Of everything that happens in a yoga class, breathwork is the part students most often carry off the mat. It needs no equipment, no floor space and no change of clothes — and it is the one lever on the nervous system you can pull deliberately.
Here are the three techniques we return to most often at the studio, and the situations each one suits.
1. The extended exhale
Inhale for a count of four. Exhale for a count of six or eight. Repeat for two or three minutes.
This is the simplest and most reliable way to shift out of a stress response. Lengthening the exhale relative to the inhale encourages the parasympathetic side of the nervous system — the part responsible for rest and digestion — to take over. You do not need to sit cross-legged on a cushion for it to work. It works at a desk, on a train, and in the ten minutes before a difficult conversation.
Reach for it when: you are wound up, anxious or trying to get to sleep.
2. Box breathing
Inhale for four. Hold for four. Exhale for four. Hold for four. Repeat.
Where the extended exhale calms, box breathing steadies. The even count gives the mind a small, clear task, which is often enough to stop it circling. The holds are gentle — nothing should feel forced, and if four counts feels long, use three.
Reach for it when: you need to concentrate, or your thoughts are scattered rather than agitated.
3. Alternate nostril breathing
Close the right nostril with the thumb and inhale through the left. Close the left, release the right, and exhale. Inhale right, switch, exhale left. That is one round; build up to ten.
Nadi shodhana is slower to learn than the first two, and worth the effort. Students consistently describe it as feeling balanced rather than simply calm — a subtly different thing. It is a good practice to close a home session with, before a few minutes of stillness.
Reach for it when: you feel lopsided — foggy, restless, or stuck between energy levels.
A few things worth knowing
Breathwork should never be strained. If you find yourself gasping at the end of a cycle, the counts are too long — shorten them. Sensation in the belly and lower ribs is what you are after, not effort in the throat and shoulders.
If you are pregnant, or you live with a respiratory or cardiac condition, keep to the extended exhale and speak to your teacher before adding retentions or rapid techniques.
Finally: consistency beats intensity here as much as anywhere. Three minutes most days will change more than half an hour once a fortnight.
Grace teaches a dedicated breathwork element in every Hatha class at the studio — a good place to start if you would like to be guided through these in person.
