Yogic Deep Breathing: A Path To Wellness

Practicing yoga has a multitude of benefits, from improving well-being to reducing anxiety; and you could say that yoga is, in a sense, the all-rounder out of all forms of exercises known to man. And did you know that yogic practices were discovered in 2700 B.C.?

Isn’t it fascinating that someone from such ancient times had the capability and prowess to observe their bodies and determine practices that would benefit them in nearly every way possible? And I can attest to this fact: as a yoga practitioner, I’ve seen the benefits yoga has. I sleep much better at night, feel less anxious, and can even control my pulse while it’s being measured!

But how did I achieve such breath control and significant improvements in my health through yoga? There must be some yogic practice I’m doing that enabled me to see such benefits.

And that’s absolutely right. I’m a yogic practitioner of sukshma vyayam, which is a yogic practice that loosens your joints and removes energy blockages. This practice essentially involves gentle, flowing movements that are quite simple and easy to practice. So it could be considered a great way to venture into yoga for someone who’s either never tried it before or found it not their cup of tea. Trust me when I say you’ll enjoy it a lot!

Now, let’s dive right into some of my favourite breathing exercises that aid in improving mental health and one’s overall wellbeing!

The first exercise I know all of you will enjoy learning a little bit about is yogic deep breathing - the really cool one where I can control my pulse - and its benefits.

Yogic deep breathing is a breathing exercise with a simple technique: breathe in for 5 counts, hold your breath for another 5, and exhale for 8 seconds. And this exercise, though simple, has many benefits: it increases your breath control, reduces anxiety and calms your mind (benefits I observed). These are particularly helpful for people looking for some mindfulness exercises at the end of a tough day, or just to meditate in a different way. As someone who finds it difficult to peacefully sit and meditate without wanting to run away, I found that doing yogic deep breathing was much easier for someone with a mind as chaotic as mine!

I’d recommend doing the exercise for 5 minutes every day, as you will see a lot of improvements in your mental well-being pretty soon after starting to practice yogic deep breathing; you don’t have to wait as long as a month to finally see the benefits.

So, if you’re just looking for a great way to wind down at the end of a tough day, give yogic deep breathing a try! I hope you enjoy doing it, and remember: 5-5-8!

Thanks for reading, and I can’t wait to share more exercises in the following posts. See you there!