What Does a “Good Breath” Look Like? A Yoga Therapist’s Perspective
You’ve probably had someone tell you to take a deep breath. Maybe you’ve gone to a yoga class and learned breathwork techniques such as belly breathing or Dirgha Pranayama (Three-Part Breath). You may also have heard about popular breath practices like Box Breathing/ Sama Vritti Pranayama or 4-7-8 breathing.
But here’s something that might surprise you: none of these are my go-to breathwork techniques to use with my yoga therapy clients.
Are These Breathwork Techniques Bad?
No, there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of these breathwork practices. If they help you to feel calm and centered, or improve your energy or mood, please continue to use the tools that work for you! As a yoga therapist, I believe that the best breath practice is the one that meets your needs in the present moment.
However, if you find these particular breathwork techniques uncomfortable or dysregulating, know that you’re not alone. As a yoga therapist, I rarely use any of these practices. I tend to prefer gentler practices that focus on nervous system regulation and encourage my clients to practice breathwork without strain. I also consider breath mechanics – what your muscles and bones are doing when you breathe.
The Mechanics of Your Breath
To inhale, your body needs to expand the space in your ribcage to draw air into your lungs. Your diaphragm plays an important role in this phase of every breath. In contrast, much less effort is needed to exhale and it’s possible for the exhale to be completely passive. After the inhale, your muscles will relax naturally, which moves air out of the body without effort.
Like any human movement, there are a variety of ways to get these basic mechanics done. In fact, you might feel your breathing in all kinds of places – your chest, belly shoulders or even places that seem logically impossible. So what gives?
Your Body is Capable and Resourceful
Breath is key to life, and your body will use all kinds of creative strategies to get the job done. It’s less about what you’re doing wrong than it is about becoming aware of what your patterns are and how they relate to the big picture of how you feel.
Here are a few things I look for as a yoga therapist when I observe someone breathing:
- Do they consistently breathe through their nose?
- Is the breath effortful? Is the breath being held?
- Is their ribcage tight or frozen during breathing?
- What’s happening in the shoulders and spine?
- What about in the abdomen and pelvic floor?
These observations offer valuable context for choosing breathwork techniques that might be supportive. Sometimes it can be helpful to introduce new breathing strategies in order to shift how someone feels.
A Practice to Explore Your Breath
If you’d like to explore your own breath mechanics, try the short guided breath practice below. You’ll get a chance to tune in to your ribcage and notice what happens as you breathe. As always, there’s no right or wrong—just curiosity and observation.
Let me know what you notice—what catches your attention, surprises you, or feels different. I’d love to hear about your experience!
Need more?
Curious about how your breath mechanics may be affecting your nervous system or well-being? Let’s talk. I offer complimentary consultations to explore how yoga therapy can support your breath and body.
