Exhalation in Pranayama - Types, Benefits, Steps, and Effects of Over Breathing

Introduction

Pranayama is a yoga practice that concentrates on the breath. It is a Sanskrit word where prana means ‘vital life force,’ and Yama means ‘gain control.’ Pranayama is performed to elevate the prana shakti or life energies. Pranayama helps to control the breath in different styles and lengths. Practicing pranayama has many health benefits. It nourishes the mind and keeps the body alive.

What Are the Types of Pranayama, and How to Perform Pranayama?

• Bhramari Pranayama:

It is called humming bee breath, a calm breathing practice that helps to soothe the nervous system and helps to connect with inner nature. It is named so a humming sound is produced at the back of the throat during practice.

• KapalBhati Pranayama:

It is the most important of all breathing techniques. It helps in the detoxification of the body and clears the energy channels.

• Bhastrika Pranayama:

It is known as bellows breath, a heating breathing practice that resembles fanning a fire with a steady flow of air. It triggers the inner fire of the body and helps to improve the digestive system.

• Nadi Shodhan Pranayama:

It is also known as alternate nostril breathing, where Nadi means ‘channel’ and Shodhan means ‘purification’ in Sanskrit. This is because it aids in purification and clearing the channels of the mind and body.

What Are the Benefits of Pranayama?

• It helps to improve energy levels.

• It helps to clear the nadis and chakras.

• Makes a person energetic, enthusiastic, calm, and positive, which helps a person in better decision-making.

• It brings harmony to the body, mind, and spirit.

• It provides clarity to the mind and good health to the body.

• Better ventilation due to lengthened and prolonged exhalation.

• Deep and complete exhalation removes a large amount of carbon dioxide from the alveoli.

• Favorable change in the pressure for better oxygenation.

How to Practice Pranayama?

For performing pranayama, the spine should be straight, and the breath should be slow and steady. The focus should be on the breathing involved with pranayama. The first thing to master in pranayama is exhalation, which needs to be performed slowly and steadily. Inhalation can be mastered by making it long and slow after proper exhalation. Retaining breath should only be done once a smooth inhale and exhale are performed.

Steps to Follow

• Inhale, slow and rhythmically in a single unbroken breath.

• Retain the inhaled air for about six seconds.

• Slowly exhale all the air for 12 seconds and avoid jerky movements. The agenda is to lengthen and prolong the time of exhalation. This can be done only by allowing the breath to escape in a small and steady amount. Avoid forceful and hasty exhalation.

• A complete and prolonged exhalation should be done by adjusting the time of both inhalation and retention.

• The neck, spine, and head should be in an erect position. In addition, the facial muscles should be relaxed, and the nose should be unconstricted.

• Exhalation should be slow, steady, and rhythmic without jerk movements drawn from the abdomen.

• After complete exhalation, relax by taking a few normal breaths.

How Are Inhalation and Exhalation Balanced?

In the case of yoga techniques, instead of deep breaths, people are taught to focus on complete exhalation. Once complete exhalation is done, the body naturally responds to deeper and fuller inhalation. Therefore, inhalation and exhalation should be performed slowly and steadily, whereas forceful exhale and inhale practices are considered counterproductive in the case of yoga and the pranayama technique.

What Are the Effects of Over-Breathing?

Over breathing is considered as pushing more air into the chest than the body can handle. It is usually caused by

1. Faster breathing.

2. Frequent yawning.

3. Singing.

4. Mouth breathing.

Lungs balance the oxygen-rich air a person inhales and the carbon-dioxide-rich air that a person exhales. In the long term, over breathers, too much carbon dioxide is pushed out of the system resulting in unpleasant psychological changes due to alterations in the normal body chemistry and disturbed body pH. In addition, even a small change or fluctuation in the carbon-dioxide level affects the nervous system and blood flow to the heart and brain.

What Is the Importance of Exhalation?

Breathing plays an important role in the normal functioning of all organs. So, breathing patterns will strongly influence a person’s well-being. Poor breathing habits like shallow chest breathing and holding the breath for a long time can cause health issues. For example, studies have shown that less than optimal breathing causes heart diseases, high blood pressure, anxiety, poor posture, lack of energy, and low back and neck pain.

Breathing that emphasizes exhalation helps to relax the body, prevent disease, and enhance health. Exhalation of air stimulates the PNS (parasympathetic nervous system). The PNS governs the relaxation response, which helps us to

• Reduce stress and enhance relaxation.

• Better digestive system.

• Express thoughts in a very clear way.

• Recover from trauma and injury.

• Helps us stay in the moment.

• Positive thinking.

• Have more clarity and focus.

Additionally, studies have shown that exhalation helps in preventive medicine by triggering the vagus nerve, which plays an important role in the anti-inflammatory reflex. Triggering the vagus nerve decreases inflammation, and blockage of the vagus nerve leads to inflammation. Taking too many deep breaths in a short time can result in hyperventilation, which decreases the amount of oxygen-rich blood in the brain. Hyperventilation results due to anxiety and stress.

A full and purposeful exhalation helps clear the lungs, leading to fuller breaths of fresh and oxygenated air. A focused exhale gives a person more control over breathing and reduces shortness of breath and other breathing discomforts. In addition, powerful exhalation strengthens the muscles of the chest and abdomen, which are important for strong yoga practice.

Conclusion

Pranayama is a breathing technique that is an important aspect of yoga. This helps to relax the body and mind and has a very therapeutic effect on other health conditions. Inhalation and exhalation are the keys to pranayama. Exhalation plays a very important role, and mastering exhalation makes inhalation smooth and perfect. Exhalation should always be slow and steady, without forceful or jerking movements. Complete exhalation of the air leads to deeper inhalation. Proper exhalation of air stimulates the PNS, which helps to reduce stress and anxiety. This complete exhalation of air also helps strengthen the abdomen and chest muscles, enhancing a strong yoga practice. The breathing technique should be done slowly and steadily without any disturbances.