Rhythmic, deep and slow respiration stimulates and is stimulated by calm, content states of mind. Iregular breathing disrupts the rhythms of the brain and leads to physical, emotional and mental blocks. These in turn lead to inner conflict, imbalanced personality, disordered lifestyle and disease.' ASANA, PRANAYAMA MUDRA BANDHA, SWAMI SATYANDA SARASWATI

A lot of attention is given to breathing in yoga. The way we breath in itself is
in yoga perceived as an art taking many years to master. Why?

Following the guidance of Patanjali and others with the wisdom of the journey
towards the Self we see the breath is one manifestation of the life force prana. Woven into the fabric of the body in a network of energy channels called nadis, the yoga practices stimulate the work of prana.

FROM BKS IYENGAR 'LIGHT ON LIFE'
'Hindus often say that GOD is Generator, Organizer and Destroyer. Inhalation is the generating power, retention is the organizing power and exhalation, if the energy is vicious, is the destroyer. This is prana at work'

PRANAYAMA
'Prana in the form of breath, is the starting point. The suffix, ayama, means stretch, extension, expansion, length, breadth, regulation, prolongation, restraint and control. Put in its simplest form, therefore, pranayama means the prolongation and restraint of breath. Since prana is energy and life force, pranayama means the extension and expansion of all our vital energy.' BKS IYENGAR 'LIGHT ON LIFE RODALE 2005.

DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING
When practicing this breathing technique, try and keep your upper chest and neck muscles as relaxed as possible. The aim is to keep the upper chest quiet and to rely solely on the diaphragm. If you are doing this technique properly, you should feel hardly any movement in the shoulders and chest at all.
Step 1
Sit or lay down comfortably
Step 2
Place the hands on your tummy near the navel so that the finger tips just touch.
Step 3
Breathe in slowly and deeply. Concentrate on taking the breath into the base of the lungs. Your diaphragm is bowing down sucking breath in. Your abdomen will rise pushing your hands up and apart.
Step 4
Breathe out slowly feeling abdomen descend and your hands lowering.

Practice breathing in this way for five minutes extending to ten minutes over a week of daily practice. Learn the technique when you feel calm. It will help you to relax deeply.

UJJAYI PRANAYAMA
BENEFITS - 'classified as a tranquillizing pranayama it also has a heating effect on the body.This practice is used in yoga therapy to soothe the nervous system and calm the mind.'
Relieves insomnia.
Slows the heart rate.

Technique
Firstly, breathing through the nose, concentrate on the passage of the breath, in and out, through the nostrils for several breaths. Next, take the concentration down to the passing of the breath through the throat. Now, try to softly partially close the glottis, narrowing the passage through which the breath passes. This will make a soft snoring sound like Darth Vader breathing. Take long and deep breaths.