"Let
the breath be your Guru."
Professor Krishnamacharya
Breathing is fundamental to climbing, yoga
and without question - life! Breath
awareness helps us to be conscious of our thoughts, emotions
and feelings. If awareness is developed the breath can become
a powerful insight into how our body and mind interact. We
can harness this energy in a positive way, creating more consciousness
and a healthy physiology.
Listen to the free
flow of your breath!
The
breath energizes and sustains every cell of our body. It nourishes
everything in its path. It is like the freshness of water.
It is with us every second of our lives, but most people pay
little attention to it. Our breath is mainly unconscious and
regulated by the autonomic nervous system. Autonomic is derived
from the word 'autonomy', it has the quality of being 'independent'
of the conscious mind. Even though air and muscular movements
happily tick over by themselves we can influence the breath
consciously through breath awareness and Pranayama (breath-control).
We can discover unconscious, negative breathing patterns and
replace them with more beneficial ones. By changing the breath
we have a direct influence on the autonomic nervous system
and the mind.
Science
has proven that the response
of the Vagus nerve is strengthened when you prolong the exhalation
of your breath. The fibres of the Vagus nerve are connected
to your lungs. The parasympathetic nervous system is activated
and your mental state is calmed.
Breathe
a shining light into your mind
Breath awareness shines a light into the workings of our mind.
By observing the mind (thoughts, emotions, desires, intentions,
perceptions and expectations) we can free ourselves of the
knots that bind! Observing the breath allows us to take a
deep look at the nature of mental formations such as fear,
anger and anxiety and helps to bring about an understanding
of how our mind works. To improve your mind when leading routes,
you need to be aware of how it works. The breathing process
is connected directly to the brain and the central nervous
system. The breath can control the flickering nature of the
mind. If you can control the breath you can control the mind.
Breathe
and understand emotions
Emotions
and feelings have a strong connection with the breath and
are expressed in the way that we breathe. When your breathing
reacts to an emotion your body also reacts. We constrict our
breath when we feel sadness or fear creating more tension
and oxygen deprivation in the body, hold our breath when we
feel pain, force our breath with anger, and breathe easy with
happiness. By changing the breath pattern we can change the
emotions. By changing the rate and depth of our breath we
can directly influence our physical condition - heart rate,
blood pressure, and levels of parasympathetic and sympathetic
activation. It can make us excited or calm, tense or relaxed.
Shallow, rapid breathing can trigger the sympathetic system
(fight or flight response).
Breathe
and energize your immune system
There are two main fluid systems in the body, the blood and
lymph. Blood flows through the cardiovascular system, while
lymph flows through the lymphatic system. In addition to one
way valves to help push along the fluid, lymph circulation
and cleansing depends mainly upon deep breathing and skeletal
muscle contractions.
Stress
can impede blood flow
In the cardiovascular system, the body responds to stress
by constricting the smaller blood vessels - these smaller
blood vessels are located the farthest from the heart. They
are the arterioles, capillaries, and venules. Constricted
blood flow due to stress is experienced as cold hands and
feet. Deep breathing can release accumulated stress and muscle
tension.
Listen to the breath,
like Siddhartha listened to the river!
Respiratory
System
(Air movements)
The
respiratory system consists of the mouth, nose, trachea, bronchi,
lungs, bronchioles and the alveoli. We inhale oxygen and exhale
carbon dioxide. The breath supplies oxygen to the blood and
the blood delivers oxygen to all parts of the body. Every
cell in the body needs to breathe – taking up oxygen,
burning fuel, generating energy and giving off carbon dioxide.
Oxygen (air) enters the respiratory system through the mouth
and the nose. It then passes through the larynx, and the trachea
(windpipe). The trachea splits into two smaller tubes called
the bronchi which lead directly into each of the lungs. Both
then branch out into many smaller air passages (bronchioles),
like the roots of a tree, which then connect to tiny sacs
or bubbles called alveoli. Most people have about 300 million
of these spongy, air filled sacs in each lung. It is here
where the gas exchange occurs. The inhaled oxygen passes into
the air sacs and then diffuses through the capillaries into
the blood stream. Meanwhile, the waste-rich blood from the
veins releases its carbon dioxide into the alveoli. The carbon
dioxide follows the same path out of the lungs when you exhale.
Your left lung is slightly smaller than your right lung, to
make space for your heart.
Thoracic
Diaphragm (Muscular
movements)
Three
main sets of muscles are active when you breathe normally;
the intercostals, the abdominal muscles, and the respiratory
diaphragm. The
thoracic diaphragm is often considered the primary breathing
muscle. It
is a dome-shaped muscle located in the rib cage. Its position
divides the body almost in half. The lungs rest above the
diaphragm
with the heart nestled in between.
The inhale is created by the contraction of the diaphragm,
it
flattens out and
pulls downwards which expands the rib cage and creates more
space for the lungs, pushing the abdominal muscles doenward
which causes the abdomen to bulge forward. This larger space
pulls air into the lungs. When you breathe out, the diaphragm
expands upwards, likea parachute, reducing the amount of space
for the lungs and forcing air out. If you put your hands on
the sides of your rib cage you can feel the diaphragm in action.
Diaphragmatic breathing is physiologically the most efficient
way of breathing. This type of breathing happens when you
inhale and the diaphragm moves
downwards and the abdominals move passively outwards. This
is also known as belly breathing. It allows more air into
the lungs. This also gives a rhythmic massage to the abdominal
organs promoting circulation. No muscles
contract on exhalation. The lungs recoil shrinking back to
their original size expeling air.
Pranayama
Pranayama,
the art of yogic breathing, is the control of the movements
of the breath. It is the fourth limb in the eight limbs of
the yoga tree. It
is a unique method for balancing the autonomic nervous system,
influencing psychological and stress-related disorders.
‘Prana’
means breath, respiration, life, vitality, energy or strength.
‘Ayama’ means stretch, extension, expansion, length,
breadth, regulation, prolongation, restraint or control. Light
on Pranayama, BKS Iyengar
"It
also helps control the flickering nature of the mind. Prana
in Sanskrit means the energy of life, while ayama means stretch,
extend, expand or lengthen. And that is the purpose of it:
to manipulate the breathing to increase and manage the circulation
of vital energy, prana, through the nadis or subtle nerve
channels through the body. This assists in the health, vitality
and longevity of the body. It is also said to awaken the cerebrospinal
nerve centers to their full potential."
Pattabhi
Jois
Mindful
Awareness of the Breath
Is
a way to connect to the present moment. Mindfulness Meditation
(Insight Meditation) begins with awareness of the breath and
it is through the cultivation of mindfulness that insight
develops. Breath awareness is not the same as Pranayama (breath-control).
We simply observe the breath as it is moment to moment (it
may be fast or slow, smooth or rough, constricted or loose),
and don't try to change it. When a thought, feeling or emotion
distracts us we return our focus to the breath. The breath
is used as an anchor to the present. By observing your breath
you will immediately be in the moment. The practice is subtle
and attention has to be focused.
To practice mindfulness breathing, sit in a comfortable cross
legged position with the spine straight. Begin to focus on
the breath, be aware as it goes in and out of the nostrils.
Keep your attention on the tip of your nose or your upper
lip. Bring your awareness to connect to the first moment of
the beginning 'in breath'. Do not try and change the breath,
just be with it exactly as it is and observe. It is difficult
at the beginning to keep one hundred percent of attention
on the in and out breath as you will find that your mind is
full of distractions. When a thought, emotion or feeling (physical
sensation), image or sound distracts you; recognize it but
then let it go and bring your focus back to the simple in
and out of the breath. Begin at first to keep full attention
for the duration of that one in breath. Connect again at the
very beginning of the out breath and follow it to the end.
Feel the one breath fully. Once you have sustained the attention
one breath then do one more and so on. Don't set a time or
a number of breaths. Just focus on the one breath in and the
one breath out. It is easier to concentrate in this way. Bringing
the mind back to the breath trains the mind to be attentive
and mindful. It takes effort, but slowly the mind will grow
stronger.
Complete
Yogic Breath
(Diaphragm,
Thoracic, Clavicular)
The complete yogic breath incorporates all three methods in
a full and rhythmic movement. Lie
down in Savasana (Corpse Posture) and close your eyes.
Breathe only through your nose. Bring
your attention to your breath. Empty the lungs entirely. Slowly
inhale and feel the diaphragm lowering, allowing air to enter
the lungs.
The upper abdomen swells filling the
bottom of the lungs with air. The ribs will now expand outwards
- don't strain. Lastly the clavicles (collar bones) will raise
filling the lungs completely. Breathe out in the same way.
Three
strong 'releasing breaths'
When preparing
for a crux move and you need to let go (of gear, fear) to
be in the moment, take a deep breath and release it forcefully.
Do this three times.
I usually do this just before relaxing into Savasana (Corpse
Posture) at the end of asana practice. I found that it naturally
carried over into leading trad
routes when you had to let go and be in the moment.
Ujjayi (Victorious/ Powerful/ Expansive) Breathing
The
Ujjayi breath [victorious/powerful/ expansive breath]
is emphasized
in Ashtanga Yoga. The sound created in Ujjayi breathing gives
the mind something to focus on, like a Mantra.
It
is a similar noise that waves make as they are pulled back
into the ocean on a pebbly beach.
Ujjayi
breathing stimulates vagal nerve afferents to the brain, ultimately
increasing attention and vigilance.
The increase in vagal tone reduces the effects of stress on
the heart by decreasing heart rate. This can be carried over
to climbing in times of stress, keeping the mind and body
in homeostasis. Ujjayi breathing is great when focusing on
hard moves. Surya Namaskar Ka (Sun Salutation
A) is a good way to practice the Ujjayi breathing.
Attention is of utmost importance in climbing. If
you can focus your attention on your breath, then you will
be climbing in the moment.
To practice the Ujjayi breathing sit in a comfortable cross
legged position, with the spine straight. Note that the 'sound'
of the Ujjayi breath is easier to create on the out breath.
Take a deep breath through the nose and then let it out through
the mouth whispering softly the sound 'Hhhaaa'. Take a few
breaths like this and then halfway through an exhale close
your mouth letting the air through the nose. The noise will
still be created while exhaling. The back of the throat is
slightly tightened in order to do this. Once you have got
used to the sound exhaling then you can practice making the
same soft sound inhaling. This breath has also been described
as the Darth Vadar, wind through the trees and a distant ocean.
Nadi
Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing) Purification
of the nerves....
To practice Nadi Shodhana,
sit in a comfortable cross legged position with the head,
neck and trunk erect and in a straight line. Balance
- sit evenly on sitting bones.
Rest the back of your left hand on your knee, the thumb and
index finger should be joined to form a circle (Chin Mudra).
This is a symbol of wisdom. Close the first two fingers of
the right hand towards the palm - this can be tricky for some!
The ring finger and the pinky are used for closing the left
nostril and the thumb is used for closing the right nostril.
Take a deep breath in and then exhale. On your next inhale
close the right nostril with the thumb and breathe only through
the left nostril. Close the left nostril with the ring and
pinky and breathe out through the right, then breathe in.
Close the right nostril and then breathe out through the left.
This counts as one cycle.
Inhale through the left nostril
Exhale through the right nostril
Inhale
through the right nostril
Exhale through the left nostril
Try
seven to ten cycles. Stay aware of the breath and try to equalize
the in and out breaths. Add more as you feel ready. Nadi Shodhana
helps control stress and anxiety.
"In
the language of ancient times, both soul and spirit are described
with the metaphor of the breath of life. The words for soul
in Sanskrit (atman), Greek (psyche), and Latin (anima) all
mean breath. The same is true for the words for 'spirit' in
Latin (spiritus), Greek (pneuma), and Hebrew (ruah). These
too mean breath"
Fritjof Capra, The Hidden Connections
Nadi
Shodhana Research
"Pranayama
increases grip strength without lateralized effects."
"Breathing
through a particular nostril can alter metabolism and autonomic
activities."
