Pranayama

Long Deep Breathing and Breath of Fire

Pieter Schoonheim Samara
For those that have been doing Long Deep Breathing and Breath of Fire for many years, the
breath is so natural and easy that unless one is also teaching one might not easily focus on
what the difficulty could possibly be.
Quite often students will fill the lower abdominal area of the lungs, then as the try to fill the
chest area, they shift the air from the lower area to the chest, as they try to lift the rib cage,
and do not actually keep the downward pressure of air in filling upwards, but instead only shift
upwards, so that a complete breath is still only chest breathing and not actually diaphragm
breathing.
The conscious awareness of the diaphragm is not apparent to every one so some means needs
to be provided to somehow allow attention to the sensation of the use of the diaphragm to
come into focus until the natural rhythm of the diaphragm is felt and the effortless force and
flow of prana takes over.

Long Deep Breathing

A great way to relax, and also very good for any lung-related problems.
Long Deep Breathing is usually taught first because one can become aware of the full
distention and contraction of the diaphragm, after which the Breath of Fire may come more
naturally.
Sitting cross-legged (or even in corps pose), in long deep breathing one will first fill the
abdominal area by inhaling the air down, then pressing the air consciously into the lower
areas. By arching somewhat forward with ones palms on the knees, then with arms straight
pressing the palms inward towards the lower body against the knees, the chest cavity will open
forwards, so that you can not only keep the pressure on the lungs in the lower abdominal area,
but also feel the lungs filling in and through the chest area and, finally, because of the forward
arch of the spine the upper area of the lungs will fill as well, all without the need to either open
the rib cage or raise the shoulders.
Once the lungs are completely filled in this manner, hold the breath lightly for a moment and
press the shoulders back and expand the chest out so that the full length and pressure on the
diaphragm can be felt.
Then contract the entire length of the diaphragm from the upper chest to the abdomen, so that
all the air is squeezed out.
By breathing in this way through the nostrils for several breaths, the flow of energy
consciousness (the feeling of prana) through the diaphragm can be felt from the pressing down
and distending of the air into the lower region of the lungs, where most of the blood circulates,
then filling through and up to the chest areas from the back to the front and into the upper
lungs.
The pressure in the lungs in all areas of the lungs also generates energy in all the nerve
endings, so that the entire body is effected both by the breath and the pressure on the nerves.
Once the Long Deep Breathing is done in the manner described, the focus on the muscles of
the abdomen, chest and shoulder areas as being involved in the breathing begins to recede, as
the natural bellows like motion of the entire diaphragm is felt.

Breath of Fire (Agni-Prasana)

A cleansing & energising breath, powered by abdominal contractions
Once the diaphragm is felt during Long Deep Breathing then there are a couple of ways in
which one can begin to do Breath of Fire, where the air is pulled in and pumped out very
rhythmically, just like pumping a bellows, without any tension being felt whatsoever on the
abdominal muscles, chest and rib cage muscles or shoulders, which remain relaxes throughout
the breath, so that it may almost seem that you can continue the rhythm indefinitely with little
effort at all.
One way to start Breath of Fire, which was the way I learned it some 30 years ago, is to start
with long deep breathing, then as soon as the lungs are completely expanded, as described
earlier, to immediately force the air out, and as soon as most of the air is out to immediately
expand the air back in, each time arching the spine forwards and pressing the palms inward
against the knees in a light manner to feel the diaphragm filling the lungs from the back to the
front completely, then contracting again.
With each breath one expands a bit faster and contracts a bit faster until without expanding or
contracting completely, a rhythm is felt, and you let that rhythm take over.
You might liken it to an old model locomotive where the wheels lurch forwards until some
steam and speed is built up, then suddenly the train is moving forward almost effortlessly, with
each breath like the chugging sound of the locomotive.
The other way to get into the rhythm of the Breath of Fire for some, may be to immediately go
to a powerful rhythmic breath, just by visualizing the bellows like nature of the diaphragm.
Either way, from that point on you can make the Breath of Fire very powerful or very light.
The Breath of Fire is not the same as Bastrika, which is a light fast rhythmic breath, usually
taught as one of the pranayamas in hatha yoga.
Nor is the Breath of Fire like Kabalabati, which is a forceful breath, where you contract the
abdomen and rib cage (pulling on the root lock with each contacting breath), where the simple
relaxing of the rib cage brings the air back into the lungs, without inhaling, and you force the
air out again (also in a rhythmic manner).
While Kapalabati is very powerful and beneficial, and while it is used in many KY Kriyas, it is
not the same as Breath of Fire.
Breath of Fire will entirely charge the nervous system, causing the glands to secrete and purify
the blood. When it is done with certain postures and movements, which are meant to put
contracting (drawing in) or expanding (releasing) pressure in nerve plexuses and glandular
centers, those areas are made to fire and become completely charged.
As an area becomes charged, the sexual (seminal) fluids are released into the bloodstream and
flow to those charged areas, so that gradually those areas will maintain that charge and pranic
pressure builds throughout the body converting Bindu (Tamasic and Rajasic energy) to Ojas
(Satvic energy), which fills and permeates the entire body and mind.
Bit by bit, over a period of just a few weeks of sets and kriyas combining posture, movement,
breath, sound and locks, the entire body will begin to feel magnetically electric and etheric, as
the field becomes balanced with an inward dynamo-like force.
As this charge builds and polarizes, the mind becomes very still, very clear and bright, and a
radiance is felt in and through and around the body and head.
The feeling of the stressful need to think and act and to be the "doer" begin to recede, as the
mind becomes more receptive and open to notice that there seems to be an almost automatic
connectedness between one's aims and events and experiences that come to fulfill them. The
feeling of a natural ever present oneness begins to emerge as a clearer always existing reality.
Little by little, outward tendencies of the mind towards the physical and mental begin to fade,
and one abides in one's satvic presence - spacelike, pervasive, without the sense of me or
mine - the Self-Effulgent Heart, where "I AM" is the single Truth.
The practice of Kundalini Yoga with the natural awareness and rhythm of the diaphragm in
Long Deep Breathing and Breath of Fire allows the postures and kriyas to have the greatest
and most complete effect in bringing the satvic field to the point where the Self recollects Itself
and abides without attention in one's True Name - Sat Nam.
Try these breaths out this way and see what happens.

Breathing Techniques
Susan P. Boles
Most of us don't know how to breathe properly. We take shallow breaths as if we are afraid of
what breath does. But breath is manna to our bodies...so we should drink heavily and deeply
to energize and feed our bodies.
I was taught by breathing in to the count of four...slow counts. Feel the breath expand your
ribcage.....you are aiming to fill your whole chest cavity with air. At the end of the fourth, when
you think you can't take any more air in, take a sip more. Hold for a count of four. Exhale over
a count of four....and when you think you have all the air out, huff more out.
You will be amazed how much you can get out after this count of four. You may experience
burning in your lungs doing this. But soon, your breathing comes deep and sure....and the
count of four expands to a count of five...six. I was told to concentrate on the emptiness
between breathing in and breathing out....that period of stillness.
Once my lungs were used to doing this, I started breathing in from different parts of my body.
No one taught me this...it just started to happen when I meditated. I would open up my crown
chakra and breathe the energy down, on an inbreath....feeling it flow around my
heart....keeping it there....then on the outbreath, push the breath down the rest of my body to
exit out my feet. Then I would reverse it, breathing in my feet, feel it flowing to my heart, then
on the exhale, pushing it up and out my head. Dizzying at first....but the energy that fills me
when I do that is incredible.
I found out later that I was unconsciously doing something that is taught to get the energy
flowing in the two currents that wind around our spines. We would practice this for about five
minutes.....at the beginning of each session. It prepared us for the work in the session by
calming us and getting our minds into the proper space for work.
The fire breath is very different. Here, you concentrate on the outbreath, as it is thrown out
with such force, the inbreath comes after it automatically. We were taught to put our hand on
our bellies and use those muscles to force air out of our lungs in a whoosh. Our hands were to
remind us to use those muscles to force it out. Your whole abdomen is used to empty the lungs
very quickly. You should hear your breath coming out vocally....almost like a cough but not so
loud...kinda like a HUH sound.
Here, you are not using so much breath...it is like little sips in and whooshes out. Like my
advanced terminology?? :;grins:: As the fire in fire breath is related to the power center or
third chakra, this is where the breath is being localized. You are using your diaphragm and
stomach muscles to force the breath out. Dizzying again.....and you feel the heat in your belly
rising up into you.....making your head reel with it.
It took me awhile to get used to doing this....and my stomach muscles hated me for a while...
but it was worth everything to feel what I did when the rising started. At first, we couldn't do it
very much.....it was far too difficult to keep up....but as the weeks went by, we had longer
lessons using it.
The alternate nostril breathing was taught to us after the above two. After doing the first
breathing exercise a few times, raise one of your hands to your face, palm facing it. Put your
thumb by one nostril and your forefinger by the other. Gently put your thumb over the nostril,
blocking the passage of air through it. Breathe in the other nostril slowly, using the first
technique. Hold the inbreath for a second...concentrating on the stillness....then exhale.
Remove your thumb, and put your forefinger on it's nostril and breathe in...concentrating on
the middle...exhale.
Continue to alternate with one complete inhale/exhale per thumb/finger. Do this for about
eight to ten cycles. You should feel this breathing calming you yet energizing your chakras.
Susan P. Boles lives in a small town, east of Toronto, Canada, and is a student and teacher of
chakras. A gifted healer, using her own brand of hands-on and remote healing, she makes use
of Reiki, Therapeutic touch and an inner child process to help people. This is not a full time
occupation - she mainly helps people over the Net as she finds her effectiveness is greater
using this energy medium. She has facilitated earth healing meditations for several groups.

When Susan first started taking Kundalini yoga, she had a very hard time even getting on the
floor. She had broken her back at work. Doing anything was extremely painful. Her teacher
was very patient with her - allowing her to adapt positions she couldn't get into or found hard
to maintain. After a few months, and the aid of other alternative healing methods, she was
able to move with much greater mobility, feeling the energy move up her spine. The fire
breath, actually just learning to breathe properly, helped her a lot. Now, she says, if you look
at her back, you will not find the break. She went from being wheelchair dependent, according
to allopathics, to being able to do anything she wanted, and she does too!

return

Breath of Fire
The Breath of Fire is a staple of the Kundalini yoga practice. Whether its practiced along with a
kriya -- Kundalini yoga poses -- or performed on its own while holding your hands in intricate
forms called mudras, this breath was designed to raise your Kundalini energy quickly. If youve
ever watched a dog pant, youll get the gist of Breath of Fire. Hold your mouth open and inhale and
exhale as quickly as you can, making sure to press your belly out on the inhale and in on the exhale.
You can place your knuckles on your lower belly at the beginning just to give the lower belly an
assist when exhaling, by pushing them into your belly. Once you have the rhythm, practice this
breath with your mouth closed for 30 seconds to two minutes.

Sitale Breath
Otherwise known as the Cooling Breath, Sitale brings you down from the crazed, unfocused places
you may visit during a stressful day. It brings you back to a state of calm from which you can feel
centered enough to raise the good type of energy. You dont even need to find a quiet spot or take a
formal seated position to practice Sitale. It can be performed anywhere and anytime you need to
rebuild your inner resources. Close your eyes, curl your tongue and inhale through your open
mouth. Close your mouth and exhale through your nose. Youll know when it has worked -- when
you open your eyes and you see the world with focused calm.

Alternate Nostril Breath

This breathing technique spans all of the yogic styles, but in the Kundalini tradition it is prized
because it is believed that the nostrils are the open doors that welcome in abundant energy. Sit
comfortably but with a straight back. Close your eyes and place your right thumb over your right
nostril. Inhale through your left nostril. Block off your left nostril with your right pinkie and ring
finger. Release your right nostril and exhale. Inhale through your right nostril, block it with your
thumb and release your left nostril as you exhale. Use the thumb on your left hand to count off 10
full rounds of the Alternate Nostril Breath, or set an alarm for five minutes.
Lower Spine Flex
Raising your Kundalini energy begins and ends with conscious breathing. but you can help it along
by combining a Lower Spine Flex with a rhythmic breath. This kriya will loosen the lower spine
and start to circulate the Kundalini energy upwards. Sit on the floor in an easy crossed-legged pose.
Hold your ankles with your hands. Inhale and curve your spine in. Exhale and round your back
slightly. Keep your head immobile as your perform this kriya and breath combination for up to two
min

Dear Friend,
Welcome to the Feldenkrais Method Guides newsletter and your Fourth Feldenkrais lesson on
relaxed breathing.
Many of us habitually create tension by holding our breath or breathing at lower capacity than we
could. This lesson will help you discover how to reduce tension throughout your body by using a
simple rolling or wave pattern of breathing.
Its especially important in this lesson to follow the natural pattern of your inhalation and exhalation
as you do the lesson. Dont try to force yourself to breathe longer or more fully than you do
naturally. As you do the lesson you will probably find your breathing naturally growing fuller just
let the changes the lesson brings occur without forcing anything.
As youve probably experienced by now, doing less actually produces more results in this approach.
At this point in working with these lessons, you also might be discovering that improving how you
function in one part of yourself (like your breathing) can improve functioning in other areas. Just
noticing these improvements can also help you make new connections that lead to additional
benefits. The results of these lessons will keep building as your awareness of how you move grows.
As with all Feldenkrais lessons, here are a few guidelines to follow before doing the lesson.
Move slowly and mindfully so that you can feel each aspect of how you move.
Dont stretch, strain or try to break through your limits. Use less effort than you need as you
move. Youll actually improve more quickly as you reduce your effort. Less is more in this
approach.
Breathe as you move. Breathing naturally enhances your relaxation.
Rest whenever you wish, even during directions. Rest helps you integrate improvements.
Pay careful attention to your comfort.. Never do anything thats painful. If you do
experience any pain, decrease the size and range of movement until the pain disappears. If
you cant eliminate pain, just imagine doing the movement. Experience has shown that you
will still receive benefits when using your imagination.
Each time you repeat a lesson you can learn something new and gain additional
improvements. Feel free to repeat any part of the lesson and experiment with the movements
throughout your day.
Dont do these lessons while driving your car or doing anything else that requires your full
attention. Only focus on the lesson at the time you do it.
Before you begin your audio lessons, if you havent already done so, please Right Click Here to
download a short audio that will give you instructions for getting the most benefit out of your
Feldenkrais lessons.
Once you have listened to the instruction audio above, please download your fourth free lesson by
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Thanks for your interest in my Feldenkrais lessons..
Wishing you health and peace,
Dan
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lessons is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. You should regularly
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Feldenkrais
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Expanding Your Breathing

HI Students,
Following is a lesson to help you broaden the areas available for you to breath. Remember that
every moment in life requires breath to change. This exploration is designed to teach your
diaphragm to move and expand in different directions. This will help to open you to more
flexibility in your life and demeanor.
The next three workshops I will be teaching are in April, May and June. Click this link to find out
all the details: http://www.feldenkraisblog.com/workshop-schedule/.
~Donna
During this lesson move gently into the position explained and stop where you feel most
comfortable. Breath as directed, in a natural manner using awareness and curiosity to guide you.
After each movement sit back in your chair and rest before going to the next one. Have fun and
enjoy! ~Donna
1) Sit at the edge of your chair and place your hands on top of your head with your
elbows out to the sides. Move your head and elbows to the left and stay where you
feel comfortable. In this position direct your breath sideways into the right side of
your ribs, many times. Imagine your right lung expanding towards your ribs near
your armpit, in the middle and near the lower ribs. Sense that when you inhale each rib on the right
side moves further away from each other and when you exhale they move closer together. Rest.
Now try the same exploration to the other side.
2) This time, sit and hug yourself with your hands on opposite shoulders
and your elbows resting against your chest. With your head and eyes,
look down towards your belly, round your back and roll your pelvis
backwards. Stop where you feel most comfortable. Direct your
breathing towards the floating ribs near your lower back area. Sense the
ribs in the lower back area on both sides, widening on the inhale and
narrowing on the exhale.
3) Sit and place your hands on your forehead with your elbows facing
forwards. Look up with your head and elbows and allow your pelvis to
roll forwards so your tailbone will face the back of your head. In this position, direct your breath
towards your lower belly area and downwards towards your pelvic floor. Sense your belly
becoming round like a pregnant belly on the inhale. On the exhale sense the belly move inwards
and upwards.
4) In the same starting position as in #3, direct your breath towards your chest
and upwards towards your clavicles. Sense when you inhale, your sternum
from the inside of yourself moves away from your vertebrae between your
shoulder blades.
5) Sit back in your chair and observe how your breathing has changed.
Walk around and observe your breathing. Notice throughout your day
how your breathing changes depending upon your activities, and your
emotional and mental state of mind.
6)

Whats the right way to breathe? A different

take on breathing exercises
June 12, 2014 Concepts, Feldenkrais

Whats the best way to breathe?

Through the mouth or through the nose?
More in the belly, or more in the chest?
Is it always better to breathe deeply?
Some techniques teach the expansion of the abdomen as you breathe in, others as you breathe out.
Which is better?
Here is what Moshe Feldenkrais had to say about the right way to breathe:
I am generally against breathing exercises in the commonly accepted notion of
breathing exercises where I would be teaching someone that they must breath like
this or like that. It is exactly as if you told someone they must say this or that. If you
meet with a woman you must talk a little about politics, a little about the weather, or
love, etc. You know what results from such instructions? An idiot results. It is the same
thing if you tell someone how they should breathe. The instructions usually destroy their
breathing.

Alexander Yanai lesson #17 Breathing

Have you ever tried to breathe (or walk, or do some other movement or activity) in a way that
someone you trust told is better only to feel like you were making things worse? I get people in
my practice who have this sort of trouble all the time. They may believe they are improving
themselves by tightening their core or controlling their breath in one way or another, only to
discover they are in fact getting in their own way. Its my job to help them unlearn their old habits,
and discover new options which are easier and more effective.
Dr. Feldenkrais taught many, many lesson on breathing. There are Awareness Through
Movement lessons in which one explore breathing: through the mouth and through the nostrils,
expanding the belly on the inhalation and expanding the belly on the exhalation, focusing the breath
and the belly, and focusing it in the chest, and on and on with incredible variety.
So how does he get away with saying hes against breath exercises that instruct one to breath
like this or like that? The answer lies in the variety of the lessons. The directions are not
intended to instruct you in how you should breath, but rather to give you an experience which
will result in improved breathing. There is often something indirect in these lessons, such as
focusing on the exhalation in order to improve the inhalation, or focusing for an entire lesson on
your abdomen only to discover at the end that your chest is moving more with your breath. The
common thread to all these lessons is that they are never designed to teach you to breathe
correctly, but rather to become aware of yourself and your breath.
How does this help? Feldenkrais continues:
If a person is aware of what he is doing, the nature of things demands of him to do
the best he feels.

The nature of things hes talking about is the way our nervous system works, which is by
regulating itself to work optimally on the basis of the information it has. Give it new information,
and it will settle into a new pattern (a new homeostasis) based on that information.
If the information coming in is that you are in danger, you will contract your muscles and hold still
as you apprehensively survey your surroundings for the threat. (Most of us call this pattern being
stressed). Your breathing will accordingly be shallow and inhibited by the muscles engaged in your
belly, back, and chest. But if you have an experience of relaxing your belly or the muscles
between your ribs, your breathing will naturally adjust to take advantage of the new option,
and you will also find yourself feeling more calm and safe. And less stressed.
Discover it yourself:
This is one you can do in bed if you like. It will help you feel the difference between trying to
breathe in a certain way, and using an indirect exploration to change the pattern of your breath. Ill
leave it up to you and your nervous system to decide whether the result is a better way to breathe.
Lie on your back, with your hands resting gently on your lower belly (with your whole hand
below your navel, all the way to the crease of your thigh). Without making any effort to
breathe deeply or in any particular way, notice how much this part of you moves, or doesnt
move, with your breath. (For contrast, slide your hands up to just under your ribs. Most
likely there is more movement there).
If you wait long enough simply paying attention to the movement of your breath in your
lower belly, that simple increase awareness will bring about more movement and freedom,
but thats not the point of this particular experiment.
Now intentionally breathe into your lower belly for a while. Theres nothing wrong with
this, except that its not very sustainable: youll most likely stop doing it as soon as you stop
intending to do it.
So stop doing it, and rest for a bit. Notice any change in your breathing including the
movement of your lower belly.
Lets take a more indirect approach now: instead of focusing on breathing in, focus on
breathing out. Slowly push all of your air out, contracting both your chest and belly, and
hold the air out until you feel like you need to breathe. Then swallow and then let your
mouth open, allowing the air to rush in. Notice how this inhalation moves through you,
including how it moves your belly. Do this experiment a half-dozen or so times more, but
you can allow your breath to settle between repetitions.
Rest, and observe the quality of your breath throughout yourself, and particularly in your
belly. The change you are now feeling will stay with you at least until you engage in some
other activity in which you habitually use your belly differently (sitting up?) But if you like
the feeling in your belly now you can cultivate it, both by repeating this exercise every night
for a while, and by extending your awareness to your belly throughout the day. How does
this awareness affect your life? Let us know in the comments below!