Breathing techniques play an important part in several Eastern traditions but are somewhat overlooked in Western traditions. Breathing plays a large part in Yoga practices and is known as Pranayama. I am always surprised that it is something very rarely mentioned in a lot of books on witchcraft for several reasons; firstly, as witches or pagans or sorcerers many of us strive to use what we learn to help find balance and order in our lives, mastering control through techniques such as meditation. Mastering our breath can be as beneficial as mastering meditation in this regard.
Secondly, mastering breathing can have a range of health benefits; these techniques can help calm you when you are anxious for example, help blood flow, increase energy and give your brain a boost.
Thirdly, our breath is the closest connection we have with the element of air, and without it we can't survive. The air we breathe, the quality of it and the way in which we breathe it can have a huge impact on our mental and physical health. Mastering breathing techniques can help you any time more closely with the element of air and gain an appreciation of the significance of this element.
Here I will talk about 5 of the most frequently used and beneficial breathing techniques. Don't be surprised if you find these more difficult than you expected (I did) - even for something as natural as breathing that we do unconsciously every day, mastering something new most often doesn't come without a bit of effort! You can do these exercises either sitting down or standing up, making sure you keep a straight back no matter your preference. It is recommended not to try these lying down as this will make these exercises difficult as you won't be able to take in the required amount of oxygen to sustain your breaths.
Secondly, mastering breathing can have a range of health benefits; these techniques can help calm you when you are anxious for example, help blood flow, increase energy and give your brain a boost.
Thirdly, our breath is the closest connection we have with the element of air, and without it we can't survive. The air we breathe, the quality of it and the way in which we breathe it can have a huge impact on our mental and physical health. Mastering breathing techniques can help you any time more closely with the element of air and gain an appreciation of the significance of this element.
Here I will talk about 5 of the most frequently used and beneficial breathing techniques. Don't be surprised if you find these more difficult than you expected (I did) - even for something as natural as breathing that we do unconsciously every day, mastering something new most often doesn't come without a bit of effort! You can do these exercises either sitting down or standing up, making sure you keep a straight back no matter your preference. It is recommended not to try these lying down as this will make these exercises difficult as you won't be able to take in the required amount of oxygen to sustain your breaths.
The Vase Breath:
One of the most common and easiest breaths to pick up, you should feel comfortable maintaining this breath first before moving on.
Before you begin just take a note of your breathing - this can be difficult when you are aware of what you are about to do as you may find that you subconsciously start trying to control it, so try and catch yourself unaware such as in your daily commute. Many people will notice that they take rather short, shallow breaths, mostly focused in the chest area. With this breath we will be focusing on taking deeper, more balanced breaths from the abdomen which should allow us to take in more air.
Focus on inhaling in through your nose and exhaling back out through your nose rather than your mouth. You also need to focus on making your inhale and exhale of equal length; for example recommends either four, five or six counts in and the same amount out.
Focus on pulling all of your breath into your stomach, expanding it to hold all the oxygen you are taking in. Now exhale, and as you reach the end of your breath suck in your stomach and force yourself to expel any remaining stale air before you start again. Continue in this manner for as long as you want. Remember to keep the length of your inhale and exhale equal, and try not to hold your breath at any point; let it flow.
You should find that you feel yourself taking in more air, in turn helping you take longer and deeper breaths. This is a good one to practice when you are feeling anxious or nervous about something and to generally help your body feel the benefits of taking in more oxygen.
One of the most common and easiest breaths to pick up, you should feel comfortable maintaining this breath first before moving on.
Before you begin just take a note of your breathing - this can be difficult when you are aware of what you are about to do as you may find that you subconsciously start trying to control it, so try and catch yourself unaware such as in your daily commute. Many people will notice that they take rather short, shallow breaths, mostly focused in the chest area. With this breath we will be focusing on taking deeper, more balanced breaths from the abdomen which should allow us to take in more air.
Focus on inhaling in through your nose and exhaling back out through your nose rather than your mouth. You also need to focus on making your inhale and exhale of equal length; for example recommends either four, five or six counts in and the same amount out.
Focus on pulling all of your breath into your stomach, expanding it to hold all the oxygen you are taking in. Now exhale, and as you reach the end of your breath suck in your stomach and force yourself to expel any remaining stale air before you start again. Continue in this manner for as long as you want. Remember to keep the length of your inhale and exhale equal, and try not to hold your breath at any point; let it flow.
You should find that you feel yourself taking in more air, in turn helping you take longer and deeper breaths. This is a good one to practice when you are feeling anxious or nervous about something and to generally help your body feel the benefits of taking in more oxygen.
Three Part Breath:
Similar to the vase breath, it has a couple of extra steps. First perform the vase breath, but rather than focusing on keeping all of your breath just in your abdomen, fill up this area first before filling your chest, and then your throat; you are filling yourself with air from the bottom up. As you exhale, focus on first expelling the air from your throat, then your lungs and then your abdomen. Some recommend that you place one hand on your abdomen and one hand on your chest to help you focus. Repeat and remember to try and keep your inhale and exhale breaths of the same length and flowing into one another.
9 Breaths of Purification (or the Nadi Sodhana Pranayama):
This one is great for helping you balance yourself if you are feeling a bit out of sorts, to 'clear the cobwebs' and also help unblock your sinuses when you are suffering from a cold. As such, even if you aren't suffering from a cold it can sometimes cause a bit of a runny nose so best to have some tissues to hand just in case!
To perform this breath, start with the vase breath. Once you feel ready raise your dominant hand so that you are holding it in front of your face and place your index, middle and ring fingers on the top of your nose. Cover one of your nostrils using your thumb/little finger and inhale through your one open nostril. Now use your thumb/little finger (whichever one you have not yet used) to block the nostril you have inhaled from at the same time you release the nostril you formally had closed, and then exhale through your now open nostril.
Once you have exhaled fully, inhale through this same nostril. Now swap as you did above so you close that nostril and open the other before exhaling. You should find yourself in a pattern of exhaling and inhaling through one nostril, then exhaling and inhaling through the other, and so on.
Skull Shining Breath/Kapalabhati Pranayama (Also the Breath of Fire) (Also the Bhastrika Pranayama or Bellows Breath):
Now this is a difficult one to explain as on paper these three sound very much the same; in the exhale, 'pump out' the air in short, forceful bursts The best way I've seen it described is to imagine you are trying to blow out a birthday candle through your nose that refuses to go out.
So what is the difference between them? The YouTube Yoga Channel 'yogajourney018' sums it up much better than I ever could:
"Kapalabhati or "skull-shining" breath: active exhale, passive inhale; pumping the diaphragm.
Bhastrika or "bellow's" breath: vigorous and even inhale and exhale, sometimes involving movement of the body.
Breath of Fire: like Bhastrika except the tempo is speeded up, often used in poses or in conjunction with rapid movement."
I would highly recommend her short YouTube video which shows you the differences. Either way, these are great exercises to help raise your energy, warm the body and release negativity.
It is recommended to start with just a few cycles at a time as this can be quite an intense exercise.
The Lions Breath:
Another breath that is good for encouraging release, although probably not one to practise in public unless you want to receive some funny looks!
Start with the vase breath and then your your head back, open your mouth wide, stuck your tongue out and exhale loudly. You can also try raising your arms as you exhale to emphasise the release effect.
I would highly recommend giving these a go and becoming proficient with them, and using them in every day situations (where possible) to see if they can help you. Can't be bothered to do that house work you know you need to get done? Try one of the three breaths which focuses on short, sharp inhales/exhales to raise some energy. Negative thoughts making it difficult to sleep? Focus on the vase breath. There are plenty more out there if you are interested in researching this further, and many good instructional videos on YouTube.