Just as emotions can trigger certain breathing
patterns, which can be learned and habitualized,
breathing can also recreate or reinforce an
emotional atmosphere. It becomes a potential tool
for interrupting, inspiring, or controlling emotional
response patterns. The breath plays a crucial role in
whether one’s disposition is calm or anxious.
Chest breathing is also a result of self-consciousness about image in this society, since abdominal breathing is not seen as a very attractive thing in adults. The female hour glass figure is preserved by using chest breathing rather than diaphragmatic breathing.
Chest breathing is also a result of self-consciousness about image in this society, since abdominal breathing is not seen as a very attractive thing in adults. The female hour glass figure is preserved by using chest breathing rather than diaphragmatic breathing.
Chest breathing is a part of fight or flight reaction and
it causes the human organism to think that it is always
in a stressful or dangerous situation. Chest breathing
gives the mind anxiety, unsteadiness and tension.
All meditation techniques, or relaxation techniques
are ineffective unless chest breathing is replaced by
diaphragmatic breathing. The habit of breathing into
the diaphragm must be consciously practiced with
diligence before it becomes a person’s natural and
unconscious way of breathing.
The diaphragm is the muscle that causes the lungs to
move and is located underneath the lungs, above the
stomach. When the diaphragm moves downward,
the lungs inhale. When the diaphragm moves
upward, the lungs exhale. Diaphragmatic breathing
is evident when the lower belly extends on an inhale
rather than the chest.
There are basically three types of breathing:
1) Thoracic breathing (mid chest)
2) Clavicular breathing (upper chest/throat,
collarbone area)
3) Diaphragmatic breathing (belly, abdomen)
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing is the most efficient
breathing there is. This is because most of the blood
is circulating in the lower parts of the lungs, and
oxygen infusion is mostly happening there. The
diaphragmatic breathing pulls the oxygen lower into the lungs, thus increasing the efficiency of oxygen
infusion into the blood stream because the oxygen is
exposed to more of the blood. Interestingly, children
and infants do this naturally. It is only later that
adult humans stop using this most efficient way of
breathing.
2. Thoracic Breathing
Thoracic breathing (chest breathing), fills only the
middle and upper portion of the lungs, not the lower
portion where most of the blood is.
3. Clavicular Breathing
Clavicular breathing is centred around the collarbones,
and only comes into play when the body needs great
amounts of oxygen, for instance, while exercising.
These three types of breathing can be coordinated
into an exercise in which a deep breath is taken. This
is a complete yogic breath incorporating all of the
lung capacity, not just portions of it. First the lower
part of the lungs are filled, diaphragmatic (belly), the
middle portion is filled, thoracic (mid-chest), then
the uppermost part, clavicular (upper tips of the lungs
near collarbone) is filled. An example would be a yawn
or a sigh. Everyone has experienced how relaxing it is
to let out a big sigh or yawn.
* This article is taken from Vikasa 200 Hour Teacher Training November 2016 Manual 1.
