Deep Breathing

Your breath in combination with the heart beat give the rhythm of the processes of your body. This is why it is important to breathe in a correct way. Correct breathing is deep breathing that is closely connected to the movements of the diaphragm. When we take a deep breath the diaphragm moves downwards massaging all organs and tissues of your corps and facilitating the detoxification processes. In addition it promotes blood flow and the peristalsis and contributes to the movement of the lymph. Deep breathing also provides more oxygen to your body and ensures better release of carbon dioxide.

Pranayama

Pranayama is the art of collecting vitality from the air through breathing. Prana is a Sanskrit word for life force and this why Pranayama is often translated as control of the life force. The control is achieved via specific breathing techniques that are part of the teaching programs of many yoga masters.

Few of us will be lucky and will meet a trained yoga master who will be willing to teach. Unfortunately the majority of us will not be so lucky.

Luckily for all of us there are very helpful alternative sources of training. Recently I have stumbled upon a very interesting tool that provides guidance on deep breathing.

Saagara

Saagra have dedicated considerable time and efforts on developing techniques to promote a more a holistic approach to health. They have designed an approach based on Visamavrtti Pranayama, to train people to prolong and regulate their breathing in simple way, and as such obtain both physiological benefits as well as clarity of thought.

The main purpose was to train people in a method that would be suitable for most people, easy to understand and structured; which would teach behavior and techniques most suited for everday life.

Saagra have developed an application called Pranayama that gives you the rhythm for deep breathing and is designed to work on your mobile. I like it very much because with hands free I can use it literally everywhere without disturbing people around me.

Pranayama provides excellent discipline for your mind while meditating. If you had tried to meditate you would know that especially at the beginning it is very difficult to keep your mind calm. Usually at the moment you try to not think about anything, all sort of thoughts start coming. Thanks to this small application I now feel much more able to focus and releave stress much more effectively.

Fast facts about the health benefits of deep breathing:

Reduces blood pressure
Decreases stress hormone release
Increases cardiac output
Increases lymphoid flow
It is known to help with PTSD, depression, anxiety, deep vein thrombosis, exercise recovery, and has been known to help alleviate headaches and migraines in certain individuals

You can choose between a number of breathing ratios depending on how experienced you are. For example to learn to exhale slowly you have to start with ratio 1:2 (inhale for 1:exhale for 2). Then you progress to a 3 stage breathing ratios 1:1:2, where you are introduced to a middle retention, and the 3 stage breathing ratios are gradually increased in difficulty to 1:2:2 /1:3:2/1:4:2. Finally you are introduced to the 4 stage breathing ratios 1:3:2:1 /1:4:2:1 where you have to do a retention element at the end of the exhale.

The application allows selecting the breathing ratio and the timing for each level. For example 1:2 ratio at a timing of 2 equals 6.7 breaths per minute, 1:2 ratio at a timing of 3 equals 5 breaths per minute The idea being the user masters each ratio increasing the timing gradually, and then progressing to the next ratio in a manner that causes no difficulty or stress on the body.

If you want to learn more about this product please visit the official website of Saagara.

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