INHALE > diaphragm drops; midsection expands to the front, sides and back; lungs fill with air. EXHALE > passive, elastic recoil of the diaphragm, lungs, and rib cage to their original resting position. (During exercise/or in conditions like emphysema, active exhalation achieved through contracting muscles of abdominal wall as well as internal intercostals.) Link to YT video:

Most of us tend to think of our breathing as an unconscious, involuntary process. But it is also one of the few automatic systems in our body that we can control. Research shows that when we bring attention to even a few cycles of our breath, good things happen. Conscious breathing can help us reduce stress, increase attention and improve our mood. The focused breath is right there at the heart of our yoga or mindfulness practice. Yet, every single one of the 22,000 breaths we take every day offers us a gateway back to the present moment. And like anything else worthy of our time and effort, breath awareness takes practice. In this short session, we'll explore a few different ways to focus on our breath. These include tuning into the the sound of the breath, noticing how the breath feels as it moves through our airways and tapping into the tidal rhythm of the body's movement with each breath cycle. Starting with a nice long back, we can relax the shoulders...gently stretch the sides...as we warm up here, we can start to connect with the breath...in and out through the nose...slow, deep and low...and loosen up any tightness in the neck...I like to place one hand on the midsection, and one hand above it, to help me move out of the head space, down into the body for a moment...Speaking for myself, I certainly spend enough time up there, I know I won't be missed, ha. So, feel free to join me if that feels comfortable... Now, we can take three warmup breaths together...on the count of three...one two three... -INHALE…through the nose for one-two-three… -EXHALE…through the nose for one-two-three. -Again, INHALE…expand the midsection, front, sides and back… -EXHALE…let every muscle soften and relax... -One more, INHALE for one-two-three... -RELEASE for one-two-three... Now at a nice slow, relaxed pace, we can draw our attention to the sound of our breathing, here in this moment, IN and OUT. through the nose, not changing anything, just noticing...is the sound smooth or coarse...pitched high or low?Can we notice any difference between the sound of our in breath relative to the out breath? Maybe there are distinct sounds in the right and left airways. We can practice a few more cycles here... Now at the base of the next breath, we can shift our attention to the feeling of the air in our nose, sinuses and throat on the inhalation and exhalation. Depending on the temperature of our surroundings, it may feel a little cooler on the way IN than on our RELEASE...If so, maybe we can follow that cooler in-breath through the nose all the way to the back of the throat...if we can slow down the breath a bit, maybe we can follow the air down the windpipe and even into the lungs... On the exhalation, we might notice the air feels a little warmer. I like to focus here on the out-breath helping to loosen up any tension I am feeling in the face, neck and shoulders...as if it were softening, melting and rolling right off the body…with each out-breath feeling a little more relaxed. Another few breaths here... Now we can return one hand on the midsection, and one hand above it to feel the movement of the body with each breath...gently expanding the mid-section, through the front - sides and back on the in-breath...and gently retracting on the out-breath...no pushing or pulling, just keeping the breath slow, low and deep. Perhaps we can imagine take a walk together on an ocean shoreline…on our inhalation feeling the incoming wave, on the out-breath, feeling it recede. We can now take several breaths bringing our awareness to the sound, sensation, or the movement associated with each breath. Maybe we can hold our attention on two of these qualities at the same time…or sinking more deeply into just one...A few more cycles here, slow, deep and low…in and out through the nose, the breath comes, the breath goes. At the base of the next breath we can lower our hands and return to normal breathing. Bringing soft attention to the breath this way can help us reduce stress and improve our mood. Try practicing breath awareness techniques like these throughout the day. Our breath is our constant companion, always there for us, right under our nose.

The Balancing Breath can help us relieve stress and promote a sense of calm focus, as we level out the duration of our in and out breaths. In this simple but powerful exercise, we can start with an inhalation of three seconds through the nose and an exhalation of three seconds through the nose. That's all there is to it. Let's practice a few cycles of the balancing breath together now. Starting with a nice long back, we can relax the shoulders...gently stretch the sides...as we warm up here, we can start to connect with the breath...in and out through the nose...slow, deep and low...and loosen up any tightness in the neck...I like to place one hand on the midsection, and one hand above it, to help me move out of the head space, down into the body for a moment...Speaking for myself, I certainly spend enough time up there, I know I won't be missed, ha. So, feel free to join me if that feels comfortable... Now, on the count of three, together, the Balancing Breath...one two three... -INHALE…through the nose for one-two-three…EXHALE…through the nose for one-two-three. -Again, INHALE…expand the midsection into the lower hand…EXHALE…relax the face, neck, shoulders and back... -One more, INHALE for one-two-three and RELEASE for one-two-three. We can return to normal breathing and in a moment we’ll practice a few more cycles of the Balancing Breath together. Let's remember, we try to inhale and exhale through the nose, keeping the breath slow, deep and low. And the mind might wander off at some point, which is fine, no judgment. It happens to everyone. When we do notice, we just try to guide the attention back to the next breath...always returning to the next breath... We can now practice three cycles of the Balancing Breath with a four second inhalation and and a four second exhalation. Let’s ensure we’re sitting nice and upright with the shoulders relaxed and on the count of three, together, one two three... -INHALE…through the nose for one-two-three-four...EXHALE…through the nose for one-two-three-four -Again, INHALE…expand the midsection, front, sides and back…EXHALE…let every muscle soften and relax. -One more, INHALE for one-two-three-four and RELEASE for one-two-three-four. We can return to normal breathing and allow those balancing breaths to sink in. Science of the Balancing Breath Slow, deep and low breaths like this one stimulate the vagus nerve, a communication super-highway connecting the brain and the body. The vagus nerve activates our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), otherwise known as our "rest and digest" or "relax and restore" side to our autonomic nervous system. At the same time, the vagus nerve applies a gentle brake on our sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which is our fight-or-flight response or in more general terms, our mobilization side to the nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is largely responsible for that slow drip feed stress many of us feel throughout the day...whether we're at work, behind the wheel or even scrolling through social media late at night. I freely admit, I guilty as charged here, ha. As we balance the duration of the in and out breaths, like we do here, we can balance out those two sides to the nervous system, sending a message to the brain to simultaneously relax and stay alert. The Balancing Breath allows us to feel safe and calm as we socialize in a new setting or or try to be productive under a tight work deadline. Now, for me, what is most special about this breath isn't necessarily all this cool science behind the scenes, but rather that this incredibly simple and powerful too is always there for us, anytime, anywhere we simply need to just slow down that stress train and recenter our focus. Keep this one close...

The Grounding Breath can help us relax the mind and body when we're feeling anxious or stressed as we extend the length of our exhalation. In this exercise, we inhale for three seconds and exhale for five seconds through the nose. That's really all there is to it. Let's practice a few cycles of the grounding breath together now. Starting by sitting or standing with a nice long back; we can relax the shoulders...gently stretch the sides...as we warm up, let's start to connect with the breath...in and out through the nose...slow, deep and low...and loosen up any tightness in the neck. I like to place one hand on the midsection, and one hand above it, to help me move out of the head space for few moments, down into the body. Speaking for myself, I spend enough time up there, I'm sure I won't be missed, ha. Again, feel free to join me if that feels comfortable... Now, on the count of three, together the GB...one two three... -INHALE…through the nose for one-two-three …EXHALE…through the nose for one-two-three-four-five -Again, INHALE…expand the midsection, into that lower hand…EXHALE…relax the face, neck, shoulders and back. -One more, INHALE for one-two-three and RELEASE for one-two-three-four-five. We can return to normal breathing and in a moment we’ll practice a few more cycles of the Grounding Breath together. Let's remember, we try to inhale and exhale through the nose, keeping the breath slow, deep and low. And the mind might wander off at some point, which is fine, this is a judgment-free zone. It happens to everyone. When we do notice, we just try to guide the attention back to the next breath...always returning to the next breath... We can now practice three cycles of the Grounding Breath with a four second inhalation and six second exhalation. With a nice long back, shoulders relaxed...on the count of three, together, one two three... -INHALE…through the nose for one-two-three-four...EXHALE…through the nose for one-two-three-four-five-six -Again, IN…expand the midsection, front, sides and back…OUT…let every muscle soften and relax. -One more, INHALE for one-two-three-four and RELEASE for one-two-three-four-five-six. We can return to normal breathing and allow those Grounding Breaths to sink in. Science of the Grounding Breath I hope you have been able feel some of the calming-centering effects of that longer exhalation, which research has shown is an effective way to slow down your heart rate and increase heart rate variability, an excellent measure of our ability to adapt to stress. I find that even two or three cycles of the grounding breath can help me decompress when I have been cut off in traffic or am stuck at the back of a line that’s not moving…we have all been there. Obviously we can't always prevent situations like these from arising throughout the day, but through slow, deep and low breaths, we can control our response to them and take back that time that would otherwise be lost in mindless stress. Add the grounding breath to your breath toolkit and it will always be there for you.

A healthy breathing cycle includes slight natural pauses at the end of each inhalation and exhalation. Either (or both) can be prolonged by holding the breath. In Sanskrit, this pause is called kumbhaka. The pause holds a place of importance in yoga. “Actually, prāṇāyāma in practice means pause . . . all the breathing exercises are meant to control, eliminate and expand that pause.” Swami Rama Patrick McKeown recommends that the breath hold be the first breath exercise a student should learn after soft, slow light nasal breathing. Breath holds can help us shift mental states via the parasympathetic nervous system: it starts when the primordial “fire alarm” is triggered, activating a series of pathways in the body that stimulate your blood pressure receptors (baroreceptors) to slow your heart rate and metabolism and jolt you out of conscious thinking. At the same time, the sympathetic activity in the muscles increases, constricting the peripheral blood vessels, preserving blood flow and oxygen supply to your vital organs. This response is called the diving reflex. Long breath holds also cause the spleen to contract. The spleen is the body’s blood bank, and the blood in the spleen is of incredibly good quality. It contains a high concentration of red blood cells. When the spleen contracts and releases this blood, the proportion of red blood cells in circulation and the amount of hemoglobin available to carry oxygen increase. Maximal breath holds also stimulate the production of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO), which is important for maturing new red blood cells. The result of splenic contraction and increased EPO production is that the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood increases both short and long term. This improves speed, endurance, exercise recovery, and repeated-sprint ability. Traditionally, kumbhaka is most often performed as a breath retention at the end of the inhale, called puraka kumbhaka or antara kumbhaka, but it can also be performed as a breath suspension after the exhale, called rechaka kumbhaka or bahya kumbhaka. When the breath is held for a period of time after exhaling, oxygen levels drop, bringing the body into hypoxia. This typically occurs when the breath is held for 50 seconds or more—though some people will experience lowering of blood oxygen saturation sooner than this. During the breath hold, carbon dioxide increases which improves blood circulation to the brain. Nitric oxide builds up in the nasal passages (most of the NO in exhaled air is produced in the upper airways, not in the alveoli), and the longer you hold your breath, the more NO accumulates. After the breath hold/suspension, the accumulated NO is inhaled. When you hold the breath after inhaling, the diaphragm descends, increasing pressure in the abdomen (called intra-abdominal pressure or IAP). As well as manipulating blood gases and activating the diaphragm, breath holds after inhaling can also improve tolerance to pain. In one study, breath holds after a seven-second inhalation and followed by a seven-second exhalation were shown to reduce pain perception when compared to slow breathing.11 It is our belief that other exercises, such as ujjayi, which have a similar effect on the nervous system, can also be used to relieve pain.

Box Breathing or Square Breathing can help us stay calm and centered in life's most challenging moments as we slow down and stabilize our breath. It is widely used by first responders, Navy Seals, athletes and executives to maintain mental focus and peak performance in stressful situations. In this exercise, we inhale for three seconds through the nose, hold for three seconds, exhale for three seconds through the nose and hold for three seconds. That's it. Let's practice a few cycles of the box breath together now. Starting with a nice long back, we can relax the shoulders...gently stretch the sides...as we warm up here, we can start to connect with the breath...in and out through the nose...slow, deep and low...and loosen up any tightness in the neck...I like to place one hand on the midsection, and one hand above it, to help me move out of the head space, down into the body for a moment...Speaking for myself, I certainly spend enough time up there, I know I won't be missed, ha. So, feel free to join me if that feels comfortable... Now, on the count of three, together...the box breath…one two three... -INHALE… through the nose for one-two-three…HOLD for one-two-three…EXHALE…through the nose for one-two-three and HOLD for one-two-three… -Again, INHALE…expand the midsection, front, sides and back… HOLD for one-two-three…EXHALE…let everything soften and relax and HOLD for one-two-three… -One more…INHALE…one-two-three <<on-screen count>>…HOLD for one-two-three…RELEASE…for one-two-three and HOLD for one-two-three… We can return to normal breathing and in a moment we’ll practice a few more cycles of the Box Breath together. Let's remember, we try to inhale and exhale through the nose, keeping the breath slow, deep and low. And the mind might wander off at some point, which is fine, no judgment. It happens to everyone. When we do notice, we just try to guide the attention back to the next breath...always returning to the next breath... We can now practice three cycles of the Box Breath with a four second inhalation, a four second exhalation and four second holds... So, with a nice long back, shoulders relaxed, on the count of three, together, one two three... -INHALE…through the nose for one-two-three -four...HOLD for one-two-three-four…EXHALE…through the nose for one-two-three-four and HOLD for one-two-three-four… -Again, INHALE…expand the midsection, front, sides and back… HOLD for one-two-three-four…EXHALE…let everything soften and relax and HOLD for one-two-three-four… -One more…INHALE…one-two-three-four...HOLD for one-two-three-four…RELEASE…for one-two-three-four and HOLD for one-two-three--four… We can return to normal breathing and allow those box breaths to sink in. Science of the Box Breath Perhaps you can feel why this exercise is so widely used to help us stay centered in stressful environments. Research has shown that short breath holds like those used here can boost carbon dioxide levels in the blood, which dilates or widens the vessels, and increases oxygen delivery to the brain, which can improve our focus and decision making. Moreover, slow, deep and low breaths like this one stimulate the vagus nerve, a communication super-highway connecting the brain and the body. The vagus nerve activates our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), otherwise known as our "rest and digest" or "relax and restore" side to our autonomic nervous system. At the same time, the vagus nerve applies a gentle brake on our sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which is our fight-or-flight response or in more general terms, our mobilization side to the nervous system. Add the box breath to your breath toolkit and it will be there whenever you need to find some calm in the storm.

The 4-7-8 breath was developed by Dr. Andrew Weil to help us relax, reduce stress and anxiety and where I have found it particularly helpful, to fall asleep. In this exercise we'll INHALE for 4 secs through the nose, HOLD for 7 secs, and exhale for 8 secs through the mouth. A few tips here: first, on the inhale, let's allow the midsection: front, sides and back, to completely relax to allow for a nice diaphragmatic or belly breath. During the breath hold, we'll try to release any tightness or tension in the face, neck, shoulders. During the the exhalation, we can purse the lips to extend that out breath for the full 8-count. Let’s practice two cycles of the 478 Breath together now. Starting with a nice long back, we can relax the shoulders...gently stretch the sides...as we warm up here, we can start to connect with the breath...in and out through the nose...slow, deep and low...and loosen up any tightness in the neck...I like to place one hand on the midsection, and one hand above it, to help me move out of the head space, down into the body for a moment...Speaking for myself, I certainly spend enough time up there, I know I won't be missed, ha. So, feel free to join me if that feels comfortable... Now, on the count of three, together...the 4-7-8 breath…one two three... INHALE for one…two…three…four...<expand the midsection> HOLD for one…two…three…four...five...six...seven...<relaxthe shoulders> EXHALE for one…two…three…four...five...six...seven...eight..<purse the lips> Let's try that one again...on the count of three, one two three... INHALE for one…two…three…four...<expand the midsection> HOLD for one…two…three…four...five...six...seven...<relaxthe shoulders> EXHALE for one…two…three…four...five...six...seven...eight..<purse the lips> We can return to normal breathing and in a moment we’ll practice a few more cycles of the 4-7-8- Breath together. Remember, let's try to inhale through the nose and exhale through pursed lips , keeping the breath slow, low and deep. And the mind might wander off at some point, which is fine, no judgment. It happens to everyone. When we do notice, we just try to guide the attention back to the next breath...always returning to the next breath... We can now practice two more cycles of the 4-7-8 Breath. With a nice long back, shoulders relaxed...on the count of three, together, one two three... Now, on the count of three, together...the 4-7-8 breath…one two three... INHALE for one…two…three…four...<expand the midsection> HOLD for one…two…three…four...five...six...seven...<relaxthe shoulders> EXHALE for one…two…three…four...five...six...seven...eight..<purse the lips> Let's try that one again...on the count of three, one two three... INHALE for one…two…three…four...<expand the midsection> HOLD for one…two…three…four...five...six...seven...<relaxthe shoulders> EXHALE for one…two…three…four...five...six...seven...eight..<purse the lips> We can return to normal breathing and allow those 4-7-8 breaths to sink in. Science of the Breath I hope you have been able feel some of the calming effects of the 4-7-8 breath. I have found this exercise to be so helpful when I return to bed from a trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night and want to fall back to sleep right away. This breath has a way of quieting any thoughts of the upcoming day from creeping in and keeping me awake. That long breath hold and even longer out-breath activate the vagus nerve and parasympathetic or rest and digest side to the nervous system. In addition, this breath can gently boost the carbon dioxide CO2 levels in the blood, which dilates or widens the vessels and relaxes the muscles. Try the 4-7-8 breath for yourself one of these nights, or really anytime, you just need to quiet the mind and relax the body.

The physiological sigh was pioneered by Dr. Andrew Huberman and his team at Stanford University to help us regulate stress and calm the mind and body in the moment. I think what I appreciate most about this breath, and I use it all the time, is just how quickly its effects can be felt on the nervous system. In fact, this is the breath I turn to in my toolkit if I only have time for a few breaths or if I just need instant stress relief...and driving in Philadelphia gives me plenty of opportunities to practice. The breath pattern we'll explore here is a double inhale, followed by a single exhale. We start by inhaling deeply through the nose, then follow that with a quick second inhale through the nose, as if we were "topping off the gas tank". We then slowly exhale through the mouth, and purse the lips to extend the out-breath as long as possible. Let’s practice three cycles of the physiological sigh together now. Starting with a nice long back, we can relax the shoulders...gently stretch the sides...as we warm up here, we can start to connect with the breath...in and out through the nose...slow, deep and low...and loosen up any tightness in the neck...I like to place one hand on the midsection, and one hand above it, to help me move out of the head space, down into the body for a moment...Speaking for myself, I certainly spend enough time up there, I know I won't be missed, ha. So, feel free to join me if that feels comfortable. On the count of three, together, one…two…three… INHALE slowly deeply, through the nose....relax the midsection: front, sides and back... Now, top off the tank with a short second inhale... And s-l-o-w-l-y release the breath through the mouth, pursing the lips....relaxing the neck and shoulders, the muscles of the face... Again...on the count of three, together, one…two…three… INHALE slowly deeply, through the nose....relax the midsection. Top off the tank with a short second inhale... S-l-o-w-l-y exhale through the mouth, pursing the lips....relaxing the neck and shoulders, the muscles of the face... One more...On the count of three, together, one…two…three… INHALE slowly deeply, through the nose....relax the midsection: front, sides and back... Now, top off the tank with a short second inhale... And s-l-o-w-l-y release the breath through the mouth, pursing the lips....relaxing the neck and shoulders, the muscles of the face... We can return to normal breathing and in a moment we’ll practice a few more cycles of the Physiological Sigh together. Let's remember, we try to inhale and exhale through the nose, keeping the breath slow, deep and low. And the mind might wander off at some point, which is fine, no judgment. It happens to everyone. When we do notice, we just try to guide the attention back to the next breath...always returning to the next breath... We can now practice three more Physiological Sighs together. Let’s ensure we’re sitting nice and upright with the shoulders relaxed and on the count of three, one two three... INHALE slowly deeply, through the nose....relax the midsection: front, sides and back... Now, top off the tank with a short second inhale... And s-l-o-w-l-y release the breath through the mouth, pursing the lips....relaxing the neck and shoulders, the muscles of the face... Again...on the count of three, together, one…two…three… INHALE slowly deeply, through the nose....relax the midsection. Top off the tank with a short second inhale... S-l-o-w-l-y exhale through the mouth, pursing the lips....relaxing the neck and shoulders, the muscles of the face... One more...On the count of three, together, one…two…three… INHALE slowly deeply, through the nose....relax the midsection: front, sides and back... Now, top off the tank with a short second inhale... And s-l-o-w-l-y release the breath through the mouth, pursing the lips....relaxing the neck and shoulders, the muscles of the face... Science of the Breath I hope you have been able feel some of the powerful effects of the physiological sigh. Dr. Huberman's team found that repeating this double inhale / long exhale pattern for five minutes, what he calls "cyclic sighing", decreased stress, enhanced sleep quality and improved mood over a 24-hour period. Perhaps even more encouraging, his team also reported that the observed stress reduction benefits exceeded those associated with other widely used exercises like the box-breath and meditation. I keep the Physiological Sigh right at the top of my breath toolkit. It's fast-acting, long-lasting and powerful enough so that even one or two cycles can have a tangible effect.

HUUUUUMMMMMMMMMM...The Bee Breath...or Bhramari Breath is one of my favorite breath exercises: fun, super easy to to learn, and very effective at relaxing the body, relieving stress and boosting production of nitric oxide, a friendly molecule that widens/dilates our blood vessels, boost circulation and oxygen delivery and fights inflammation and infection throughout the body. There's a lot going on here in this simple exercise. Let's practice a few cycles of the Bee Breath together... Starting with a nice long back, we can relax the shoulders...gently stretch the sides...as we warm up here, we can start to connect with the breath...in and out through the nose...slow, deep and low...and loosen up any tightness in the neck...I like to place one hand on the midsection, and one hand above it, to help me move out of the head space, down into the body for a moment...Speaking for myself, I certainly spend enough time up there, I know I won't be missed, ha. So, feel free to join me if that feels comfortable... Now together, on the count of three...the Bee Breath...one…two…three… INHALE slowly through the nose... and now EXHALE...HUUUUUMMMMMMMMMM... Again IN... And OUT...HUUUUUMMMMMMMMMM... One More IN... And...RELEASE...HUUUUUMMMMMMMMMM... We can return to normal breathing and in a moment we’ll practice a few more cycles of the Bee Breath together. Now you may be asking, how long should do we hum? Great question: A study published in the International Journal of Yoga reported that a Bee Breath with an in-breath of 4-5 seconds and a hum of 8-9 seconds provided the most significant benefits, particularly in heart rate variability, a key measure in our ability to adapt to stress. So let's keep that in the back of our mind, a 4-5 second inhalation, and an 8-9 second hum. Your next question probably relates to the pitch or general sound of our hum, and the answer here is that the lower and deeper our hum, down into the throat, chest and abdomen, the more we activate the vagus nerve and the calming, grounding effects of the parasympathetic nervous system. To get the most out of this exercise, Dr. Andrew Huberman suggests emphasizing the "hhhh" sound or just imagine we're gargling. It can take some practice. One more humming tip: many people find that they can amplify the effects of humming by covering the ears, either gently pressing the cartilage at the gateway to the ear canal, like this or just cupping the entire ear like this. Its your call. To review: 4-5 second inhalation : 8-9 second hum, bring the hum down into the back of the throat with a low pitch, like we're gargling, Cover the ears if its comfortable. We can now practice three more cycles of the Bee Breath. With a nice long back, shoulders relaxed...on the count of three, together, one two three... INHALE slowly through the nose... and now EXHALE...HUUUUUMMMMMMMMMM... Again IN... And OUT...HUUUUUMMMMMMMMMM... One More IN... And...RELEASE...HUUUUUMMMMMMMMMM... We can return to normal breathing and allow those Bee Breaths to sink in. Science of the Bhramari - Bee Breath I hope you've been able to have some fun with the Bee Breath and avoided scaring anyone around you...I hum every morning to start the day calm and centered, before even looking at my phone. Behind the scenes, this simple exercise activates the vagus nerve and parasympathetic or rest and digest side to the nervous system, which promotes a feeling of calm focus. Returning to our good friend Nitric Oxide, humming boosts levels of this powerful anti-viral & anti-bacterial by up to 15times in the body, while lowering our heart rate and blood pressure and improving circulation. Both of these effects: the parasympathetic activation and NO production improve heart rate variability. This measures the heart's ability to speed up and help us mobilize for action and then slow back down to help us recover afterwards...without getting stuck anywhere in this range...HRV is a good indicator for how well we can adapt to the stresses of everyday life. So as we hum, we're providing a great tuneup for the cardiovascular system, while gently resetting the nervous system, and hopefully having a little fun while we're at it.

Ujjayi breath, also known as the Ocean Breath or the Victory Breath, is a great way to build breath awareness and connect movement to the breath... it's audible, slower and deeper than a normal breath, and has been shown by researchers to reduce stress and improve focus. I consider the victory breath to be one of my companions throughout the day, as I use it anytime I notice myself getting a little stressed or anxious about something over which I have very little control and just want to slow down the stress train and recenter my focus on whatever it is what I am doing in that moment. A great place to start learning the victory breath is to just open the mouth and make a nice"Haaaa" sound...like this. Try that a few times...You can hold your palm in front of your mouth and imagine you are fogging up a mirror or your smartphone. That ocean-like sound is created as we gently narrow the back of the throat, specifically the space between the vocal cords called the glottis, right behind the Adam's Apple, which all of us have, by the way... If you have the hang of that, try to make that same "Haaaa..." sound with the mouth closed...<two cycles>... Now perhaps the trickiest part, see if you if you can maintain that sound on both the exhalation AND inhalation, <three cycles>... Let's take three victory breaths together now, using a 4 second inhalation through the nose and 4 second exhalation through the nose. Starting with a nice long back, we can relax the shoulders...gently stretch the sides...as we warm up here, we can start to connect with the breath...in and out through the nose...slow, deep and low...and loosen up any tightness in the neck...I like to place one hand on the midsection, and one hand above it, to help me move out of the head space, down into the body for a moment...Speaking for myself, I certainly spend enough time up there, I know I won't be missed, ha. So, feel free to join me if that feels comfortable... On the count of three, the Ujjayi Breath...1-2-3: -INHALE…through the nose for one-two-three-four...EXHALE…through the nose for one-two-three-four -Again, INHALE…expand the midsection, front, sides and back…EXHALE…let every muscle soften and relax. -One more, INHALE for one-two-three-four and RELEASE for one-two-three-four We can return to normal breathing and in a moment we’ll practice a few more cycles of the Ujjayi Breath together. Let's remember, we try to gently narrow the back of the throat, imagining we are fogging up a mirror or smartphone. And the mind might wander off at some point, which is fine, no judgment. It happens to everyone. When we do notice, we just try to guide the attention back to the next breath...always returning to the next breath... We can now practice three cycles of the Ujjayi Breath, now using a five second inhalation and five second exhalation. With a nice long back, shoulders relaxed...on the count of three, together, one two three... -INHALE…through the nose for one-two-three-four-five...EXHALE…through the nose for one-two-three-four-five. -Again, INHALE…expand the midsection, front, sides and back…EXHALE…let every muscle soften and relax. -One more, INHALE for one-two-three-four and RELEASE for one-two-three-four-five.. We can return to normal breathing and let those ujjayi breaths to sink in. Science of the Breath I hope you've been able to feel the calming, centering effects of the or Ujjayi "Victory" Breath. I like to think the victory here is one of mindfulness over mindlessness…or of the calm centered mind over the scattered monkey mind. There has been a lot of research conducted on the benefits of this exercise. Slow, deep and low breathing, along with that soft vibration at the back of the throat, stimulates the vagus nerve, which then activates the PNS/rest/digest side of the ANS, while gently suppressing the sympathetic or slow drip feed stress response. The ujjayi breath is also quite discreet, and can be practiced so it's audible only to us...Add it to your toolkit and it will be there for you whenever you need to hit the pause button and give yourself a moment to respond, not react to those stress triggers that arise throughout the day.

Nose breathing serves many key functions including: filtering and humidifying the air. The nasal passageways also pressurize the incoming air, while slowing down the respiratory cycle.

Risks associated with infection, hyperventilation, hypoxia...

Digestion - As the diaphragm contracts and lowers during the inhalation, pressure in the belly ( intra-abdominal pressure) increases, which promotes gut motility, or the movement of nutrients through the digestive tract. Autonomic Nervous System - A slower respiratory cycle and lengthened exhalation activates the “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) through the signals of stretch receptors, mechanoreceptors and baroreceptors sent via the vagus nerve up to the brain stem. During exhalation, the vagus nerve, the main driver of the PNS, secretes a chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine slows the heart, calming the mind via a body-to-brain feedback loop. Breathing exercises that emphasize prolonged exhalation are often used for relaxation and in relieving stress. A breath rate of approximately six breaths per minute has been observed by researchers to boost heart rate variability (HRV), a key measure of the body's ability to adapt to stress.

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Primary breathing muscle, mostly used during inhalation, contractions activated through brainstem respiratory control center and phrenic nerve. Responsible for approx. 70% of tidal volume. (the external intercostals, contribute the remaining 30%. During more forceful or labored breathing, other muscles, including accessory inspiratory muscles like the sternocleidomastoidand scalenes, can assist in inspiration. Link to video

During inhalation, the external intercostals are responsible for approx. 30% of tidal volume. During more forceful or labored breathing, other muscles, including accessory inspiratory muscles like the sternocleidomastoidand scalenes, can assist in inspiration. During active exhalation, muscles in the abdominal wall (like the rectus abdominis, external and internal obliques, and transversus abdominis) and the internal intercostals are active. These muscles work to decrease the volume of the thoracic cavity, increasing pressure and forcing air out of the lungs.

Hyperventilation syndrome is not a disease. Many conditions linked with hyperventilation are covered in detail in Patrick McKeown’s The Breathing Cure. They include sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, asthma, poor seizure control in epilepsy, poor diabetes control, irritable bowel syndrome, and PMS insomnia, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, sexual dysfunction, headaches, back pain, brain fog, PMS and nasal congestion. Left uncorrected, faster, harder breathing could affect the quality and length of your life.

When the ribs move forward, the lower part of the lungs can inflate more. More air reaches deeper into the lung where gas exchange takes place. There is more blood supply in the lower parts of the lungs. This means more efficient transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide from the lower lungs to and from the bloodstream. "Deeper" breathing also slows the breath, so air stays in the lungs longer. This gives more time for the exchange of blood gases. When breathing patterns are normalized to increase levels of blood CO2, panic symptoms related to "breath hunger" reduce. This gives sufferers a greater sense of control over their panic attacks, which creates a positive feedback loop that further reduces symptoms.

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