Prana is the life force in the air you breathe. In the east it’s known as ‘the breath within the breath.’ The breath of life. Prana contains the life force, which is transferred to you when you breathe. It’s much more than simply a combination of oxygen, nitrogen and other chemical components.

There are 72,000 nerve endings here which spiral out to the rest of the body, ending up in the hands and feet. This spiral of nerves is likened to the sun. When you charge this navel area with prana it fires the solar energy, which then radiates through the rest of the system through the chakras. This ‘fire in the belly,’ is where you draw on your personal will power. For this reason it is very important to have a strong abdomen and to constantly exercise the navel point.

What’s worse is that breathing is very closely linked to emotions. When your emotions change, your breathing changes whether you’re aware of it or not. As a result, if you’re consistently breathing improperly, emotions become trapped inside of your energy field. As odd as that may sound it’s a case of ‘just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it ain’t true.’ When you breathe fully, properly and consciously, these emotions and other sub-conscious debris are released, resulting in a feelings of bliss. It’s not always bliss, however.

Breath of Fire

The breath simply has to be an even length with no break between the inhale and exhale. This creates a very unique breath, which is actually considered one long breath, but paradoxically it appears to be many rapid breaths. Because there’s no real break between the inhale and exhale, it’s actually considered very long deep breathing sped up.

How to do it: Sit in easy pose (simple cross-legged position) Stretch the spine up straight and tall, with the base of the spine forward, the chest lifted and the chin tucked down and back (neck very straight.) In this position, find a balance and relax completely. Inhale and exhale at even lengths with no break between. The navel will start to flex as though pumping. This is one of the many benefits which we will highlight later. Continue from 3 minutes or more (up to 20 minutes)

Eyes: Generally closed, focused up and in at the brow (Third eye point)

Finish: Inhale deeply and hold. Gently squeeze the body to expand the energy, focusing on bringing the energy to the third eye point. Exhale, and relax. (Breath of fire can also be practiced in intervals– 3 min breath, 2 minutes rest, another 3 min, etc.)

The Mechanics of Breath:

When you inhale properly, the lungs fill completely with air and push down on the diaphragm, a U-shaped muscle just beneath the lungs. The diaphragm’s down/up movement causes the navel to expand and contract. Thus when you inhale properly, the diaphragm causes the navel (belly) to expand and when you exhale the navel deflates and the diaphragm rises, deflating the lungs. When you pull in on the navel toward the spine as you exhale, you force more air out of the lungs, causing a more complete breath. So the diaphragm moves up/down and the navel moves in/out.

In breath of fire, the navel pumps as a result of the continuous breath and acts as a bellows, firing up the white-hot kundalini energy at the base of the spine. The exercising of the navel point also releases energy stored there in the solar plexus. This energy in turn, expands within you and radiates into your entire energy system. It does so in very practical, physical ways as you will see in the following list of benefits.

10 Benefits of Breath of Fire:

1. Cleans the blood in 3 minutes. It also takes an average of 3 minutes for the liver to filter the blood completely. This is why beginners sometimes feel lightheaded or a little queasy, because the blood is being oxygenated rapidly and the toxins are rushing through the liver. (After very little practice, however, there is no unease, but rather the breath becomes very invigorating and energizing.)

2. The solar plexus, at the level of the navel contains a lot of naturally stored energy. This is because the navel is at the third chakra which is the centre of personal will power (which is why we use phrases like “fire in the belly” and “she’s got guts.”)

3. Causes the nervous system to increase its voltage and fire properly.

4. Changes the brain waves creating a global alpha rhythm when practiced properly.

5. Expands lung capacity.

6. Increases physical endurance.

7. Strengthens the navel point, which as mentioned previously is the core will center. This added strength gives mental constancy and the ability to focus and follow through on your promises. (The guts to follow through on what you say you will do.)

8. Assists in the overcoming of addictons by cleansing the toxic effects of smoking, drugs, sugar, alcohol and caffeine.

9. 9.Increased mental and physical energy in the entire system.
   

10. Releases deeply rooted toxins in the lungs, mucous membranes, blood vessels and cells.

 

Long Deep Breath

Long deep breathing is a fundamental breating technique in Kundalini yoga that involves taking slow, deep breats through the nose. This type of the breathing helps to calm the mind, reduce strees, and improve overall well being.

To practice long deep breathing in Kundalini yoga, you can follow these simple steps:

1. 1. Find a comfortable seated position, either cross legged on the floor or in a chair with your feet flat on the ground.
   

2. 2. Close your eyes and relax your body, allowing your shoulders to drop and your jaw to soften.
   

3. 3. Begin to take slow, deep breaths through your nose, inhaling for a count of five and exhaling for a count of five.
   

4. 4. Focus on the sensation of the breath moving in and out of ypur body, and try to keep the rhythm slow and steady.
   

5. 5. Continue to breathe in this way for several minutes, gradually extending the length of the inhale and exhale as you feel comfortable.
   

This technique can be used at any time during the day to help reduce stress and anxiety, or as a preparation for meditation or other Kundalini yoga practices.