Pranayama: 2-Part DIaphragmatic Breathing
Pranayama Homework:
Take time to review the pranayama video below
Practice this Pranayama 1x per day this week with the recorded guidance, or on your own.
Read through the text on “How to Teach” this pranayama, typed out below.
Make a cue card for teaching this pranayama
Practice teaching this to a friend or family member at least 1x this week
In Depth Practice of 2-Part Diaphragmatic Breathing
Guided Practices of 2-Part Diaphragmatic Pranayama
Textbook Entry:
Overview of 2-Part Diaphragmatic Breathing
Anatomy of the Lungs:
You can imagine the lungs like tree roots. The trunk would be our trachea, our wind pipe, and from there we have two large main roots, the bronchi, reaching down into each lung. The bronchi branch off into smaller and smaller tubes called the bronchioles. The bronchioles are only as thick as a strand of hair, and there are almost 30,000 of them in each lung. At the end of each bronchiole are tiny air sacs called alveoli. These air sacs inflate and deflate with each breath, and are covered by tiny blood vessels called capillaries— the smallest blood vessels that branch out to create network throughout our entire body aiding gas and waste exchange between our cells. You can picture the exchange like a train car, oxygen gets on when carbon dioxide gets off, and vice versa. If these air sacs don’t work well then they don’t allow for this exchange to take place, this particular illness is called emphysema. Adult lungs have anywhere between 300-500 million alveoli helping us exchange about 1 and a half cups of oxygen and CO2 each minute!
The Diaphragm:
The primary muscle aiding in this exchange is the diaphragm, as well as the external intercostal muscles, the muscles in between each rib. The diaphragm sits inside our rib cage like a parachute, or the top of a mushroom— separating the thoracic cavity of the heart and lungs from the abdominal cavity, containing muscles of digestion and elimination. Our mushroom shaped diaphragm attaches to the interior portions of the lower six ribs, and from this protected space, also sends down three strong tendons, called the crura, which attach to the top three lumbar vertabrae.
Walking and Breathing:
At the front, our diaphragm attaches to the xiphoid process, and at the bottom to our quadratics lumborum and psoas muscle, the latter of which is our primary muscle of locomotion (walking). As Tom Meyers writes, it is this connection that intimately connects the rhythm of breathing to the rhythm of walking (cite), meaning that we are meant to breathe and move. THough our culture is very limited in its movement capacity, evolutionarily, we had to move ALOT to survive, and the more we moved the more breath we needed. The next time you go for a walk, watch your breath and see if you can feel this relationship in yourself. You might also find it easier to ‘watch your breath’ when you walk as you begin to see the process operate as a whole.
How the Diaphragm Expands/Contracts:
When we inhale, our diaphragm contracts and the dome of the parachute flattens down about an inch. This downward push creates a larger space in the thoracic cavity, which we feel as our ribs and belly expanding. To visualize this, interlace your hands in front of your chest as you exhale, then press the hands down and allow them to spread open and elbows open up the sides (like you were cracking your knuckles, even though you probably never do that)— this imitates the downward expansion of the diaphragm as you inhale. WIth each exhale, allow the hands to recoil back up to interlaced position in front of the chest, and with each inhale gently push the hands down and open.
The Diaphragmatic Nudge:
This diaphragmatic ‘nudge’ pushes the organs of digestion and elimination out of the way to make room for expansion of the lungs, and this nudge accounts for about 75% of our total air intake. Simultaneously, the lower ribs are elevated on the front, sides and back of the body, which increases the diameter of the lower portion of the cavity— you can feel this as well by simply placing the hands on the sides of the ribs as you breathe, and noticing their slight upward rotation. This expansion of the lower ribs accounts for the remaining 25% of air intake.
Hyper-Inflated Diaphragm:
The diaphragm is considered a major player in our deep core musculature of postural support, as well as a respiratory muscle. If, though, deep core muscles like the transverse abdominus and deeper aspects of our functional core such as the internal obliques are not performing well, then the diaphragm assumes more and more of a postural role than a respiratory role. This means that it will stay in a semi-contracted, or flattened state, creating a hyper-inflated” breath flow which results in over-breathing, poor oxygen absorption, restriction of blood flow to the brain and intestines, a tight neck and shoulders, flaring of the ribs and low back pain, decreased intra-abdominal pressure, as well as increased breathing rates which lead to hyper-arousal of our sympathetic nervous system, a primary cause of stress and anxiety. Because of this we may end up using accessory muscles of the back and shoulders to inhale which may result in tight shoulders and necks.
Shallow breathing stress:
Besides these physiological implications, this type of shallow breathing also has very stressful repercussions, as these shallow breaths often trigger a response by our sympathetic nervous system. Our body thinks we are in a stressful situation so it the adrenals kick in, digestion slows, heart rates increase and so on. The problem is that we might be breathing like this for hours while we are stuck in head forward posture at our computer, and the result is that we feel exhausted and depleted— stress takes its toll.
Shallow Breathing Epidemic:
Study after study after study shows that our culture is currently experiencing an epidemic of shallow breathing— on average adult tends to breathe 12-18 breaths per minute, whereas roughly five breaths per minute have been shown to be ideal for oxygen assimilation. This means that we are breathing ourselves into stress and anxiety, as well as physiological imbalances. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3655580/ ). The funny thing is that instead of addressing this concern, the medical community is simply raising the breathing average from 6 breaths a minute to 15 breaths a minute to account for it. This is one reason why pranayama is so valuable in not only addressing our psychological, but our physiological and philosophical issues— it gets to the root of the problem, a root that we saw pulses 25,000 times a day, with 30,000 Bronchiole tendrils reaching down into each lung, and 300-500 million alveoli at the end of those tendrils. So a little goes a long way when you multiply it by those numbers.
Intra-Abdominal Pressure:
A note on intra abdominal pressure— the movement of our diaphragm is key to maintaining the pressure within our core cylinder. The outward pressing force of the diaphragm stays in dialogue with the inward pressing force of our core cylinder, creating a powerful synthesis— much like how a can with liquid in it can’t be crushed, but a can without liquid in it can be easily crushed— without our intra abdominal pressure our core cylinder is compromised, no matter how strong the muscles of our core cylinder may be. We can gently utilize and awaken our intra-abdominal pressure during our diaphragmatic breathing by simply resisting the outward push of the diaphragm as we inhale, and then also resisting the inward pull of the diaphragm as we exhale—basically trying to keep a degree of pressure while we breathe. This can be an optional part of the practice done in the exploration phase of the pranayama.
As Always, Avoid Doership:
But the goal isn’t to swing the pendulum to the other extreme, but to begin to utilize our diaphragm and rib cage to breathe fully and naturally once again. We will take time to isolate portions of our breath, but don’t let this lead you to doership in breathing, but instead to awaken your natural capacity.
Summary & Reflection
The lungs are compared to a tree root system, with bronchioles leading to alveoli for gas exchange. The diaphragm plays a crucial role in breathing, separating the thoracic and abdominal cavities. The diaphragm's movement expands the chest and abdomen, aiding respiration, and its connection to locomotion shows the innate relationship between breathing and movement. Shallow breathing due to diaphragmatic imbalance can lead to stress and physiological issues. The 2 part breath helps address these imbalances and reconnect with natural breathing patterns for improved overall health.
Teaching the Diaphragmatic/Full Yogic Breathing
Introduction
The goal of diaphragmatic breathing, or the full yogic breath, is to awaken our primary muscles of respiration, the diaphragm and intercostals, and relax our tendency to breathe from our upper chest. This practice will breathe more efficiently, which means we will oxygenate more of our blood with less energy. It will also help us shift from the sympathetic to parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and presence. That being said, although it might be healthier, it can at first feel uncomfortable to experience this different state of equilibrium. For this reason it is very important to approach diaphragmatic breathing slowly, and using less effort than our minds may encourage us to. If you ever feel light headed when doing this pranayama, take your effort down by 50% and approach it more slowly. Ideally this pranayama will leave you feeling refreshed, recharged, centered and strong.
Primary Technique
Part One: Preparation, Rib Cage Expansion: There are two main aspects to diaphragmatic breathing. The first is to unlock the intercostal muscles between each rib as means of opening our capacity to breathe in 360 degrees through our rib cage. Once this is accomplished we can breathe through our ribs and into our navel, incorporating the diaphragm as well. For this reason it is helpful to take time to breathe into the ribs in isolation first, like priming the pump, and then move into the full breath.
“Bring your hands to the sides of the rib cage, and maintain tone in the navel as you deepen your breathflow by 50 %”: This means you are not taking your deepest breath, but half of what you would consider a deep breath. Feel for expansion between each rib, not only on the front of the body, but the sides and back as well. It can be hard to feel the back of the rib cage, so take extra time to consider this space as you breathe.
“Keep the front of the ribs neutral, not letting them splay, and try to feel expansion on the sides and back”: For many reasons there can be a tendency for the ribs to splay open when doing this. Keeping tone in the navel, and drawing down on the front of the ribs gently will help to prevent this misalignment, and even more importantly, this will help you feel the breathe in the back of the ribs.
“Bring the hands down to the knees or lap and rest for a moment”: Do this for 3-5 breaths and then rest, allowing the breath to return to normal and the muscles of the torso to relax. As we move into our full experience of the pranayama, we will not be expending as much energy in this half of the torso, but the warming up that we just did will allow the ribs to expand naturally in conjunction with the diaphragm and belly.
Part Two: The Full Breath
“Place one hand on ribs, other hand on navel. Relax face, neck and shoulders”: This is the starting position of the full pranayama, setting us up to feel the breath in the ribs and nave, and establishing a relaxed posture.
“Feel the path of the breath gently expand the ribs first, and then the navel. Let the exhale hug in from all directions after”: from the eLet your first few breaths be just a little deeper than a natural breath— our goal is not to breathe deeper but to feel the natural pathway of the breath. Consciously relax the shoulders as you go. With each breath feel the ribs gently expand in 360 degress, and then the belly to belly to expand as well. Similar to the ribs, try to feel the navel expanding not just forward, but to the sides and even the back, by the kidneys. Take time to breath just little deeper than normal, and bring your attention to this path of the breath. Your work should feel very sustainable. If there is any light headedness it means you are working too deeply too fast— slow it down and focus on the path of the breath, not depth.
“Switch the placement of the hands and continue feeling the breath gently expand ribs and then belly”: After 3 or so breaths like this, switch the hands, so that the one that was on the ribs is now on the belly, and the belly hand is now on the ribs. Follow the same instructions from before, except now that you can feel the path of the breath you can gently increase the depth of the breath. Like snow melting into the mountain rivers, we want the depth to increase very naturally and slowly so as not to flood. Keep feeling the path of the breath as you add depth.
“Lower the hands to the knees, and continue to feel the path of the breath gently expand ribs and then belly”: After 3 more breaths the hands can be lowered, but continue practicing the pranayama. It is very common for the mind to become distracted when the hands lower from the body, so it is important to re-focus on the pranayama and continue with the same work we have been doing.
“Allow the exhale to be natural yet thorough, as a complete exhale naturally makes room for a naturally fuller inhale”: Though our technique has centered around the inhale, the exhale is a an amazing ally in our work. As Patanjali teaches, once the debris has been cleared from a pipe, the water must flow— which means that the exhale can remove the debris and vacuously draw towards it a natural and yet deep inhale. Allow yourself to exhale completely each time, without creating any strain. Studies have shown that our exhale is the most overlooked aspect of our breath, so taking time to lengthen it here can help us rebalance our O2/CO2 equilibrium.
Explorations
Exploration through Slower and Smoother Breathing:
In this cueing for depth segment we seek to deepen the breath flow without slipping into doership and over-breathing. By emphasizing slower and smoother breathing, rather than deeper breathing, we are able to deepen the breath while maintaining inner sensation and balance.
“Try to breathe in slow motion, without losing you breath”: Breathing in slow motion simply means that every aspect of our breath flow can slow down incremementally. We want to avoid any sense of being out of breath, and ensure that this is always a natural and sustainable experience.
“As the Breath slows, make each segment smoother, the inhale and exhale, as well as the spaces between them”: As the breath slows, we can bring our attention to smoother breathing. The pranayama begins by separating the breath into two parts, but as we become more comfortable with the pranayama, and as it slows, we can begin to smooth out all of its facets. The inhale can become smoother, as well as the space around the pause after the inhale. The exhale can become slower and smoother, as well as the space surrounding the pause at the end of the exhale.
“As every segment of the breath becomes smoother, focus on the quality and experience of your breathing”: The reason we are breathing slower and smoother is not just for the physiological benefits of greater oxygen assimilation and a down regulated nervous system, but because as the breath slows and smooths, so does the mind. And as Patanjali teaches, when the mind is calm we are naturally able to perceive our true nature. This doesn’t have to wait till the pranayama is over, but can be a part of our work once the practice is established.
Exploration Through Intra-Abdominal Pressure:
In this cunning for depth segment we work with Intra-abdominal pressure by learning to maintain a small but steady degree of pressure in the abdominals at every point of the breath flow. As always, this shouldn’t be done with force, and is a natural capacity of a healthy core. (Intra-abdominal pressure is defined simply as the pressure within your abdominal cavity. The classic image is that of a plastic bottle of water— the abdominals themselves are like the shell of the water bottle, strong and essential, and the water inside is like the residual abdominal pressure. When the water bottle is empty, the bottle is easily crushed, when it is full, the water bottle is relatively unbreakable.)
“Keep a Gentle tone in the Navel as you breathe in and out”: To use intra abdominal pressure as a way of generating depth in the full yogic breath pranayama, practice maintaining a sense of tone in the navel as you breathe in and out. Its a subtle form of resistance to the flow of the breath— A gentle tone in the navel as you breathe in and out gives you something to press against as you breathe, creating a steadier and more efficient breath flow. You can almost think of it as a rudder to the ship, giving you a way to stay in the flow of the breathe throughout its twists and turns.
“Keep coming back to the Balance of Effort and Absorption”: As we have been saying from the beginning with full yogic breathing, less is more and too much is not beneficial. For that reason it is important to keep coming back to the overall balance of the experience— are you receiving as much as you are producing? Are our efforts keeping us in the flow, or creating their own flow, which may or may not be beneficial?
Concluding the Pranayama
“The next time you exhale fully, allow the breath to come to you as naturally as possible, releasing any directing of the breath, and focusing simply on the natural movement of breath itself”: The practice concludes after the exhale, and it is important to focus on releasing the pranayama with as much focus as we took to activate it. It is fun to watch the body breathe without our will, and this is the clearest moment we can see that for ourselves.
“Notice the experience of breathing more holistically and effficiently— this is a new equilibrium that may not be totally comfortable, yet may also be very beneficial. Simply notice your state of being as whole”: The practice of full yogic breathing can alter the experience of your breath on a physical and psychological level— assimilating more oxygen can, and refining equilibrium can sometimes be disorienting. Its important to take take to release this pranayama consciously, and to allow students to notice the experience they had during it, and the transition after it. Students may notice that they are naturally breathing a little deeper with no effort whatsoever. They may notice their face, neck and shoulders relaxed now that their diaphragm is awakened. They might also notice the serenity that comes from simply working with effortless effort over a sustained period of time. Feel free to cue these possibilities, or others that you have personally gleaned from your own practice of this pranayama.