Breath of Fire: Why I’m Addicted to This Ancient Pranayama Exercise

Not only does it create smoother digestion, but it also helps to clear sinuses, eradicate brain fog, and boost energy levels. I can’t get enough of it

Before I share why I love this technique so much, I want to first highlight the fascinating role the diaphragm has on our health as it’s what we’re working with here.

In about 400 words (or roughly 50 breaths), we’ll then breathe together, don’t worry about that.

The role of the diaphragm

As we breathe in, our diaphragm moves up and down like a pump. This “pulls air in” and “pushes air out” of the lungs. Tiny branches called bronchioles then welcome the incoming air before it transfers to tiny sacs called alveoli.

Our hearts then pump the now-rich oxygenated blood around the body to deliver essential nutrients and energy to all our vital organs, cells, and tissues.

Secondly, the diaphragm is connected to the vagus nerve which is kind of a big deal. The vagus nerve not only affects how smooth our digestion is but what hormones and neurotransmitters like dopamine are released.

So, the movement of the diaphragm determines how relaxed or tense our autonomic nervous system is.

Then thirdly, as our diaphragm flattens during inhalation, our lungs expand, and our hearts contract. This sends an incredibly speedy message up to the brain that then sends an incredibly speedy message back to the heart that says, “you must speed up”, so it does.

It’s the opposite when we exhale: Our diaphragm lifts, our lungs compress, and our heart opens up. This sends an incredibly speedy message up to the brain that then sends an incredibly speedy message back to the heart that says, “you must slow down”, so it does.

Whatever messages are sent thereafter create the thoughts that we think, the emotions that we feel, and the actions that we take. Therefore every breath that we breathe carries a message and we are the ones who deliver it by the way we are breathing.

The body has developed this speedy response mechanism because it knows that there are only a few precious seconds to react whenever the breath changes, so it wastes no time in alerting the heart and brain as soon as possible.

The movement of the diaphragm plays a big role in this.

Posture is also important. Slouching restricts the diaphragm’s full range of movement, for example, so even though the breath will breathe automatically, its effectiveness changes from breath to breath depending on how easily it flows in and out.

The diaphragm performs other important tasks too. It increases blood circulation from its pumping action and ‘massages’ internal organs as it contracts and expands.

Cool fact: 60% of our lung capacity is in the back. Diaphragmatic breathing helps to expand into that space.

So, after all that, hopefully, you can see why I’m so addicted to this one pranayama exercise as it pumps the diaphragm like no other.

Breath of Fire

This technique comes from Kundalini Yoga and it’s my go-to whenever I’m low on energy, feeling cold, sleepy, or anxious, or just want a free power boost.

Putting it into practice:

• Find a nice comfortable position with your back straight
• Begin inhaling and exhaling forcefully through your nose (in equal measure)
• Pump your diaphragm in and out with every inhale and exhale (1–3 breaths per second)
• Keep your face muscles, shoulders, and body relaxed
• Begin adding more power and speed to each breath if desired (without adding any tension to the muscles in your face or body)
• Continue for as long as comfortable (0–1 minute for a quick pick-me-up. 1–3 minutes to shake off any sleep and raise heat in the body. 3–5 minutes for a big energy boost!)
• Finish by breathing fully in and holding the breath at the top of the inhale.

Something similar but different

Here’s another breathing exercise that’s an alternative to the one above. It’s another one of my favourites.

The silent pump

This breath is great for activating the digestive system, increasing blood circulation, massaging internal organs, and working the diaphragm.

• Sit comfortably with your back straight
• Breathe in deeply through your nose
• Exhale deeply through your nose or mouth and then hold your breath out
• Begin to pump your diaphragm 15x
• Inhale deeply through the nose
• Exhale and repeat
• Continue up to 10 breaths
• For an extra boost — pump your diaphragm 20 or 30 times instead. Then repeat.

“Improper breathing is a common cause of ill health. If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly. There is no single more powerful — or more simple — daily practice to further your health and well being than breathwork.” — Andrew Weil

A little inspiration to close

Science has discovered that around the age of 30–35 years old, our lung capacity starts to decrease and it only goes downhill from there.

This is due to the muscles in the diaphragm becoming weaker, our lung tissue losing some of its elasticity, which means our airways become smaller, and even our rib cage bones change shape and get smaller which leaves less room for them to expand into.

By adopting breathing habits such as breathing through the nose instead of the mouth, engaging the diaphragm, and reducing the number of breaths that are breathed per minute, the ageing process can be supported through strong and healthy lungs.

Our lungs and diaphragms are like every other muscle in the body in that regard, if they’re used often and efficiently, they can begin to gain strength, elasticity, and volume, even as we age. However, if they’re not, everything in and around them (tendons, ligaments, muscle tissue, etc…) can naturally start to weaken.

So, even though our lungs naturally shrink over time, they can also expand.

And I don’t know about you but that’s something I want to work on.