Breath of Fire is a breathing exercise used in Kundalini yoga. This will give your body time to get used to the exercise. If you’re new to pranayama, practice Breath of Fire slowly. A 2015 study also suggests including Breath of Fire in a yoga practice to help manage symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Practitioners also report that the exercise forces you to be mindful of your breath, which enhances overall mindfulness. Breathe in for four beats, hold your breath for seven beats, and then exhale for eight beats. As you breathe, you can visualize your breath filling up your body. This technique uses a long, deep breath. Your brain tells your body that there is a threat, and your body responds in fight or flight. Research on breathwork is promising. Add this to your daily movement practice for amplified results. Breathwork isn’t spiritual fluff — it’s a physical tool to reset your biology. While cyclic hyperventilation increases stress in the short term, repeated training allows you to practice staying calm while feeling agitated and leads to a higher stress threshold. This causes the release of adrenaline in the brain and body and thus increases alertness and our capacity for focus. From your results (see this table), practice 2-3 minutes of box breathing, 1-2x per week, to improve your diaphragmatic control and learn to increase your CO2 discard rate. Also called diaphragmatic breathing, this floods your system with oxygen and triggers testosterone-friendly relaxation. This lowers cortisol, increases oxygen to muscles, and signals your body to repair tissue and stabilize hormones. Unlike automatic breathing, intentional breathwork gives you control over your biology — especially post-workout and post-stress.
