One Deep Breath
Finding the Focus.
Did you know that one deep breath can make all the difference? When I was a classroom teacher, I practiced yoga and felt the benefits, so I decided to share the practice of yoga with my students. Unfortunately, I never had enough time for the poses, so I just focused on deep belly breathing for a few minutes each morning before classes. Afterwards, the students were calmer and were able to focus on their academics. However, I still felt like they were missing the yoga practice. When I shared this with my yoga teacher at the time she said, “Teaching breathwork is the best thing you can do for them.”
Years later, I attended RYT 200 yoga teacher training and while learning about the respiratory system, I was fascinated by the breathing process. Up until this point in my yoga practice, I just focused on the poses and did not give the breath much attention. It was just there, a side note to the yoga poses. I was way off, the breathing process is the most important part of a yoga practice.
Breathing Process
The Breathing Process.
INHALE ➡️ Air (oxygen) enters the body through the nose, warmed up and filtered before entering the body.
➡️ The diaphragm moves down, the rib cage expands, and the lungs expand to let in more air.
➡️ Oxygen enters the blood from the lungs and is pumped by the heart throughout the body by the arteries.
➡️ The oxygen rich blood circulates to every single cell of the body and then is EXCHANGED. 🔁
➡️ The toxins and gases that the body produces circulate back through the veins, pumped through the heart, and back into the lungs.
➡️ The diaphragm moves up, the rib cage contracts, and the lungs release the carbon dioxide through the nose as we EXHALE. ➡️
Here’s how it works.
Exchange of oxygen during inhale and exhale
Benefits of a daily breathing practice.
Slowing and lengthening the breath brings more oxygen rich blood to the body and brain. Taking a deep inhale brings in more oxygen rich blood, and then a long, slow exhale rids the body of the toxins and carbon dioxide. Other benefits include:
Soothe our nervous system
Energizes our bodies
Refreshes the mind
Increases oxygen to the blood/brain/muscles
Alleviates fatigue
Regulates emotions
Creates focused attention
Having a daily breathing practice where we sit and focus on the breath, relaxing on the inhale and focusing on the exhale, calms the body and sharpens the mind. Over time this is integrated into daily practice and life so when we are faced with challenges and notice the breath getting faster, quicker, and shorter, we can change the situation we are in, the emotions we are feeling with one deep breath.
Other Breathing Resources
8 Breathing Practices to Settle Big Emotions
Ms. Brandon, RCYT, RYT500, holds a Master's degree in Special Education from Western Carolina University, is a highly qualified educator, and has 20 years' experience working with children and children with special needs. Information for the kids yoga blog come from Ms. Brandon’s 95 hour Children’s Yoga Teacher Training RCYS, and is approved by Yoga Alliance.
