2.3.11 Supporting Evidence: Breathing

Wonderful way to arrive in the present.
Good for stress management and energizing ourselves.  
Oxygen is how we feed our cells.  
Pranayamas are yogic breathing exercises.
Various pranayamas are calming, balancing, energizing and cleansing
Do pranayamas prior to yoga practice or first thing in the morning on empty stomach.
Draw awareness to four aspects of breathing: Inhalation, retention, exhalation, retention
As with any yoga practice, do not strain as you are doing these pranayamas.  Any count is given as a ratio rather than seconds so breathe as is comfortable for you.  Never retain the breath if it feels like a strain.  
Generally allow exhalation to be equal to or longer than inhalation.
Retention can be non-existent, equal to or longer than inhalation and exhalation, as is comfortable.

Kapalabhati (Literally-Skull Shining) very similar to Bhastrika (Bellows Breath) and Breath of Fire
Kapalabhati is a shat kriya, a cleansing technique rather than a traditional pranayam in which the exhalation is the focus; whereas, Bhastrika and Breath of Fire offer equal emphasis on inhalation and exhalation
Contraindications: pregnant or menstruating
BENEFITS

• Cleanses nasal passages, bronchial tubes and lungs
• Cleanses mind (skull shining)
• Creates internal heat and brings energy to 3rd and 4th chakra
• Builds energy

METHOD

1. Find a comfortable seated position with a straight spine.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Inhale slowly and comfortably through the nose (never strain)
4. Short sharp forced exhalations via diaphragm/abdomen contraction (50 - 60 times) (draw navel to the spine)
5. Allow the inhalation as the passive reaction to the active exhalation.
6. Breathe ALL air out of your lungs
7. Inhale slowly and comfortably
8. Engage jalandhara and mula bandha to contain the prana that has been created.
9. Release bandhas, exhale
10. Repeat if you would like
11. Savasana

Laughter is the best way to express all of the air out of your lungs.    
All new oxygen in our lungs
Brings joy
Releases endorphins
Stress reduction

Anuloma Viloma — alternate nostril breathing similar to Nadi Shodhana
1:2:4 (ratio) or 1:4:2 -- Retention is optional and advanced students may employ retention after exhalation as well.  Exhalation should be longer than inhalation.  
Wonderful to do this practice prior to chakra meditation.

BENEFITS

• Balance masculine/feminine, ida/pingala nadis.
• Calm the mind and spirit.
• Reduce stress.

METHOD:

1. Vishnu Mudra (Close your index and middle finger into your palm) with right hand to plug nostrils.  Place the thumb by your right nostril and your ring and little finger by your left.
2. Plug right nostril with your thumb and inhale with your left nostril
3. Retain
4. Plug left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through right nostril
5. Retain (optional)
6. Inhale with right nostril
7. Retain
8. Plug right nostril with your thumb
9. Exhale with left nostril
10. This is one cycle.
11. Repeat 4-10 times.
12. Chakra meditation (optional)

Andrew Weil offers a simpler version (focusing upon the count rather than switching nostrils) of this classic pranayam as an easy stress reducer/calmer -- encouraging people that this practice can be done anywhere/anytime.  Connect the tongue to the roof of the mouth (classic technique to join the conception and governor's vessels) and do a 4:7:8 breathing.
METHOD

1. Sit with spine straight
2. Connect tip of tongue to roof of mouth
3. Inhale 4
4. Retain 7
5. Exhale 8