to learn is called Yogic 3-Part Breath, and it may be familiar to you if you’ve done a few yoga classes. I like it because it increases our feelings of alertness while also encouraging feelings of relaxation (activating our parasympathetic nervous system), so that we’re not totally wired, but feeling calm and in control.
In another post, I detailed how to do abdominal breathing, and I think of this as a natural next step from that exercise. (Abdominal breathing is key for Yogic 3-Part Breath!) Here’s how to do it:
- Begin by finding a comfortable seat (on the ground with legs crossed, or seated in a chair with both feet on the floor), or lying down on your back, and place your right hand over your belly. Practice breathing into this belly area a few times, feeling it expand as you inhale, much like a balloon, and contract as you exhale. If possible, inhale and exhale through your nose.
- Once you’re comfortable with belly breathing, think of inhaling your breath into 3 parts: The first third of your inhale goes into the bottom of your lungs, expanding your belly (as you’ve been doing).
- The second third of your inhale goes to the midsection of your lungs, so that it makes your ribcage expand.
- The third third of your breath goes into your upper chest so that you notice that part lifting. (I find it helpful to keep my right hand on my belly and my left hand on my heart area so I can feel the difference.)
- On the exhale, just focus on going in reverse, so that you’re emptying your upper chest, then your ribcage, then your belly.
- Practice this for a few minutes until you feel more centered and calm (any amount will help!).
- When you’re new to this breath, aim for a 1:1 ratio for your inhale and exhale, perhaps to a count of 4 or 5. As you get used to this breathing exercise, try to lengthen your exhale, so maybe you’re breathing in for a count of 4 and exhaling for a count of 8. The longer exhales work to quiet your sympathetic nervous system (activated in times of anxiety and stress), while turning up your parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for rest and relaxation).
*For more, see my Breath as the “Currency of Transformation” post.
