Traditional Japanese breathing exercises help you focus and control your breath. By recognizing where your breath is coming from and controlling it you can better focus your mind and even see health benefits. Asthma patients who have practiced Japanese breathing exercises have seen an improvement in their condition. There are several types of breathing exercises.
Attention Breathing
Attention Breathing focuses on where the breath is coming from and how different people breathe. For example, based on factors such as age and health, your breath may come from your stomach, abdomen, chest or throat. You also breathe at different rates based on emotion and physical exertion. According to Aaron Hoops, founder and chief instructor of Zen Yoga, "The central principle of breathing is of internal cleansing, getting rid of that which is old, worn out, and stale, and exchanging it for what is new, fresh and energized."
The basis of the attention breathing exercise is not to control your breath but to focus on it. How does your breath work naturally? Aaron says, "Your aim is to observe your unconscious breathing habits so you will be able to feel the difference when you actually begin dynamic breathing." You should do this for about 5 minutes per day while you observe and learn your natural breathing habits.
Abdominal Breathing
Abdominal breathing is where we begin to control our breath. As the name implies, it focuses on the muscles in the abdomen and when your breathe, you should be attempting to fill your lungs entirely, from the bottom up. This increases lung capacity as well as improving blood circulation. Inhale deeply through the nose, focusing on and expanding the abdomen. Do not force the breath beyond comfort. Try to create a smooth expansion of the lungs while focusing on the abdomen. Exhale through the nose and deflate your abdomen from the bottom back up.
Nose Panting
Nose panting is a practice that focuses on breathing through the nose at a fast pace. This breathing exercise can make you feel more energized and release stress. Imagine you are trying to breathe something out of your nose, a small particle. You are removing this particle by sharply puffing out the nostrils, and follow this with as sharp an intake of air. You should do this ten times in rapid succession until you become more comfortable with the exercise and slowly increase the number of times you do this panting exercise.
Complete Breath
The complete breath is more difficult because it has several steps. Inhale through the nose and expand the lower abdomen in a manner similar to the method used in the abdominal breathing exercise. Once the abdomen is full, you continue to pull breath into your body, filling the lungs and raising your collarbone and head as you continue to inhale. Then hold the breath in your body and focus on it. Hold the breath for a full count to 10 and begin to exhale through the nose. Do this slowly and start from the abdomen, rolling your breath up and out of your body. Hold the breath out of your body for a full count to 10.
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