Pranayama Dirgha

Three Part Breathing

Part 1

Dirgha means “to lengthen” and is the basic preparatory practice that forms the foundation of healthy breathing. It develops awareness in each of the three main breathing areas of the body. Depending on how the breath is preformed it can be cooling (langhana) or energizing (brahmana) to the body and/or mind.

1. Adhama Svasa  (Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing)

Soft Belly--Cooling

Abdominal breathing allows for enhanced breathing because it allows the abdominal organs to expand and move out of the way as the diaphragm descends on inhalation.

Practice:

Sit up straight either crossed-legged on the floor or in a chair.

Inhale and let the abdomen soften and expand like a balloon slowly inflating. At the top of the inhale, let the breath naturally pause without strain.

As you exhale, slowly draw the abdomen inwards toward the spine. Pause the breath effortlessly and then inhale.

Repeat the breathing cycle.

Focus on feeling the breath expanding evenly the front, sides and back of the body.

Benefits:

1. Activates the relaxation response.

2. Massages the digestive organs.

3. Creates space for the movement of the diaphragm.

4. Enhances airflow to the lower lungs.

5. Energizes the 2’” chakra

Contraindications: 

1. It can over stretch abdomen muscles leaving the back and spine unsupported.

2. For individuals with low blood pressure it is possible to become to “relaxed”.

This breath is helpful in correcting bad breathing habits caused by poor posture, shallow breathing and a constricted abdomen. Many people hold a lot of stress in their abdomen. This causes tension that is associated with abdominal complaints such as constipation, diarrhea and more serious conditions of the digestive tract. It is important to learn to relax this area completely in order to release the stress.