Practicing the Yogic Complete Breath can give you mastery over the body/mind complex, improve health through the stimulation of the organs, flush toxins from the bloodstream, and provide a greater influx of oxygen and prana to the entire system.

Sit in a balanced, upright posture and begin to breathe long, slow inhalations and exhalations through the nose. With eyes closed, roll your eyes up and focus your consciousness at the top of the nose between the eyes.

Now on inhalation, visualize filling the lower lungs as the diaphragm descends and the belly expands. A third of the way through the inhalation, visualize filling the middle lungs as the chest expands. And finally, during the last third of the inhalation, visualize filling the upper lungs completely as the collar bones rise. Notice the infinitesimal pause at full chalice.

Now on exhalation, visualize emptying the upper lungs as the collar bones descend. Empty the middle lungs as the chest contracts. And finally, empty the lower lungs as the diaphragm ascends and the belly contracts. Notice the infinitesimal pause at empty chalice.

Although this breath is comprised of three parts, practice it in one fluid motion of breathing. What you are doing is training the body to breathe fully, like you did when you were a baby. When we are born, we have no constriction of the breath which is why we naturally breathe “belly breaths” or full breaths. Most people unconsciously breathe “coastal breaths” which can be as little as twenty percent of their lung capacity. Typically, this is caused from stress, trauma, and the survival flight or fight response. Conscious breathing will reverse this pattern and enable you to bring in more oxygen, prana, and life-force energy, which in turn stimulates the organs, brain, eyes, and energy level.

Make this part of your daily meditation practice. After a few days to a week, you may feel sore in the muscles across the back and/or across the chest. You are working muscles you typically don’t work. If it is too uncomfortable, take a huge breath as large as you can and hold it for a few seconds. This will expand those sore muscles and relieve some or all the discomfort.

Enjoy!

Photo credit: Jared Rice