The Breath of Fire Can Energize and Enlighten...If Practiced Correctly.

Have you ever truly examined how you breathe? Most people do not and therefore do not breathe properly. But the benefits of proper breathing are immense. Simply filling your lungs to their maximum capacity provides energy as well as aiding vital organs. The breath of fire, a yoga breathing technique for cleansing and energizing breath, focuses on long, deep breathing pulling in and pushing out in a rhythmic fashion. I will be discussing how to practice the breath of fire, and the benefits of the breath of fire.

Start with long, deep breathing, completely filling the lungs from bottom to top. Relax the chest, shoulders, and abdominal muscles. After a few long, deep breaths, fully expand the lungs, then immediately force the air out, contracting the lungs. Breathe in deeply, arching the spine forward, lightly pressing the palms against the knees, and fill the lungs. Force the air out as if pumping bellows. Then, try making each breath and contraction a bit faster, developing your own rhythm. This breath may now be used as an energizing

The benefits of the breath of fire are quite notable. The breath of fire invigorates the nervous system, “causing the glands to secrete and purify the blood.” When the nerve plexuses and glandular centers are completely charged, “seminal fluids are released into the bloodstream and flow to those charged areas,” helping to maintain the energy. With practice, the body will start to feel “magnetically electric and etherized, as the field becomes balanced with an inward dynamo-like force.” The mind becomes clear and still and a radiance is felt throughout the body. Stress melts away and there is a feeling of “oneness.”

In conclusion, learning to breathe is beneficial in many ways. The breath of fire is only one of many examples how yoga breathing can aid the body and bring the mind to a higher awareness.

Works Cited

Samara, Pieter. “Breath of Fire (Agni-Prasana).” Kundalini Yoga, On-line. 5 Jul. 2010. http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/pranayam.html
http://weblogs.cltv.com/features/health/livinghealthy/2009/06/