Nasal Breathing And Yoga

By Patricia | January 21, 2009
Yoga Nasal Breathing

This is the general question that arises in the minds of Yoga practitioners. All Yoga followers are advised to breathe nasally. Doing this, they found, results in better health and longer life spans, particularly when practicing Yoga exercises and poses. It is also proven that breathing nasally, over a period of time, betters meditation practice and makes you more aware of some of the minutest sounds and movements around.

Deep nasal breathing is mandatory if the body is to get an adequate supply of oxygen and if this oxygen is to be directed to the different organs, especially during Yoga practice. This is vital for life and for the eradication of toxins and waste products. Hence, breathing correctly is the most important lesson in Yoga rather than just breathing. Correcting your breathing techniques is best accomplished while doing Yogasanas (poses) or even by practicing breathing exercises while relaxing, to relieve yourself of stress.

In case, you breathe too fast or your breathing is too shallow you could suffer from dizziness, anxiety, insomnia, stomach upsets, visual problems and palpitations. So, you should, necessarily breathe more deeply and slowly, and this can only be achieved through nasal breathing. Shallow and fast breathing gives rise to oxygen malnourishment that, in turn results in lower energy levels, poor immunity, premature ageing and many other setbacks. Improper breathing technique can even be mistaken for heart disease in people.

This is why it is mandatory that you remember to breathe properly and through your nostrils. It may look like an obvious activity but a lot of people tend to breathe orally and this results in myriad problems, particularly when practicing Yoga. Breathing orally, on the other hand, can affect the development of your thyroid gland as well as be the cause of mental retardation in children.

Remember, your nostrils have self-protective mechanisms which help keep impurities away including dust, small insects and other environmental particles which can cause injury or infection to your lungs.

Secondly, air breathed through the nose gets warmed while passing through your nostrils. This air then passes down your windpipe that is lined with a mucous membrane, where even finer dust particles are got rid of.

The glands in your inner nose filter out bacteria that could have slipped past the other nasal barriers. Since your nose is your organ of smell, it can detect poisonous gases that can cause injury to your body.

Finally, nasal breathing during Yoga practice will help increase the flexibility of your ribs and lungs. This, in turn will allow you to inhale so much more oxygen, the benefits of which are felt by the rest of the body.

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