Yoga and Physiology of Breathing
Breathing is very important in our daily life and also in yoga practice. There is a very deep connection between breathing, mind and emotions.
People do not think that breath is essential for life, physiology, emotions, quality of sleep, sports and changing your way to breath can affect people’s lives on the mat and off the mat.
Some days we feel bad and the breath can change our mood and the whole day, re-establishing calm and serenity. This happens because using breath techniques removes cortisol which is the stress hormone.
Breathing techniques can be used during the whole day, in the car, waiting for the bus, sitting on a chair at the desk in the office, lying in bed or standing up.
Yoga breathing technique should be practiced daily at least for 5 minutes.
Practicing breathing techniques can increase lung capacity from 5% to 15%. The normal capacity for a woman is 4.2 liters and for a man 6 liters. The right lung is bigger and it has 3 lobes while the left one has got 2 lobes.
The muscles for breathing are:
Diaphragm, which is shaped like a parachute, has the function of pushing the organs down to make space for the lungs which are taking the air and it affects the rib cage expanding it helped from muscles at the intercostal muscles. Also, the diaphragm stimulates the vagus nerve which activates the parasympathetic system. Accessory muscles on top of the clavicular move the bones to gain space for the lungs.
The breath is composed of 3 phases:
1 Belly breath – when the diaphragm moves down using the central tendon
2 Thoracic breath – the diaphragm and intercostal muscles expand the rib cage and move the ribs to make space for the lungs
3 Clavicular breath – the muscles move the bones to make space for the top sections of the lungs
Breathing is important to inhale from the nose because the nose controls the temperature of the air, humidity and purifies the air before entering the lungs. Also, add friction and increases breath efficiency.
Breathing techniques and meditation help to enter in parasympathetic system.
The parasympathetic system control rest and digestion increase the blood flow stimulates the peristalsis, decreases the heart rate, improves the immune system and increases our sexual arousal.
While the Sympathetic system has the opposite actions.
Parasympathetic: Rest and digest – increase blood flow to stomach and GI tract, stimulation of peristalsis, urination, salivary glands, decrease in heart rate, pupil normalise for shorter-range vision, sexual arousal, our immune system become better because we are resting
Sympathetic: the fight or flight response – digestion, blood goes to muscles and lungs, adrenaline heart rate increase, pupils dilate for a better long-distance vision – this is extremely trying for our system.
Breathing, Meditation and Mindfulness and Yoga Nidra help you to enter parasympathetic allowing to reduce stress, improve your mood, your memory, concentration, sleep better and overall promote health and well-being.
