Summer Inspiration #2 | Three ways to exercise your breathing

Learning the various forms of breathing techniques common to yoga and meditation can not only help calm your nerves and heighten your awareness, but can also help to keep you healthy by enriching your body and blood with life-giving oxygen for more energy.

For this summer inspiration, aquacycling instructor, Anne Koller invited her yoga trainer, Hari Kaur Khalsa — spiritual teacher, master trainer of Kundalini Yoga & Meditation, author and co-Founder of Hari NYC — to share about meditative breathing to comfort, energize and relax ourselves during exercise and in our everyday.

Here are 3 breathing techniques addressed in Hari’s book, A Women’s Book of Meditation, along with tips for Aquacyclers and a final note about how to apply these techniques to everyday situations.

One | Long deep yogic breathing

Ideally, when we breath deeply, our ribs should expand while our shoulders stay steady. However, stress and improper posture leads us to strain our breath. We breathe inefficiently from our chest, rather than our bellies, and lift our shoulders while also compressing our necks.

To practice proper breathing form, lie on your back, placing your hand on your belly. As you inhale through your nose*, your abdominal area should expand, followed by your rib cage area and finally your upper chest. This flow trains your diaphragm muscles to flatten and your lungs to expand as you inhale. When exhaling, allow your upper chest, rib cage area, and finally, your abdominal area to relax towards your spine.

AQUACYCLERS: Use long deep breathing at the beginning of class to energize yourself before starting. If you find your shoulders tensing and going up to your ears, use long deep breathing again to reconnect and relax.

*Breathing through your nose, warms, humidifies and filters the air, delivering the highest quality air. It also slows your breath rate, increasing awareness and relaxation.

Two | Segmented breathing

To practice, start by taking a few long deep breaths. Beginners can lie on their backs, but you may also sit straight in a chair or sit comfortably cross-legged on a flat surface. On inhale, break your breath into 4 equal segments (sniffs). Hold this breath in for a few seconds. As you exhale, break your breath into 4 equal segments.

Because it may take a while to break breaths into equal segments and achieve a complete inhale and exhale in the process, try inhaling 4 equal segments and exhaling one long continuous breath. Alternate between this method and breathing entirely in segments in order to feel a difference.

AQUACYCLERS: The segmented breath is perfect towards the end of class for relaxation during and after stretching before a final meditation.

Three | Breath suspension

Suspending your breath enables you to control and change your breath rate, by creating a moment of stillness.

To practice, inhale, retain your breath just a few seconds while keeping your chest expanded and then exhale. If you feel tension during suspension, release some breath. Remember to remain relaxed, especially in your shoulders. Ideally, practice by inhaling, suspending and exhaling in equal portions. Beginners should first try 3-second segments.

AQUACYCLERS: Use the breath suspension at the end of meditation to seal the energy and cherish the breath.

How to apply the wisdom of the breath-body connection when you need it.

If you feel excited or are having trouble listening or being present because of rushing emotions of excitement, fear, or, discomfort — try this routine:

1. Feel the powerful emotion, resistance, excitement or challenge.

2. Notice the physical sensation of that emotion and locate it in your body.

3. Find and feel your breath. Notice if your breath is stuck or smooth and moving.

4. Breathe! Inhale slowly and deeply, in a relaxed way, but powerfully enough to change your state. Exhale. Relax your breath. Inhale again and suspend your breath briefly (if you can). While suspending your breath become still; find a still point in yourself. When you suspend your breath, your mind stops and becomes present, allowing you to perceive what is really happening. Exhale and notice the difference.

To explore breathing techniques, meditation and yoga further, visit Hari and her team of instructors at the Hari NYC Treehouse. See a full list of classes and schedule here.