Reprogram Your Breath

By listening to the sensation of the breath, in every situation, by feeling the emotions of love or fear; we cultivate awareness, tuning in to the body, becoming aware of parts of ourselves that ordinarily escape our attention. By sensing the way our breathing changes in relation to different experiences, different moods, different emotions, we start to gain more control over our state of being. In today’s lesson, we strengthen our ability to sense the breath.

Your breathing pattern can have a positive or negative influence on the body's physiology. As “adults,” we tend to breathe mainly through the top of the chest, promoting shallow breathing. As babies, our breath is whole, natural, and full, but as stress starts to affect our lives, our breathing patterns are programmed to become short and shallow. In today’s lesson, we learn about the importance of deep breathing.

When you’re feeling stressed, scattered, or overwhelmed, focusing on the exhale will help neutralize those feelings and settle both the mind and body. Our outward breath is neurologically tied to the relaxation response in the brain, that’s why we sigh when we’re relieved. In today's lesson, we practice extending our exhale.

According to experts, most people breathe at 10-20 percent of their full capacity. Restricted breathing greatly decreases respiratory function, which in turn decreases energy levels in the body. Since oxygen is our main source of life, and exhalation is the main way to expel toxins from our bodies, poor breathing can contribute to a multitude of health problems. In today’s lesson, we learn key insights on why nose breathing is essential.

Kumbhaka is the Sanskrit word for this powerful type of breathing exercise where you focus your attention on the pause at the top of the inhale and/or at the bottom of the exhale. Breath retention is a powerful tool to regulate mental chatter and improve concentration. When you are yearning for a new breath during a hold, you are devoting all concentration to this activity— promoting presence and training the mind to focus intensely on one thing at a time. In today’s lesson, we practice and embrace the “pause.”

Retaining the breath reveals the degree to which you are psychologically in balance – your mental stability – and how finely you are tuned in on your body. The simplicity of breath holds makes it an excellent indicator of your stress level, and makes progress easy to measure. In today’s lesson, we will begin our breath retention training.

How long you are able to hold your breath without feeling dizzy or overly uncomfortable is a good indicator of overall health. Longer times are a sign of better health, overall fitness, and a relaxed state. On the other hand, shorter times usually point to bad breathing habits such as poor use of the diaphragm, unstable or disturbed breathing, and a high level of stress and anxiety. In today’s lesson, we will further develop our skill to hold our breath.

Diaphragmatic breathing exercises activate the "good" nervous system: by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), meditation healthfully slows down heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, sweating, and soothing all other sympathetic nervous system fight or flight functions. In today’s lesson, we will learn a breathing technique designed to activate the PNS.

The 4-7-8 breathing technique, also known as “relaxing breath,” involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. This breathing pattern aims to reduce anxiety or help people get to sleep. In today's lesson, we practice this powerful breath made popular by Andrew Weil, M.D.

Breathing exercises can help you relax because they make your body feel like it does when you are already relaxed. Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. This is because when you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. In the following lessons, we will reprogram the breath to become more efficient in activating the parasympathetic nervous system.

Controlled breathing exercises can help keep your mind and body in shape, by helping to lower blood pressure, promote feelings of calm and relaxation, and relieve stress. In today’s lesson, let's practice a basic technique: inhaling for 4 counts and exhaling for 6 counts.

Deep breathing also goes by the names of diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, and belly breathing. When you breathe deeply, the air coming in through your nose fully fills your lungs, and the lower belly rises. In today’s lesson, we deepen our practice of breathing by inhaling for 5 counts and exhaling for 6 counts.

Shallow breathing limits the diaphragm's range of motion. The lowest part of the lungs doesn't get a full share of oxygenated air. That can make you feel short of breath and anxious. In today’s practice, we expand the lungs even more for an inhale of 6 counts and an exhale of 7 counts.

Investigations into the physiological effects of slow breathing have uncovered significant effects on the respiratory, cardiovascular, cardiorespiratory, and autonomic nervous systems. In today’s lesson, we go even deeper into reprogramming the breath by inhaling for 6 counts and exhaling for 8 counts.

When you hold your breath, you give your cells more time to both absorb oxygen and produce carbon dioxide. This is why holding your breath sometimes can increase the amount of carbon dioxide in your cells and be a lifesaver in case of hyperventilation. In today’s lesson, we add in a slight pause by inhaling for 6 counts, holding for 4 counts, and exhaling for 8 counts.

The practice of holding your breath as a part of a breathing exercise is one of the most effective ways to increase your lung capacity. This in turn can significantly improve your physical performance and increase your vitality. In today’s lesson, we are inhaling for 8 counts, holding for 16 counts, and exhaling for 12 counts.

A tortoise lives up to 400 years; the real reason for longevity is it breathes only three to four breaths per minute. In today’s lesson, we practice our tortoise breath by inhaling for 10, holding for 10, and exhaling for 10.

Deep breath equals more awareness. The more awareness you have in the present moment, the more likely you are to connect with your intuition or internal teacher. In today’s lesson, we extend the length of the breath by practicing an ancient, yogic breathing technique by inhaling for 8 counts, holding for 18 counts and exhaling for 8 counts.

This lesson is going to be the most challenging breathing technique, it requires full awareness and focus of the breath. There is a pause added at the end of the exhale so remaining calm is essential for this practice. All your training is now going to be tested to see how easily you can complete this practice. This lesson is an indication of how well you have reprogrammed the breath. Do not be deterred if you find this too challenging, simply look at it as an opportunity to go back and practice more. In today's lesson we are inhaling for 8, holding for 16, exhaling for 16, and pausing for 8. Good luck!

Your breath is one of your best defenses against daily stress, frustration, and anxiety. Once you learn the art of inhaling and exhaling, you’ll likely start to feel better. In today’s lesson, we embrace the teachings of this course, a final meditation to connect with the breath.