(Previous articles in this on-going series, Yoga - Theory & Practice, have dealt with the primary concept of Yoga, its theoretical aspects, eight limbs of Yoga, care of different organs of the body and the digestive system. The present article deals with the respiratory system)

Care of Organs of Breathing

The organs of breathing are lungs. The organ of blood-circulation is heart. Thorax or chest cavity is like a cage in which lungs and heart function. As we know, the space between ribs is filled by the inter-coastals. Then we have diaphragm by which the cavity below the chest is closed. This diaphragm separates the abdomen from the chest cavity. We also use the muscles of the trunk, the larynx, the pharynx and face when we breathe forcibly, as in Kapalbhati and Bhastrika pranayama.

We must understand that lungs have no direct contact with outside atmosphere. They come in contact with outside through the passage of respiration. We breathe through our nasal passages or through mouth when our nasal passage is blocked by some abnormal state of the body. The air enters through the nasal passage, reaches the trachea which is divided into two branches – one to each lung. The lungs have a spongy elastic texture. They are composed of some 400 million infinitesimally small bunches of grapelike globules which collect the air we breathe in and instantly pass it to the blood vessels encircling them. At the same time, these globules collect from the blood the carbon-dioxide which is detrimental to physical and mental health of man. This carbon-dioxide is expelled from the body through the process of exhalation. Pollutants in the atmosphere have the tendency to clog up these microscopic air passages. Thus the main function of these air sacs is to allow the red blood cells to absorb oxygen from the air and to expel the carbon-dioxide from the blood.

One must know that the function of the lungs and heart are intimately dependent on each other. If one’s lungs are strong and developed, the circulation of blood in the body will be in perfect condition. The oxygen from the air is taken up by red blood cells and is transmuted to the various tissues in the body, and on their return journey these cells bring back the waste of the body and unload the carbon-dioxide in the lungs to be taken out.

When we breathe, there is expansion and contraction of thorax by which air is drawn into or expelled from the lungs. These two functions are termed as inhalation and exhalation respectively. In Yoga respiration consists of four-fold stages of breathing. These are Sunyaka (expiratory stand-still), Puraka (inhalation), Kumbhaka (retention of breath), and Rechaka (exhalation).Yoga also holds that the well-being of respiratory organs mostly is dependent on the quality and quantity of air inhaled and completeness with respiratory act. Any lack of oxygen diminishes the quantum of prana (bio-energy) and thus has ill-effect on the mind.

Benefits of Deep Breathing

Deep breathing brings healthful effect on the whole system. It is preventive against disease germs (Hathayogapradipaka- II-16). It has been observed by leading physicians like Fisher Fisk that A hundred deep breaths a day is a physician’s recipe for avoiding tuberculoses.” Deep breathing in the sense of forceful inhalation and exhalation by conscious effort has now got the general approval of all the physicians of the various systems of medicine. Deep breathing extends the tenure of life. In fact, about one-third of the lung remains unused by the average man. This one-third capacity is either the upper or lower part of the lungs where oxygen hardly reaches. That is why forced exhalation is recommended in Yoga, like Bhastrika pranayama or Kapalbhati. One must know that gangrene – the rotting of an extremity is said be due to defective breathing and so also in the case of failure of the end organs in feeling the sensation or response in the aged, the blood has less and less oxygen to send to these parts. Headaches, sleeplessness, nervous breakdown, depression, cravings of stimulants and drugs, numbness of the finger-tips and similar ailments are many times due to wrong breathing habits. Yoga proclaims that one can live longer and better by learning to breathe properly. The know-how of this secret is a science and art of life. In Yoga, pranayama is this secret.

Cautions and Hints

Before embarking on the practice of Yoga- breathing, the following may be practised:

1. One should cleanse the air-passages thoroughly by Jalneti or Sutraneti. One should also cleanse the mouth, the teeth, the nasal-canal, and the air-passages etc.
2. If one is to practise indoor, then one should open all the windows of the room and let in plenty of fresh air. If possible, one may practise in an open space free from draught i.e. the air moving at one meter per second.
3. During breathing, the mouth should be kept closed unless otherwise suggested. Breathing through mouth is not good and it leads to irritation of the throat. The nasal passages may lose tone if they do not get normal stimulus. And mucus membrane may get relaxed and turn into chronic catarrh.
4. Put on loose clothes. A lungi or ordinary bath –clothing may be good.
5. It is best to stretch every part of the body by rhythmic stretching movements but one should avoid extreme stretching to the point of discomfort. While doing stretching exercises, one should hold the breath and perform stretching exercises during retention of breath.
6. One should exhale slowly and take out all the air from the lungs before inhaling fresh air.
7. If one has headache or blocked nose or overloaded stomach, one should go out in   open space and should breathe deeply for five minutes and then start the Yogic breathing.
8. One should be more careful about the exhalation of breath. This should be longer than inhalation. If the exhalation is incomplete, all the air from the lungs cannot be brought out. Sometimes we notice that Spats persons suffer from dilation of lungs as they are not able to breathe out all the stationary air from the lungs.
9. Breathing should not be jerky or very quick. This may harm the texture of lungs.
10. Persons suffering from heart disease or lung infection should breathe very slowly. They should not strain themselves. Children below the age of ten to twelve years should avoid higher method of breathing as this may cause more harm than benefit to their heart and lungs.
11. For developing heart and lungs one should practise deep exhalation and inhalation during other times of the day when one’s stomach is not overloaded.
12. During exhalation and inhalation, one should not allow one’s stomach to sag. Stomach should be kept in normal contour unless otherwise advised.
13. One should not strain one’s nasal muscles and facial muscles during breathing. This unnecessarily brings pressure on these muscles and obstructs free entry of air into lungs. While breathing one should keep the nostrils wide open, passive and distended as this will allow free entry of the air.

                                                                                                            (To be continued)

(The author is a rare scholar of classical texts of the Indian philosophy. He has been a lecturer of Pali and Sanskrit, Department of Philosophy, Banaras Hindu University in 1963-64 before entering Civil Service)