Dirga Pranayama: Three Part Breath
Have you ever been in a yoga class and the teacher says to take a long, deep breath?
Ever wondered exactly HOW to move from a shallow, upper chest breath to this long, deep breath?
Dirga Pranayama.
Often called Long Deep Breathing in Kundalini Yoga, Dirga Pranayama invites you to consciously fill the lungs in three parts with a continuous breath: the belly, the ribcage, and the upper chest.
It’s AMAZING that only 3 minutes of this breath has a noticeably calming effect on our nervous systems.
How to Practice:
✨ Sit comfortably with a tall spine
✨ If you're new to this practice, place both palms on your lower belly so you can feel the movement of your breath. You can also practice lying down with a light book resting on your lower belly. As you inhale, allow your belly to gently rise and lift your hands or the book.
✨ Begin the breath in three parts:
1. Deep Belly - Inhale slowly, allowing the lower belly to expand like a balloon filling
2. Ribcage - Continue the inhale, allowing the breath to expand outward through the ribs
3. Upper Chest - Complete the inhale by gently filling the upper chest, all the way up toward the collarbones
✨ Then exhale slowly, releasing the breath from the upper chest, through the ribcage, and finally allowing the belly to soften.
Continue for several minutes, breathing slowly and smoothly.
For a more active practice, pull the navel point in towards the spine as you finish the exhale.
Experience the power of conscious breathing. It’s simple.
You can begin with one breath.
Place your hands on your belly.
Feel the rise and fall.
In a world that constantly pulls our attention outward, the breath offers a path inward that’s always available.
One conscious breath at a time, we can return to ourselves. 💚
✨ Benefits
* Encourages relaxation and helps calm the nervous system
* Brings more awareness to habitual, shallow breathing patterns
* Supports greater use of the lungs and greater breath capacity
🌿 Why It Works
* The belly breath invites the diaphragm to move more fully
* Ribcage expansion helps bring awareness to the middle portion of the breath
* Filling the upper chest completes the breath and encourages full lung expansion
* Slowing and consciously directing the breath gives the mind something steady to rest upon
☀️ When To Practice
* In the morning to begin your day feeling centered and present
* Before meditation, yoga, or breathwork
* When you feel stressed, scattered, or disconnected from your body
* Before sleep as a gentle way to transition into rest
Give Dirga Pranayama a try and let us know how it goes for you. 🙏