Today I'll be guiding you through a simple yet powerful breath technique called Kumbhaka.
This is a type of breath retention or breath hold,
Yet it's more mild than other types of breath retention you may have practiced or seen in the past.
We hold our breath for the same amount of time that we're inhaling and exhaling,
Therefore there's less emphasis or focus on just the breath hold and more emphasis on the entire cycle of the breath.
Holding the breath can be beneficial in a few ways.
It can increase the strength of our diaphragm and increase our lung capacity and also help to increase the amount of oxygen that's delivered to tissues and muscles.
I think it's important to note the physiology here so that as we go through these practices we can understand on a fundamental level what's happening in our bodies.
When you hold your breath,
Your CO2 level will increase.
When that occurs,
It actually causes the pH of the blood to decrease or become more acidic.
When that occurs,
Your red blood cells are more likely to donate or give oxygen that it's holding.
That oxygen can then be released into tissues and muscles,
Leading to increased energy levels,
Faster healing time,
And improved athletic performance if using this technique regularly.
A couple of points on technique.
You want to fill up the entire inhale and the entire exhale,
Meaning if it's a four count inhale,
You want to slowly inhale so you're filling that entire space up,
Which means you need to be aware of how quickly or slowly you're moving the breath depending on the count.
If it's a ten count breath,
Then you're gonna move much more slowly than if it's a four count breath.
You also want the texture or the quality of the breath to be consistent.
So without further ado,
Let's begin.
Find a comfortable seat,
Allow yourself to show up to ground to be here,
And let's take a big breath in and out.
Inhale through the nostril for four counts.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold at the top for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale through the nose for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
And again,
Inhale through your nose for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold at the top for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
One more just like that.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four.
And hold two,
Three,
Four.
And exhale two,
Three,
Four.
Moving to a six count,
Inhale two,
Three,
Four.
Steady breath six and hold at the top.
Thinking about moving oxygen and air into every corner of your lungs,
Exhale through your nose two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
And again,
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
And hold at the top two,
Three,
Four.
Expand your lungs,
Expand.
And exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Take a moment to retreat back to your natural breath.
Noticing how you feel,
Any shifts,
Any changes.
And before we head back into our next round,
A couple of things to carry with you.
In the next round,
I'll be cueing an eight count.
However,
You always want to use your internal tuition as to what will best serve you.
So if you were finding with the six count that you felt a little bit uncomfortable or agitated with the breath hold,
Or if on the exhale,
You were noticing that it was challenging for you to fill up the entire six count with your exhale,
Then you might want to drop back to a five count or even a four count.
Breath practice is exactly that.
It's a practice.
With time,
You'll be able to hold the breath for longer and longer amounts of time.
We want to push you just barely out of your comfort zone,
But not so much so that you're uncomfortable or feeling agitated,
Because that is really the opposite of the effect that we want to have with this breath.
The other thing I'll mention is that when you're visualizing the inhale,
The exhale,
And the hold,
Really bring your attention to the lung organs themselves.
Visualize how your lungs are moving with each inhale and exhale.
Bring capacity,
Bring air to the top corners of the lungs,
To the very bases of the lungs.
Imagine and feel and see how they are moving in real time as you work through this breath.
Breath is an opportunity to connect more deeply with yourself,
And specifically in this exercise,
We want to really connect with our lung organs.
So settle back in and get ready for our next round.
Let's take a big breath in together and out.
Going for a count of 8 this time,
Or whatever feels best for you.
Here we go.
Inhale.
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Hold at the top.
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Gently exhale.
2,
3,
4,
With control,
6,
7,
8.
Inhale.
2,
3,
4.
Visualize all the corners of your lungs filling up with this sweet,
Precious breath.
And hold.
2,
3,
4.
Even within the hold,
Visualize the air filling up each corner of the lung and exhale.
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Inhale.
2,
3,
4.
You're doing fantastic.
6,
7,
8.
And hold.
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
You got this.
Exhale.
2,
3,
4,
With control,
6,
7,
8.
Drop back into your natural breath.
Notice any shifts.
Connect with yourself and find what you need.
Maybe it's to drop into meditation or maybe it's just to sit and allow this practice to integrate.
Thanks so much for being here and I'll see you next time.
