Some hold that yogic breathing is more vital than good pose form to your practice. To do this you should pay attention to your breathing and be conscious of the quality of it. This is a practice that will grow as your experience in yoga grows. Remember though, that although it is good to be aware and make progress, don’t obsess or beat yourself up if you find you aren’t making the progress you would like. This is the same with any other form of mediation. It isn’t necessary to be perfect, especially if you are a beginner.

No Yoga Equipment Needed, Just Breathe.

It’s easy to forget breathing because we do it twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, every day of our lives. We begin doing it the day we are born, and yet somehow we are always a beginner. So we don’t think about it much. At the same time, it is entirely vital to our health and existence. You can look at fish for an example of how important air is to us. Fish live in water and swim in it. People who keep aquariums invest time, equipment, and money to maintain excellent water quality. Why? Because that’s the key to healthy fish, and not just fish that survive, but fish that thrive. The water brings fish oxygen, and nutrients and takes away their waste. A fish in bad water will most certainly become sick.

When you look at it this way, you see the importance of not just air quality, but the quality of our breathing. We are constantly surrounded by air and are breathing it all the time. From the air we get oxygen and the process of metabolism needs oxygen. Our lungs, heart, digestive system, muscles, and brain all need oxygen. Like fish with water, we need air not just to survive but to thrive. A person could even look at air as a nutrient. Oxygen is necessary for your autonomic nervous system. This handles respiration, heart rate, perspiration, and digestion among other things. Also your somatic nervous system, which controls voluntary bodily functions and sense organs. When you exhale, you are expelling waste in the form of carbon dioxide.

By now you can see that your breath is tied to your health. It is the key to metabolism.

When you are doing yoga, make sure your breathing is deep but without strain. If you are a beginner you should defer to what your teacher tells you. Your mood, posture, and situation will always affect the way you are breathing. People under stress often don’t breathe properly. Hence the advice to people who are angry to take a deep breath. A person who is scared may breathe too quickly. Also our posture affects our ability to breathe properly.

With your yoga practice should come awareness of breathing and posture. The mind and body work in synchronicity. Your mental state affects your breathing and your breathing affects your mental state. Time should be spent working to be aware of your breathing. Look for yoga classes that are on the topic of breathing. Even as a beginner it is easy to make an impact on your practice. You already possess the equipment you need.