The Power of Breath
I will be the first to admit that breathing exercises are weird. The first time I took a Bikram class and we started the first Pranayama, I was that person who was trying to hold back laughter - and we all know when you are trying not to laugh in a quiet space it makes it ten times funnier. After teaching over 3,000 Bikram classes I now know that this is a normal reaction for a lot of people. Why does the life force of our bodies feel so unnatural when we are forced to focus on it in new ways?
After a few classes I got used to the weird arm/head movements and sounds of the beginning Pranayanma, but it was still one of my least favorite parts of class. I couldn’t get my brain to turn off. Why is it so damn long? My shoulders hurt. How do I squeeze my legs and relax my shoulders at the same time? It’s just breathing; why is this so hard? The teacher definitely did more than 10 breaths this set.
A few months into my practice I noticed a sense of calm in my life that I had never experienced before. At the time, I credited the physical exertion I was using during hot yoga and other external factors in my personal life such as surrounding myself with positive people. These were definitely big factors in this shift, but it wasn’t until I started learning about the science behind breathing that I really started tuning into my breath and being mindful during Pranayama that I noticed how that affected my daily life.
During COVID quarantine I shifted my studies to trauma and its physiological effects on the body. During my studies I learned about Max Strom, a breath-work master, who explained how we can physically release trauma and grief in our bodies through breathing techniques. This is when it all clicked. Through years of my yoga practice, I had unknowingly released much of my past trauma and grief that I had suppressed in my body. This explained the new sense of calm and peace I had experienced a few months into my practice, and still carry today. The very breathing exercise that I had originally thought was so awkward and funny, was actually physical and psychological therapy for my body and mind.
One of the main points that resonated with me when learning about Max Strom is the importance of expanding your chest when breathing. Our chest is where we feel some of our most powerful emotions and memories - we’ve all probably heard the phrase, “feeling choked up” or “get something off your chest”. Often people with anxiety explain their experience as difficulty breathing and racing heart, which is usually caused by unaddressed emotions from traumatic events in our lives. Our rib cage acts as a shield to our lungs and protects us in times of need - but in times of peace and love the rib cage can sometimes act as a barrier for connection and intimacy, especially if we have been hurt. Often those who have been hurt have a hard time expressing their emotions - even verbalizing “I love you” can be a struggle. Our lungs are the center for our voice, or the “organs of communication” as Strom refers to them, so when we learn to properly use our lungs we often find more confidence in our emotions and voice.
Our society teaches us, especially men, to suppress our emotions - that showing emotion is a sign of weakness, when in fact it is the exact opposite. Being aware of and owning our emotions and expressing them with confidence is a sign of healing and power. Emotions are what makes us human. Without them, there would be no consciousness. By tuning into our emotions and being transparent about them, we become more connected. Healthy communication is the key to all relationships; imagine how your life would change if you could express yourself to your partner, family, or friends, and be understood and reciprocated. If we could all learn to take a deep breath and tune in to how we feel before reacting, even naming the emotion (“when you don’t do the dishes it makes me feel *frustrated, angry, annoyed*) and our partner reacted with the same practice, there would be a lot less stress, tension, and anxiety, and a lot more love, connection, and compassion in our world.
Think of the last time you saw a funny movie or watched a comedian. Often what makes them funny is their relatability. When someone owns an embarrassing story and isn’t afraid to share it, we laugh because a lot of times we’ve been in that or a similar situation before. Or when you meet someone who has suffered the same loss as you. You relate to them through sharing your stories, and suddenly you don’t feel alone in your grief anymore. When we hear that other people have had similar experiences to us it connects us, and connection is the key to human survival. Why then are we trained to hold so much in and sometimes even feel shame or guilt around our emotions when our experiences are all a part of our journey and what creates our story?
There are some breathing exercises that I still struggle with. There are still some practices such as chanting, that although I know the benefits, feel really weird to me. Society has taught me that it is weird. My past trauma has hurt my ego to feel confident in chanting our audible breathing, alone or in a group setting. I’ve made huge strides in utilizing my breath in yoga, fitness, and in life, but I know I have a long way to go. Our breath is the connecting bridge between the body and the mind. Construct your bridge and find transformation through breath.
