Breathe In, Breathe Out: Yoga for the Lungs

You can’t have yoga without breath. Breath control, or pranayama, is at the heart of the yogic practice, thus our lungs stand to benefit too. And according to Chinese medicine, the lungs are the “minister” to the heart, regulating and filtering what gets delivered to the blood-pumping organ, so proper breathing in yoga can help to strengthen and purify that lung-heart-mind connection. Here are three ways yoga can enhance lung function and improve overall respiratory health.

Controlling Your Breath

Regularly practicing proper breath techniques in yoga can increase lung capacity and improve the efficiency of oxygen exchange. Breath forms such as Ujjayi (victorious breath) and Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) help you to control your breath more consciously, allowing for the lungs to strengthen and the nervous system to relax. By being intentional with breath, our lungs benefit from better airflow and clear passageways. 

Increasing Lung Capacity

Many of the physical postures in yoga, or asanas, can also directly contribute to better lung health. Certain poses are particularly effective in opening up the chest, expanding the rib cage, and stretching the diaphragm. Poses like Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose), and Ustrasana (Camel Pose) help create space for the lungs to expand more fully. These exercises also improve posture and encourage spinal alignment throughout the day, helping you to breathe optimally.

Enhancing Circulation

Yoga encourages a steady flow of blood and lymph throughout the body, which directly benefits the respiratory system. As the body moves through various poses, circulation to the lungs is enhanced, ensuring that oxygen-rich blood is delivered efficiently to the tissues and that waste products like carbon dioxide are carried away. Certain yoga poses, such as a forward fold, can also detoxify the respiratory system by eliminating accumulated toxins and mucus simply with the help of gravity. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals suffering from chronic respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis, or allergies.

If this short foray into lung health has not encouraged you to take a juicy deep breath, then we wait for you at Amador Yoga to get into a flow and breathe deeply with us. Each of our classes incorporates proper breath technique and even one hour of class can do wonders for the health of your lungs.

Additionally, we are so grateful for the incredible support our community has shown over the last few years as we've worked to recover from the challenges of 2020. Thanks to you, we’re just *six members away* from reaching our 2024 goal of getting back to pre-pandemic membership levels! To celebrate, we’re offering new clients a FREE Manduka yoga mat for every NEW membership sign up through December 31, 2024. To sweeten the deal, we’ll offer $200 of of a 12 month membership or $100 off of a 6 month subscription if paid up front in full before December 31st, 2024. Call Bianca at 619-403-3465 to take advantage of these special promotions and help us reach this exciting milestone. Thank you for being a part of our journey back to full strength!