Breathing Techniques

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From the time we draw our first breath upon entering this world until we take our last breath, the oscillation of inhale and exhale sets up the rhythmic pattern to which all of our body operates and depends on. When thinking of our health, very few people think, “oh, let me work on or with my breath,” yet this essential part of our existence dictates how everything else runs in the body.

Learning to control and manipulate the breath is one of the easiest and quickest ways to positively impact our health. We can reduce stress, lower anxiety, reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure and heart rate, increase respiratory function, oxygenate the blood, balance the energy in the body and rejuvenate the nervous system all through control of the breath.

Try the videos below to start your way to better health through the breath.

Recent Videos

Learn 3 Part Breath

samdhaana yoga breathing techniques

Three Part Breath (or Dirga Pranayama) is a simple and feel good breath technique, or pranayama, that helps to reduce stress in the body by turning off the stress response through mindful diaphragmatic breathing. It also stimulates all the organs held in the torso as you draw the breath into all parts of the torso, allowing rich prana to fill the organ body and nourish cells. The inhales feed our system and the exhales carry out waste, toxins and things that no longer serve us. This breath technique or pranayama is very grounding and calming to our body, and is a great way to start your day or end your day.  This video will explain and demonstrate how to do 3 Part Breath. You may also review written instructions here. If you are already familiar with it, you may want to view the video below (Do 3 Part Breath) instead.

Duration: Approximately 9 minutes

Do 3 Part Breath

samdhaana yoga 3 part breath

Three Part Breath (or Dirga Pranayama) is a simple and feel good breath technique, or pranayama, that helps to reduce stress in the body by turning off the stress response through mindful diaphragmatic breathing. It also stimulates all the organs held in the torso as you draw the breath into all parts of the torso, allowing rich prana to fill the organ body and nourish cells. The inhales feed our system and the exhales carry out waste, toxins and things that no longer serve us. This breath technique or pranayama is very grounding and calming to our body, and is a great way to start your day or end your day. If this is new to you, it may be helpful to watch the video above (Learn 3 Part Breath) first.

Duration: Approximately 6 minutes

Learn Alternate Nostril Breath

samdhaana yoga breathing techniques

Alternate Nostril Breath (or Nadi Shodhana) is a breath technique, or pranayama, utilized to calm the mind, remove toxins, rejuvenate the nervous system, and set to balance the energy in the body and its impact on right and left sides of the body, as well as restoring balance in the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Done here in the primitive format, one can send healing energy to the right side of the body and the left side of the body while helping to clear each nadi or energy pathway that governs the right and left side of the body. This video explains and demonstrates how to do Alternate Nostril Breath. Written instructions for Alternate Nostril Breath are available here. If you are already familiar with it, you may want to view the video below (Do Alternate Nostril Breath) instead.

Duration: Approximately 5 minutes

Do Alternate Nostril Breath

samdhaana yoga breathing techniques

Alternate Nostril Breath (or Nadi Shodhana) is a breath technique, or pranayama, utilized to calm the mind, remove toxins, rejuvenate the nervous system, and set to balance the energy in the body and its impact on right and left sides of the body, as well as restoring balance in the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Done here in the primitive format, one can send healing energy to the right side of the body and the left side of the body while helping to clear each nadi or energy pathway that governs the right and left side of the body. If this is new to you, you may wish to begin by watching the video above (Learn Alternate Nostril Breath).

Duration: Approximately 6 minutes

Learn Ujjayi Breath

samdhaana yoga breathing techniques

Ujjayi Breath (also known as Oceanic Breath and translated as “victorious breath”) is a breath technique to help release irritation and frustration, calm the mind and body, and provide a balancing influence on the entire cardiorespiratory system. It is both an energizing and stabilizing breath utilized to decompress rising energy and strengthen or raise energy for those who tend to operate in lower frequencies. The ujjayi breath encourages the flow of prana (life force), builds internal body heat, relieves tension, increases the amount of oxygen in the blood, regulates blood pressure, helps tone the vagus nerve thereby helping to reduce inflammation, detoxifies mind and body, increases feelings of presence and self-awareness, and establishes a rhythmic pattern for moving through a yoga practice. This video explains and demonstrates Ujjayi Breath. You may also review written instructions here. If you are already familiar with it, you may wish to view the video below (Do Ujjayi Breath) instead.

Duration: Approximately 10 minutes

Do Ujjayi Breath

samdhaana yoga breathing techniques

Ujjayi Breath (also known as Oceanic Breath and translated as “victorious breath”) is a breath technique to help release irritation and frustration, calm the mind and body, and provide a balancing influence on the entire cardiorespiratory system. It is both an energizing and stabilizing breath utilized to decompress rising energy and strengthen or raise energy for those who tend to operate in lower frequencies. The ujjayi breath encourages the flow of prana (life force), builds internal body heat, relieves tension, increases the amount of oxygen in the blood, regulates blood pressure, helps tone the vagus nerve thereby helping to reduce inflammation, detoxifies mind and body, increases feelings of presence and self-awareness, and establishes a rhythmic pattern for moving through a yoga practice. If this is new to you, you may wish to view the video above (Learn Ujjayi Breath) first.

Duration: Approximately 3 minutes

Learn Prana & Apana Building Breath

Samdhaana Prana & Apana Building Breath

Prana as it relates to the pathways of life force, is considered the energy of the head and is gathered from the heavens, or the energy above you. PRANA vayu is responsible for the INTAKE.

It moves downward and inward, providing the basic energy that drives us in life. It is primarily located in the head, lungs and heart. Imbalances in Prana flow can show up as anxiety, fear, anger (head); breathlessness, asthma, sleep apnea (lungs); heart palpitations or stroke (heart).

Apana as it relates to the pathways of life force, is considered downward energy and is gathered into the lower abdomen and base of the spine and carried down through the legs to connect to earth’s core. APANA vayu is responsible for elimination. It moves down and out and also helps retain things in. It is primarily located in the lower abdomen and is associated with functions of elimination, reproduction and bone health (regulating the absorption and retaining of minerals). Imbalances in Apana flow can show up as constipation/diarrhea; IBS; menstrual problems, sexual issues; bone density issues. A daily practice of gathering these two life forces helps sustain our energies from the two great sources above and below us, helping to support us both physically and mentally.

This video explains and demonstrates Prana and Apana building breathing. Additional written information is available here. If you are already familiar with Prana and Apana, you may wish to skip to the next video.

Duration: Approximately 8 minutes

Do Prana & Apana Building Breath

do prana and apana building breath Prana as it relates to the pathways of life force, is considered the energy of the head and is gathered from the heavens, or the energy above you.

PRANA vayu is responsible for the INTAKE. It moves downward and inward, providing the basic energy that drives us in life. It is primarily located in the head, lungs and heart. Imbalances in Prana flow can show up as anxiety, fear, anger (head); breathlessness, asthma, sleep apnea (lungs); heart palpitations or stroke (heart).

Apana as it relates to the pathways of life force, is considered downward energy and is gathered into the lower abdomen and base of the spine and carried down through the legs to connect to earth’s core. APANA vayu is responsible for elimination. It moves down and out and also helps retain things in. It is primarily located in the lower abdomen and is associated with functions of elimination, reproduction and bone health (regulating the absorption and retaining of minerals). Imbalances in Apana flow can show up as constipation/diarrhea; IBS; menstrual problems, sexual issues; bone density issues. A daily practice of gathering these two life forces helps sustain our energies from the two great sources above and below us, helping to support us both physically and mentally.

If you are unfamiliar with Prana and Apana building breath, you may wish to watch the previous video first.

Duration: Approximately 6 minutes

Upward & Downward Pranic Momentum Breath

upward and downward pranic momentum breath These two categories of breath are related to bleeding off energy associated with physical movement while supporting and addressing the feel of the subtle body. Upward Pranic Momentum Breath is when you bleed energy off in an upward direction. Downward Pranic Momentum Breath is when you bleed energy off in a downward direction.

Duration: Approximately 2 minutes
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