The Importance of Breath Management During Hot Yoga

In the course of a hot yoga class, many elements come together in order for practitioners to experience many benefits. There's the heated room, permitting muscles to stretch more than usual, the poses that compress and extend muscles, and the commitment of the participants to hold each pose to enhance their strength and flexibility. But a potentially neglected component of hot yoga is breathing. Throughout each session there are "pranayama" exercises, meaning "breathing techniques". During the day individuals tend to neglect their breathing and only use their lungs at a partial capacity. This may lead to low amounts of energy and frustration, but fortunately hot yoga permits people to focus on breathing to bring back the oxygen within their bodies and obtain a more tranquil outlook.

People obviously must breathe throughout the day, but pranayama is what shows individuals how to breathe properly. It allows them to expand the capacity of their lungs which allows more oxygen to be sent throughout the body so it can function. Pranayama also reduces the toxins in the body and aids in digestion, as with proper practice one's health and metabolism will improve. Pranayama is also a mental exercise, in which people can gain better self control. One's concentration will be sharpened so that you can relax yourself during otherwise stressful situations, and calmly choose your reactions.

Two of the types of pranayama used in hot yoga are the 80-20 breath and the exhalation breath. During the 80-20 breath practitioners should raise their ribs as they take in air, expanding the abdominal muscles as if they were about to hold their breath. The upper 20% of the air should then be exhaled and inhaled again. This breathing exercise is good for poses where back-bends are involved or in standing poses, as it helps with energy and balance.

The exhalation breathe is performed as it sounds. When you exhale during a pose, let yourself move more fully into the stance. Upon reaching your full capacity of moving into the pose, your breathing can return to normal. This breathing is good for forward-bending poses since it helps to relax the body, allows for proper rotation of the pelvis above the thighs, protecting the lower back from strain, and compressing the digestive organs for better digestion. Using these two breathing exercises will essentially train your lungs to function properly. They also work your abdominal muscles which provides you with better posture while standing.

Whenever you are breathing, whether in a hot yoga class or even taking a moment to yourself during the day, it is important to be mindful of what you are doing. If you focus on your breathing and allow yourself to move away from the rest of the world, you can connect more closely with yourself without external distractions. You can connect to your breathing and be fully present in the moment, letting your breathing cleanse you as when you are asleep. Through experiencing the positive effects of fresh and oxygenated blood in the body, you can return to the rest of the world and be prepared to act and share your mindful state with others.

Few careers deliver the satisfaction and flexibility of being a yoga teacher. Yoga training offers the support and guidance essential to acquire your official yoga instructor training.

Go Back

Comments for this post have been disabled.