Because the breath is the most tangible manifestation of prana–the power of consciousness–a person with disturbed breathing is bound to be unhealthy, while a person with balanced breathing will have little or no room for disease. Breathing has a potent influence over the functions of our nervous system, brain, and thought process. To ensure a healthy body and a clear, calm, and tranquil mind, we must establish a healthy and balanced breathing pattern. That is the purpose of pranayama practices.

According to Patanjali, the author of the Yoga Sutra, pranayama is the mastery over the flow of inhalation and exhalation. The practice of pranayama begins with cultivating awareness of how our inhalation is followed by exhalation and how our exhalation is followed by inhalation in an uninterrupted flow; how an interruption in this flow disturbs our cardiac function; how a pause, jerk, or noise in the breath disturbs our thought process; and how chest breathing stresses our lungs. Before we attempt to gain mastery over our breath, we need to become aware of the distinction between a healthy way of breathing and an unhealthy way of breathing. In the initial stages, we have to make a conscious effort to cultivate this awareness. Through sustained practice we eventually reach a point where healthy breathing becomes automatic.

Diaphragmatic breathing is the foundation for a healthy breath. We inhale and exhale in response to the expansion and contraction of our lungs. Our lungs expand and contract in response to the movement of our diaphragmatic muscle. When the diaphragm contracts, it moves downward, filling the lungs with air. When the diaphragm relaxes and moves upward, the lungs deflate, causing us to exhale. In short, the movement of the diaphragm is the main cause of inhalation and exhalation. Our modern lifestyle—long hours sitting in cars, in chairs, and on couches, along with pervasive anxiety, fear, and stress—weakens our diaphragm and disturbs its natural cycle of movement. Establishing healthy breathing, therefore, begins with strengthening the diaphragm and restoring its natural movement. One of the best ways to accomplish this is the practice of sandbag breathing.

Sandbag Breathing
Lie on your back with a thin cushion under your head and neck. The legs are slightly apart. If your lower back is sensitive, bend the knees, place the feet hip-distance apart on the floor and let the knees rest against each other. Relax the body and feel the breath flowing in and out. Be aware of the abdomen rising and falling and let the breath flow without pause.

After a few minutes of relaxed easy breathing, place a sandbag weighing about 10 pounds on the upper abdomen. The weight will focus your attention on the abdomen. Let the bag rise and fall naturally with the breath. There will be some effort involved while inhaling, but there should be no strain. The inhalation and exhalation should be about the same length. Make sure you are breathing quietly through the nose.

After about five minutes, remove the sandbag (sooner if you feel tired or find the breath getting shallower). Now pay attention to the rise and fall of your abdomen as you inhale and exhale. Sit up after a few minutes.

You can start with three or four minutes a day and increase to 10 minutes. You can also increase the weight of the sandbag as your diaphragm gets stronger and the movement becomes more effortless. Eventually this will reset the natural cycle of your diaphragm’s movement, making your breath deep, smooth, even, and free of jerks, noise, and pauses. After a few months, you may want to add deep diaphragmatic breathing.

Sandbags are available from many yoga retailers; you can also substitute a 10-pound bag of rice for this exercise. For more on sandbag breathing, visit yogaplus.org/sandbag.

Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing
This practice is always done in a sitting pose. Make sure your posture is stable, comfortable, and well supported (visit yogaplus.org/sitting for an instructional video on different sitting postures). Scan your body for tension and relax the legs, abdomen, lower ribs, shoulders, jaw, and face. Feel the movement of the breath in the lower ribs and solar plexus. Focus on the gentle expansion to the sides, back, and front on the inhalation, and the smooth release on the exhalation.

After a minute or two, you’ll find the breath has become slower and smoother, and it unfolds from a deeper place in the body with less effort. Refine your breath by equalizing the length of the inhalation and exhalation, smoothing out any jerks or pauses. Then exhale a little more deeply, contracting the abdomen toward the spine. Soften the lower back and abdomen to smoothly release as you inhale, filling the lower lungs and expanding the lower ribs to the sides and back, so the breath becomes a little fuller.

Start with a couple of minutes a day and build to 10 minutes. This practice will not only strengthen your diaphragm and regulate its movement but will also increase your lung capacity. Deep diaphragmatic breathing will help you tap into the inner reservoir of your pranic force, and enable you to progress to the practice of nadi shodhanam.

Nadi Shodhanam
Nadi shodhanam, also known as alternate nostril breathing, is one of the most treasured and powerful yoga practices. It purifies your energy channels and nurtures both your body and mind. To practice nadi shodhanam, sit in a comfortable pose. Make sure your spine is straight and the weight of your body is equally distributed on your buttocks and legs. Close your eyes and relax the body and breath. Bring your focus to the navel center and let the breath become smooth and even.

When you are breathing smoothly and evenly through both nostrils, gently close the right nostril with your right thumb and exhale through the left nostril. Make sure your exhalation is smooth and without jerks and noise.

As soon as the exhalation is completed, close your left nostril with the ring finger and begin inhaling through your right nostril. As soon as this inhalation is completed, close your right nostril and exhale through the left. Then inhale through the right nostril as you did before. Repeat a third time, for a total of six breaths. Make sure that your diaphragm is moving without obstruction and that you are not short of breath. When you have completed six breaths, release the hand and take three relaxed breaths through both nostrils. Feel the touch of the breath in the nostrils and let the breath be subtle, slow, and even.

Now do a second round of six breaths of alternate nostril breathing, beginning with an exhale through the right nostril. Finish with three resting breaths through both nostrils and let yourself feel the stillness this practice has induced in your body and mind.

Listen to a guided nadi shodhanam practice at yogaplus.org/alternatenostril.

Yoga+ is an award-winning, independent magazine that contemplates the deeper dimensions of spiritual life–exploring the power of yoga practice and philosophy to not only transform our bodies and minds, but inspire meaningful engagement in our society, environment, and the global community.