History of Breathing

The breathing techniques come from ancient wisdom through practices such as yoga. The central aspect of any breathing practice is Pranayama, which is composed of two Sanskrit words.

Prana: Life Force

Ayama: Control

Pranayama is the control of the life force; breathing is a life force, therefore it is said that Pranayama is the art of controlling the breath.

Ancient Breathing

Breathing practices predate the common era (CE) and were written in many Indian texts including the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, Hathapradipika. These texts presented the breathing in the context of higher states of consciousness, mysticism, self-awareness, and transcendence. Slowing of breathing represents lengthening of life. The actual practice of breathing practices is impossible to know.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (400 BCE)

Yoga sutras depict pranayama as the fourth limb of an eight limbed path, presented after asana and before meditation as a gateway practice toward greater transcendence, shrouded in mysticism and hyperbole, the practices are not clear or obvious.

The Hathapradipika (1500 CE)

Written by Svatmarama, is the oldest surviving manual that codified asana, pranayama and Kriva. Very mystic and exaggerated, presenting quotes like “By the practice of pranayama we deliver ourselves from all diseases. By faulty practice the yogi invites all kinds of ailments”.

Modern Breathing

In the 1900s, breathing practices were established as small but important part of many yoga styles that has served as the basis for most of the contemporary classes found around the world

Most Common Modern Practices

The modern practices follow under three styles, the breath of fire or Kapalabhati, which is fast breathing, hyperventilation exercise, the Ujjagy pranayama or victorious  breath and the alternate nostril breathing. There is an example of each of these practices in Chapter 3 and Chapter 6.

Contemporary breathing

In the 2000s, breathing practices have grown in popularity. Some examples of contemporary breathing styles are breath hold training, freediving training, buteyko breathing, kundalini, holotropic breathing, and relaxation breathing.

The majority of these styles are found outside the context of yoga and most often pursuing a single benefit as the focus; for instance, stress relief, reduce anxiety relaxation, sleep, mindfulness, meditation, asthma treatment, improve digestion, immune system regulation, natural high or natural trip.

All of these practices when performed in an appropriate manner are beneficial and have a positive effect in the organism. However, most of the modern teachers only focus on one individual style. The biggest gains in breathing practice come of the combination of different techniques put together in a program.

The optimal result of a training plan is the systematic and progressive integration of a sequence of different workouts, taking in consideration the specific desired end state and the objectives that we are aiming to achieve.

Sometimes people practice these styles of breathing (specially breath hold or holotropic) without safety parameters and fatal consequences can occur.

The biggest flaws with most contemporary breathing practices are that they are really dangerous. For instance, some breathing teachers promote erroneously breathing as a panacea, exaggerating medical and health claims, like the cure for cancer, or other ails, and this is dangerous. A lot of these new methods lack science basis, promises of supernatural, and some are too complex and intimidating.

The goal of BLW training programs is to focus on safe and science-based breathing practices oriented for the average individual and the purpose is to provide an additional tool that anyone can use for self-care in a daily basis.

Bibliography

Eknath, Easwaran, (800-500 BCE), The Upanishards

William Judge (500-200 BCE), The Bhagavad Gita

Sri Swami Satchidananda (400), The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Swami Muktibodhananda (1500 CE), Hatha Yoga Pradipika