Why You Need to Practice the Breath of Fire Daily
If you were to walk into a biohacking convention, you’d see quite a few oxygen-related products that high-level athletes use to reach peak performance. From oxygen chambers to hand-held oxygen supply, the products are offering the same thing you can get for free at any time from breathwork.
Breathwork has many different techniques housed within its wide net, but by far the one that stands out for its power-packed and instant benefits for mind, body, and spirit is breath of fire.
You may have started to hear the buzz about it online as people mention life-changing breathwork benefits. You may have found people saying it pulled them out of a dark time or it was a game-changer for their confidence and motivation. Even if you’ve never heard of it until now, it is becoming one of the best lifestyle habits you can add to your daily routine and it is entirely free! It will transform and utterly change your life for the better.
It’s not something that requires a lot of energy exertion either, so the next time you’re having an afternoon energy slump, instead of having another cup of coffee try 1-3 minutes of the breath of fire to bring your energy back up.
Why Try Breath of Fire?
The Breath of Fire is a foundational breath technique that originates in the practice of Kundalini Yoga. While the name sounds intimidating or serious, it’s not just breath training for elite athletes who want to shave a few minutes off their mile or quickly build muscles, it can benefit everyone who needs to reconnect and breathe.
This breathwork training technique is actually one of yogic origins, that includes a rapid nasal breath that is done in a quick rhythmic manner. It's breath through the nostrils, with a closed mouth and equalized inhale and exhale patterns with no break in-between.
It is used therapeutically to help people release negative energy that is stored deep in their cellular memory and when done correctly should leave your body feeling lighter and relaxed. Yogis and qigong practitioners have been using breathwork therapy for thousands of years and breathwork healing has very little risks or side effects.
Because of the naval pumping though, it is not to be done while pregnant or menstruating and it’s best not to do it just after eating.
There are so many breathwork benefits that you can think of it as something that will literally help all areas of life.
Benefits of Breath of Fire
Breathwork has so many benefits for your overall mental and physical health.
Here are some of the ways the Breath of Fire can start improving your life right away…
- Can help you overcome addictions by relieving emotional pressure.
- Detoxes your blood and lungs by oxygenating the endocrine and respiratory systems.
- Increases metabolic rate and strengthens the immune system by harmonizing the physical body.
- Gives you more energy instantly and makes you feel positive, clear-headed, and mentally clear.
- Helps build muscle and breath capacity for swimming and other cardiovascular sports while also reducing painful inflammation and muscle soreness.
- Strengthens your nervous system to be able to handle stress easier.
- Helps in the treatment of depression and anxiety by supporting the lymphatic system.
- Helps raise your vibration, strengthen your own energy, and clear your aura so you’re not easily influenced by others.
- Helps activate the upper chakras and increases intuition by directly stimulating the pituitary and pineal glands.
- Aids in cultivating personal skills like critical thinking, creativity, and positive self-development.
As you can see, the benefits of this type of breathwork are far-reaching and seriously a no brainer. You’ll feel better, sleep better, and think more clearly! While each person will respond differently to breathwork, it is important to start gradually.
Breathwork has endless benefits and uses: Try this breathwork for clearing indecision and doubt.
How To Do Breath of Fire
You can do this technique anytime during the day if you want to feel positive and clear-headed, even if you just do it for a minute. Start with 1-3 minutes for a week or so and then gradually increase your time up to 30 minutes maximum. It won’t feel extremely challenging and you’ll go into a meditative state where time passes quickly as your eyes will be closed as you practice.
Here is how to do the breath of fire:
- Sitting in a cross-legged position with a straight spine, breathe in and out of your nose with your eyes closed.
- Place your hand on your stomach and work on moving the stomach in as you breathe out and out as you breathe in.
- Allow the inhale and exhale to be equal in length, speed your breath up so you are eventually breathing once or twice per second. You can start slow and gradually increase your speed.
- Continue for as long as you feel you’re able to keep a steady rhythm for your allotted time.
- To end, inhale deeply and hold for ten seconds. Exhale powerfully.
- Inhale deeply and shake your body for ten seconds to disperse the prana (energy). Exhale and relax.
Tip: If you have tight hips, sit on a cushion to help relieve the pressure on your lower back.
As you detox and get used to higher levels of oxygen, it can make you light-headed, nauseous, or dizzy so don’t go for instant gratification but think of slow, steady progress. Kundalini yogis who practice this often wear a snug head covering to help channel the prana to the top of the head as they find they get more nauseous or dizzy if their hair is flying freely and spreading the extra energy all over the place.
Looking to recharge? Try this breathwork for energizing and bringing back your motivation.
Continue Your Breathwork Journey
It’s normal to have trouble with this at first. Playing a recorded mantra or meditation music with a steady fast beat can help you create a rhythm. It will likely be challenging to feel like your stomach movements sync up with your breathing, you may feel out of breath, get a side cramp, or feel frustrated but stick with it! The muscles of your stomach and between the ribs will build, making it easier so you start to feel the bliss of Breath of Fire that awaits you and know it will tap you into your power!
The real benefits of breathwork are seen over time as you practice each day and you start to become a more positive person. Changing the way you feel on a consistent basis, physically and mentally will help you attract more positive relationships, chose more positive activities, and become a healthier, stronger person. As you do this, you can pull yourself from a difficult time and launch into your best life.
You will continue to build the prana (life force energy) in your energy field as you do the breathing and you will start to sense life’s magic more each day.
Inhale, exhale, and learn more about why you need to clear your energy field with breathwork.
