One of my long-time yoga students asked me, “When should I breathe in, and when should I breathe out?”  This is a great question and a great reminder to me, that even though we might be long-time yoga practitioners, it’s so essential to go back and explore the “fundamentals.”

My main hope is that you are not holding your breath during your yoga practice (or any movement practice, or honestly at any point in your day!).  In the simplest of terms, start by knowing you are breathing in and knowing you are breathing out.

The emphasis on conscious breathing is one of the many things that I adore about this practice. If nothing else, it’s a simple way to connect to yourself and the moment, and you can do it anytime anywhere. It’s this invisible bridge, leading us back home to ourselves.

In terms of moving and breathing, a simple “rule-of- thumb” is to link the inhale with a movement that “opens or “lengthens” you and link the exhale with a movement that “closes” or “compresses" you.

For example:

Inhale and lift your tail and heart – cow pose – the belly and chest are a bit more open.
Exhale and curl into cat pose – the belly and chest are a bit more closed.
Or
Inhale and lift the arms out and overhead (the chest and arms are open).
Exhale and fold forward (the body is closed in on itself in this forward fold).
Or
From a lunge, inhale the arms up and rise up into high lunge or warrior one – again inhaling as we open the body – particularly the abdomen and chest – where the diaphragm and lungs reside.

Quite honestly though,  this is a guideline or suggestion.  I think it’s rather interesting and worth exploring to breathe in the opposite way – exhale into cow and inhale into cat for example.  When you are folded over or inward – like in cat or standing forward fold (uttanasana), or even child’s pose -  the backs of the ribs and  lungs are open, and we can take fuller advantage of breathing into the back of the lungs.  I read that  about 60 percent of our lung tissue is in the back of our body*  - that’s a lot of breathing real estate!!

When I first started practicing (and learning to teach) I was taught to inhale while coming into a backbend. But honestly, I have found it easier to lift into cobra and locust, even bow pose on an exhale.  Then of course, I inhale once I’m in the pose (remember that part about not holding your breath?). When I'm on my belly in poses like those, I find it difficult to let the breath be deep, so I now lift up on the exhale and  then focus on breathing into the sides of my ribs more.

So, here’s one more example where there is no one way or right way to do something – just choices.  I encourage you to play and see what makes sense in your body.

Have fun exploring your breathing the next time you are on your mat, and let me know how it­­­­­­­­­ goes!

*Yoga Myths by Judith Hanson Lasater

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