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Learn About Yoga Breathing – Why Breathing the “Right” Way is Vital to Your Health
Why do you need to learn about yoga breathing? Good question. Actually, few people realize the effect improper breathing has on your health. The organs of the respiratory system – the lungs, nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and bronchial tubes – are designed to deliver fresh oxygen to your body and remove waste and toxins. If they do not work in sync and perform improperly due to poor breathing techniques, the results can be disease and illness.
Exoteric breathing – the physiology of breath
The lungs take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide through exhalation. Red blood cells pick up the oxygen when they reach the lungs and then transport it to all the body’s cells. While the red blood cells are delivering oxygen they also pick up carbon dioxide gas — a waste product that must be removed. As the red blood cells travel back to the lungs they dropped off the carbon dioxide gas where it is removed when we breathe out or exhale.
The trachea, or windpipe, is responsible for filtering the air we breathe.
Bronchi, to air tubes branching off from the trachea, deliver the oxygen directly to our lungs.
The diaphragm, the main muscle used for breathing, is the dome-shaped muscle located at the bottom of the lungs. As you inhale, the diaphragm contracts and pulls downward. This allows the space that contains the lungs to enlarge, pulling in air to the lungs. Exhaling expands the diaphragm, which in turn decreases the space for the lungs so that air is expelled.
Unless we get enough fresh air to the lungs through breathing, the blood that contains the carbon dioxide waste products can’t be purified. This robs the body of nourishment. Also the waste that should have been expelled returns to the body cells during circulation. In a nutshell, if the lungs do not receive sufficient oxygen, then the blood cannot do its work.
Blood that is not properly oxygenated is bluish in color — not the bright red color that designates healthy blood. People with pale, sallow complexions often look this way because they are breathing improperly — that is, not getting enough oxygen to the blood cells.
Improper breathing also denies proper oxygenation of the food we eat, which in turn affects digestion, which affects our overall nutrition – a perfect example of why you should learn about yoga breathing.
What does yawning have to do with breathing?
Consider this. When we are tired our lungs don’t receive enough oxygen because we aren’t breathing properly. Therefore, all the cells in our body aren’t receiving enough oxygen, either. The brain picks up on this and sends you a message to breathe long and deep — which results in a yawn. Obviously, proper breathing is crucial for providing energy to our body cells.
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