When a beginner wants to learn about yoga breathing he must first be aware of the three types of basic breathing before moving on to yoga breathing itself.
There is clavicular or shoulder breathing, thoracic or chest breathing abdominal breathing.
Among the types of breathing, abdominal breathing is perhaps the closest to yoga breathing.
Abdominal Breathing Abdominal breathing is, simply put, breathing with your belly.
It rises with each inhaling breath and falls with each exhaling breath, which makes it one of the better types of breathing next to yoga breathing itself.
Some people breathe naturally by using their belly, but others find it quite difficult to do so.
For first time abdominal breathers, all you need to do is to sort of "push" your belly outward as you inhale and "pull" your belly inwards as you exhale.
The end result is that only your chest and belly move, with your shoulders staying almost stationary throughout the breathing process.
You will end up drawing your breath deeper and more thoroughly in the lungs with your diaphragm, unlike your shoulders that draw in little breaths at a time.
This is a basic step for a beginner to learn about yoga breathing, as abdominal breathing is one of the deeper breaths that a person can take.
If you will take the time to notice your body's condition when you breathe through your belly, you will feel a lot less muscle tension and stress placed on your shoulders and chest.
Breathing is done primarily by your diaphragm, supported by abdominal muscles that contract and relax more easily than shoulder and chest muscles.
The 57 Seconds Exercise It would be a dream to get the so called "6 pack" with a 57 second yoga breathing exercise; the bad news is that you won't! However, the good news is that - when done consistently several times a day, it will energize your mind and provide clarity and calmness to your thoughts.
The beauty of this simple exercise is that it can be done anywhere -- sitting down or standing up, even while waiting for a traffic light to change! Repeat this every hour on the hour: close your eyes, put your hand on your belly, and breathe in for a count of 5 making sure your belly fills up.
Hold your breath for a count of 7 with the air still in your belly, not in your chest.
Finally, let the air out very slowly for a count of 7 and start opening your eyes.
Do this three times consecutively, for a total of 57 seconds.
You can actually use abdominal breathing as a type of breathing for meditation.
The breath is deep and heavy, and slowing down that breath can do wonders to help a person relax and feel more energetic.
Abdominal breathing, however, is still inferior to yoga breathing.
To truly appreciate yoga breathing, an individual must be able to harness the power of all three types of breathing.
Learn how to use the shoulders, chest and abdomen correctly, and you will learn about yoga breathing to eliminate stress, boost the immune system and maximize one's inner energy reserves.