Body and Breath - Yoga Shop Talk

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Yoga shoptalk, July, 2002

Question: I'm reading on page 111 in "Anatomy of Hatha Yoga," second paragraph: "Don't pause the breath habitually. It's unnatural while inhaling and exhaling, or at the end of inhalation, so those times are not usually a problem, but at the end of exhalation, it's tempting. Don't do it except as an experiment in understanding the operation of the diaphragm. The medical lore in yoga (the oral tradition) is that the habit of pausing the breath at the end of exhalation causes heart problems."

Here is a description of a breathing exercise taught by A.G. Mohan, from Madras, who studied for many years with Krishnamacharya. This exercise was taught to patients with high blood pressure to see if lengthening the exhalation would have the desired effect of lowering blood pressure. My question is: do you ever see a benefit to pausing, if only for a moment or two at the end of exhale. Any other comments on the exercise?

Progressive Relaxation Exercise using Ujjaye breathing (from A. G. Mohan)

The throat breathing technique or Ujjaye is very effective as a progressive relaxation exercise that can be used before going to sleep or at any time that you wish to deeply relax. The method involves measuring the length of your natural relaxed breath, and then progressively lengthening the exhalation phase of the breath using Ujjaye breathing until it is twice the length of your normal inhalation. This 1:2 ratio of inhalation to exhalation will stimulate the relaxation response. It is very effective for creating a calm mental state to promote restful sleep or for activities requiring focused attention.

Start the exercise by assuming a comfortable posture. Lying comfortably on your back is ideal, but in some settings you will prefer to sit comfortably in a chair for this exercise. Allow your breath to become quiet and relaxed, with the only effort being to make the inhalation and exhalation the same length. Don't force the breath to be any longer or deeper than it naturally wants to be. Simply breathe evenly, with the least possible effort. When the inhalation and exhalation are even and relaxed, count the length of the natural inhalation. If you have a clock that ticks quietly, you can use that to help count the breath, or simply count slowly (and silently) to determine the length of your in-breath. Then add a pause for two seconds at the end of your exhalation. Don't force this, simply allow your breathing to idle briefly after all the air has passed out. During this rest point, allow your body to be completely relaxed and still. Let go completely of any muscle tension, and appreciate the stillness that exists in that space between the breaths. Don't progress with the exercise until this is smooth and comfortable.

Next, add one second to the exhalation phase by using the throat breathing technique (Ujjaye). Let us assume for the sake of an example, that your natural inhalation is 4 seconds long. (It may actually be longer or shorter than that.) You will be inhaling for 4 seconds, exhaling for 5 seconds, and pausing at the end of exhalation for 2 seconds. The shorthand notation for this ratio is 4:5:2. Continue at this level for about 2 minutes, or until it is completely comfortable. Then add another second to the exhalation phase, so that your exhalation is now 6 seconds. The ratio will now be 4:6:2 (or 5:7:2 or 3:5:2, etc, based on the length of your natural inhalation). Continue with this for 2 minutes or so, then add another second to the exhalation phase, so that it is now 4:7:2. Continue this process of gradually lengthening the exhalation until it is twice as long as the inhalation, or until that point where further lengthening causes some shortness of breath or any discomfort at all.

At first you may not be able to comfortably lengthen the exhalation to the full 1:2 ratio, but with continued practice you will be able to do so. Continue the breathing for several minutes or until you feel the effects of the relaxation response taking place. When you are ready to stop, simply release the throat breathing and breath evenly and comfortably again for a few minutes before moving on to your next activity. If done before sleep, you may fall asleep in the process of the exercise or shortly after reaching the 1:2 ratio. This exercise can be effective in helping you get back to sleep during the night if you wake up or have insomnia (A. G. Mohan).

Answer, first comments, then the issue of pausing: Mohan's recommendations are valid, and the practice he suggests is quite mild. If the practitioner is not stressed by pushing too much beyond his or her comfortable capacity, a general relaxation response indeed accompanies this exercise. The important thing is to build one's capacity slowly and to monitor the effects constantly. If you get hot and sweaty, that may not be a hindrance to relaxation in the long run, but you may want to proceed more slowly. Also, some people will find it challenging to get to or beyond the 4:7:2 ratio suggested by Mohan. And there is a big difference between doing the exercise sitting up or standing as compared with lying down in the corpse posture. Lying down (pages 552-553 in Anatomy of Hatha Yoga) is easier because exhalations are naturally more complete and one gets a fuller exchange of air for a given rate and depth of breathing (fig. 2.18). Diaphragmatic breathing (as contrasted with abdominal breathing) in the corpse pose expands the possibilities even more. Although 2:1 breathing was not explicitly discussed in that section (page 553), if you breathe at a rate of five breaths per minute, this will certainly be done in a 2:1 ratio, which for five breaths per minute turns out to be eight second exhalations and four second inhalations. (In fact, you will find that it feels unnatural to breathe 1:1 in this position using six second inhalations and six second exhalations.) In a standing pose for agni sara, on the other hand, 2:1 breathing can be extended to a ratio of 20 seconds to 10 seconds by students who are prepared for the practice (fig. 3.32). This is a totally different exercise, however, and is energizing rather than relaxing. Practicing ujiya has an additional impact. Any time this practice is included with breathing exercises, it adds a sense of control. Every breathing exercise in which ujiya is applied makes it more purposeful, and certain well-respected traditions even recommend ujiya breathing constantly during the practice of asana.

Pausing the breath in conjunction with breathing exercises has much to offer students who are adequately prepared. I did not treat this topic in Anatomy of Hatha Yoga except in passing because I wanted to emphasize breathing practices that are appropriate for nearly everyone. And even though it is a valid and valuable practice, pausing the breath during the course of breathing practices is very different from pausing the breath during the course of reading a newspaper, preparing a meal, or carrying out other ordinary activities. Therefore, I'll stand behind my caution against pausing the breath as a matter of habit (page 111).