04 Apr What is “Natural” Breathing?
Correct, simple natural breathing should look like this:
Breathe in and the navel point moves out. Breathe out and the navel point moves in. Use the nose to filter the air and exhale completely.
Many people have incorrectly learned to breathe and inhale by drawing the belly in. This actually makes less space for air in the lungs rather than more. This is key. In fact, it may be the single most important thing you learn in all of Kundalini Yoga. How to breathe properly changes everything.
Another common breathing mistake is shallow, erratic breathing done all in the upper chest. Breathing correctly and deeply in your day-to-day life changes the amount of energy have in reserve to manage emergencies. It is also the easiest path to the development of higher consciousness. Shallow breathing is caused by stress and its continued state weakens our nervous system, making an environment ripe for illness. Emotionally, trauma gets stored in our muscular system and proper breathing allows its release. It’s a way of removing the body armor we build up to shield ourselves from trauma, which left alone stiffens both the body and the heart. Correct breathing increases the flow of prana, so you feel increased vitality and a general sense of well-being.