Breathing: Science & Practice Of Breathwork. Module 2, Slow & Nasal Breathing

Ujjayi Pranayama, meaning victorious breath, is a controlled, slightly constricted, and very steady breathing through the nose, that works out the tongue and back of the throat, as well as the supporting breathing muscles. You can practice Ujjayi pranayama while sitting or walking, and, when you are comfortable with the technique, you can use it in any type of physical exercise. The main purpose is to train all the assisting muscles of breathing so you have full control over your breath as you train or meditate. PLEASE NOTE: this session, and all the sessions in this module, builds upon knowledge discussed in Module 1, on Breath Awareness. In particular, this session builds upon knowledge about CO2 and O2 balance, the Haldane and Bohr effect, and the benefits of slow and nasal breathing discussed in Module 1. SOURCES: Mason, H., Vandoni, M., Debarbieri, G., Codrons, E., Ugargol, V., & Bernardi, L. (2013). Cardiovascular and respiratory effect of yogic slow breathing in the yoga beginner: what is the best approach? Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. // Refining the Breath – Doug Keller. //

This theory session discusses how eating improves your nasal breathing. You will learn how we have become mouth breathers, what this has done to our facial structures, and what you can do to help revert this process apart from nasal breathing practices. PLEASE NOTE: this session, and all the sessions in this module, builds upon knowledge discussed in Module 1, on Breath Awareness. In particular, this session builds upon knowledge about benefits of slow and nasal breathing, and about breath awareness discussed in Module 1. SOURCES: Zhao, Z., Zheng, L., Huang, X., Li, C., Liu, J., & Hu, Y. (2021). Effects of mouth breathing on facial skeletal development in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Oral Health. // Achmad, H., & Ansar, A. W. (2021). Mouth breathing in pediatric population: a literature review. Annals of the Romanian Society for Cell Biology. // Sandra Kahn and Paul Ehrlich -Jaws. // James Nestor - Breath. //

This practice session requires you to eat! Before you sit down for this session, prepare some food for yourself, preferably something that will give your jaws a workout. Mindful eating is useful for three reasons. It wires in the habit of chewing, it increases enjoyment of the eating experience, and it reduces food intake. PLEASE NOTE: this session, and all the sessions in this module, builds upon knowledge discussed in Module 1, on Breath Awareness. In particular, this session builds upon knowledge about benefits of slow and nasal breathing, and about breath awareness discussed in Module 1.

This theory session discusses the importance of slow breathing. Slow breathing, and particularly lengthening exhales, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, activating rest and digestion, creating calmness and relaxation, reducing anxiety and stress, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, improving cognitive function, blood flow and cerebrospinal fluids to the brain, decreasing harmful proteins that are linked to brain disease, and improving feelings of connection, synchrony and peace when practiced with others. PLEASE NOTE: this session, and all the sessions in this module, builds upon knowledge discussed in Module 1, on Breath Awareness. In particular, this session builds upon knowledge about CO2 and O2 balance, the Haldane and Bohr effect, the Nervous System, Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia, and benefits of slow and nasal breathing discussed in Module 1. SOURCES: Bernardi, L., Sleight, P., Bandinelli, G., Cencetti, S., Fattorini, L., Wdowczyc-Szulc, J., & Lagi, A. (2001). Effect of rosary prayer and yoga mantras on autonomic cardiovascular rhythms: comparative study. Bmj. // Brown, R. P., & Gerbarg, P. L. (2009). Yoga breathing, meditation, and longevity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. // Russo MA, Santarelli DM, O'Rourke D. The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human. Breathe (Sheff). (2017). // Yackle, K., Schwarz, L. A., Kam, K., Sorokin, J. M., Huguenard, J. R., Feldman, J. L., ... & Krasnow, M. A. (2017). Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in mice. Science, 2017. // Yildiz, S., Grinstead, J., Hildebrand, A. et al. (2022). Immediate impact of yogic breathing on pulsatile cerebrospinal fluid dynamics. Nature reports. // Min, J., Rouanet, J., Martini, A.C. et al. (2023). Modulating heart rate oscillation affects plasma amyloid beta and tau levels in younger and older adults. Nature Reports. // Laborde, S., Allen, M. S., Borges, U., Hosang, T. J., Furley, P., Mosley, E., & Dosseville, F. (2021). The influence of slow-paced breathing on executive function. Journal of Psychophysiology. // Meuret, A. E., Ritz, T., Wilhelm, F. H., Roth, W. T., & Rosenfield, D. (2018). Hypoventilation therapy alleviates panic by repeated induction of dyspnea. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. //

This breathing practice session is about slowing down your breathing in a coordinated way. This is the long version of Nadi Shodhana, developed for those who are already breathing slowly with comfort. PLEASE NOTE! In case you suffer from anxiety, asthma, high blood pressure, are pregnant, or for any other reason, your BOLT score is low, please be aware that the slowest pace of breathing in this session may be too slow for you. If this is the case, use the next session instead of this one. If slow breathing is new for you, this may result in unconsciously hyperventilating (breathing too deep, too fast) to deal with a feeling of not having enough oxygen, or it may result in feeling anxious or jittery because you are not used to having your carbon dioxide levels rise. If you feel nauseous, anxious, dizzy, or you feel tingling sensations, this is a sign that your body needs a bit more time to get used to slow breathing. If you find that the pace of this practice is too slow for you, I have created a shorter version of this practice for you (day 8) so you can practice with that before you get back to this version of Alternate Nostril Breathing for slower breathers.

This breathing practice session is about slowing down your breathing in a coordinated way. This is the short version of Nadi Shodhana, it is similar to the previous practice, but with shorter breaths. PLEASE NOTE: This session is particularly developed for those who need a bit more practice to learn how to breathe slowly with comfort, or for those who want a quicker practice because they have less time.

This slow breathing practice is focused on sound and singing, and on lengthening your exhales. The first practice is called Bhramari pranayama, or humming bee breath, the second practice is a short chanting practice where we sing the sound of AUM. PLEASE NOTE: Take this practice at your own breathing pace. You can follow my lead, but, the main purpose is to find a balance between improvement and comfort. Feel your personal balance point, and let it rest in the joint breathing practice. If you find that your breath becomes irregular, discard my lead and follow your own bodies' guidance instead.