How to Exhale

You know that fluid movements are very important for practicing yoga, but you also need to concentrate on your breath. Your instructor might reiterate over and over that you need to breathe, but are you doing it correctly? It's important to concentrate not only on the inhale, but the exhale as well. This article will help you tune into your exhale to get the most out of it.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

How to Exhale

1. Take a nice, slow, deep low breath in. You want your belly to expand with air until you can't fit any more in. Try to make the inhale last for a full ten count.s

2. Hold your breath for the count of five.

3. Slowly exhale, through your nostrils for another count of ten. Feel the breath coming from the stomach, up through the throat, into the nose and out the nostrils. As the air passing through your chest and throat, you might hear a low sound or feel a vibration.

4. As you are exhaling, your stomach should pull in toward your spine. Completely rid your body of all air before the next inhale.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are doing this during yoga postures, you might not concentrate so much on the time it takes but rather the passing of the air up from you belly, through your chest and throat, into you nose and out your nostrils.

• If you experience any lightheadedness, take a moment to make sure you are tense and sit down if you need to.