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This post will be useful even if you do not practice yoga. In the end, you will learn why proper breathing can increase your lifespan. At birth, we do not think about breathing. We take our first breath because it is vital for us. But while growing up, most of us continue to breathe unconsciously.

And how to breathe correctly?

1. Breathe slowly, deeply and constantly focus on inhaling and exhaling.
2. Imagine that there is a ball inside you. You inflate it and move it with inhalation from the abdomen, to the chest, from the chest to the neck. In the same way, down to exhale, but vice versa.
3. Do not hold your breath during the practice (only if it is not a special breathing exercise.)
4. If you lost your breath while reading this paragraph, re-read the above written again 🙂

Why is it important to control your breathing?

For many, this is even more difficult than the asanas themselves. Who comes for the first time, the main thing for them is just to survive. They are like that baby who greedily absorbs the first breath of air. I pay more attention to beginners in training. They either have rapid, chaotic breathing, or they stop breathing altogether.

Mindful breathing helps you feel what is going on inside your body right now. During the asanas for flexibility – breathing helps to relax the body. During the asanas for strength – helps to be hardy. During the asanas on the balance – helps to feel the support under you.

Did you know that people with slow deep breathing live longer?

In ancient times, yogis measured the duration of a person’s life by the number of breaths. They believed that a person is destined to take a certain number of breaths and exhalations during his life.

Have you ever noticed that slow-breathing animals (crocodiles, elephants, turtles) live long, while fast-breathing animals (birds, dogs, rabbits) live much less? For example: The heart of a mouse makes 1000 beats per minute, and the heart of a whale makes about 16 beats, when the mouse lives 1-4 years, the whale lives 45-90 years.

The thing is that prolonged breathing slows down the heartbeat, and a slow heartbeat increases life expectancy.

Friends, breathe slowly and live long!