Being Aware Of Yoga Breathing Dangers

Many of the benefits of yoga surround breathing; yoga teaches you to control your breathing, maximize your lung capacity and coordinate your body movements with your breathing.

As with anything positive, however, there are also yoga breathing dangers to be wary of. This article highlights a number of these issues and how to deal with them.

• Natural breathing - When partaking in yoga, it is vital to engage in natural breathing. Natural breathing is also known as whole-body breathing, because it involves the lungs, diaphragm, stomach, chest, back and other body parts. In natural breathing, the depth and speed of inhalation and exhalation is directly proportionate to the demands being placed on the body. The fact that natural breathing is done through the nose means that not only is air filtered, warmed and moisturized but also carbon dioxide isn't released too quickly - very important for yoga. If you don't engage in natural breathing during yoga, you run the risk of "hyperventilating" - taking quick, short breaths that sharply decrease the levels of carbon dioxide in the body and efficiency of blood flow.
  
  
• Why nose-breathing is believed to be so important - The hairs in the nose filter out dust and dirt particles that the mouth and throat cannot; however there is another reason (pertinent to yoga) why nose breathing is done. Yoga has traditionally taught that breathing through the nose better maintains the correct balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. Mouth-breathing expels carbon dioxide far too quickly, restricting the oxygen in the blood and, consequently, the brain. This can result in being tense, irritable and anxious - three emotional states that are not really conducive to yoga.

  Whether this has been validated scientifically, I am not sure. It may be a traditional practice that does not hold up to modern analysis. In terms of spiritual development, the key is in fact in moving the right frequency (energy) through the energy centers in the body (which includes the chakras, the axiatonal lines - or meridians - and all the other energy structures). That is why it is important to do something like the Maharic Seal first, as this seals the biofields with a natural, Source-centered, dimension 12 energy current. By doing this first, we increase our chances of circulating energy that is in alignment with the original, Divine intention of Source, because we help filter out the unnatural energies that are circulating on the planet. Just as the nose hairs filter out the particles of dust and dirt, so too does the Maharic seal help filter out digressing environmental influences.

  When I have done the Maharic seal before yoga, and breathed silver, d12 energy up from Earth core (after releasing the seals and activating the flow of D12 energy by doing the Maharic Seal meditation - you cannot access D12 energy from earth core if you haven't done the Maharic Seal first), I have never felt tense, anxious or irritable. And I don't practice a particular form of breathing when I do yoga. They type of energy current you're drawing in, is I believe, more important than whether you breathe through your nose or mouth, and far outweighs any possible yoga breathing dangers that may or may not arise from a particular breathing style. Just do what feels natural to you.

• Dangers associated with advanced pranayama exercises - People who don't breathe naturally, and who carry tension in their chest, stomach or back are especially at risk of injury to the diaphragm and other 'breathing muscles'. The same goes for people who attempt pranayama exercises without experience or having been taught properly. The key is to have complete knowledge of your own body, especially the interconnections between organs; lack of such knowledge associated with yoga breathing dangers can cause illness and injury. There have been reports of injuries such as collapsed lungs from doing Kapalabhati paranyama exercises incorrectly.
  
  
• Who should avoid certain breathing exercises - There are certain health conditions that are not conducive to doing particular breathing exercises, and may cause yoga breathing dangers to become real problems. People with heart, lung or certain vascular conditions should avoid doing advanced yoga breathing techniques without first consulting their health professional to discuss potential risks.
  
  
• Be aware that many yoga teachers do not know how to teach advanced breathing exercises - this can lead to any number of yoga breathing dangers. While most teachers are honest about this and advise their students, some may try and teach breathing anyway. This could lead to you injuring your diaphragm or other muscles of your torso and back. Make completely certain with your teacher that they know what they are talking about, and if you instinctively don't trust what you are being taught don't take it on board.

Being aware of the possible yoga breathing dangers, and how to do them correctly, allows you to practice yoga without risking your health. With a bit of knowledge under your belt, you can certainly get a lot more out of your routines.

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