Setting Up a Morning Breathwork Routine: Tips to Consider
So, you have decided to set up a morning breathwork routine. Congratulations, you have successfully taken the first step to improving your mental health and overall well-being. Practicing breathwork techniques, particularly in the morning, is a simple, quick, and easy way to distress, especially when life knocks you for a loop.
However, setting up your morning breathwork routine isn’t a walk in the park. There are a lot of factors that one needs to consider in order to get the most out of the practice. Fret not. We are here to help you out!
In this blog, Ekattva Yogshala - an alliance-certified yoga school in Rishikesh, India - will share some tips for laying the first stone of your morning breathwork routine. After considering our breathing suggestions, you can directly influence your body’s inner functions to eliminate stress and anxiety, increase calm, and encourage wellbeing.
Are you ready to explore our list of tips for setting up morning breathwork practice? Let’s go!
#1 Define the reason
Can you buy a brand new car without identifying your requirements and defining reasons to the seller? The answer is NO! Similarly, you need to define the reasons behind developing a morning breathwork routine. Ask yourself these questions:
Why should I start practicing breathwork?
Do I need breathwork to get rid of work-home stress?
Do I need to set up a breathwork routine to lay a solid foundation for my pranayama practice?
Do I need to establish a breathwork routine to pave the way for sharper focus?
Getting a fix on why exactly you want to develop a breathwork practice routine will teach your brain that the activity is super-important and inspire you to stick with it.
#2 Choose a convenient time
The sub-heading might make you ask, “Haven’t I already chosen morning as the most suitable time for my breathwork practice?” Yes, you have. But time often seems shorter in the morning, given that you are going to have a busy day ahead. Try to wake up early around 4:30 AM and start practicing breathwork.
According to traditional yogic texts, the hours between 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM are most conducive for meditation, breathwork, and yoga practice. Why? Because during this period, our mind is still and the world hasn’t got to its feet for action. There’s still a sense of stillness in the air.
Doing breathwork practice the first thing early in the morning can help you make the rest of the day feel much easier to contend with.
#3 Choose a comfortable spot
Done selecting the right time for your morning breathwork routine? Great. Now select a comfortable spot. Our yoga experts say that the purpose of breathwork is to relax and release any tension held in the abdomen. If you are not in a comfortable environment, you cannot calm down and perform breathing techniques.
Pick a happy space for your breathwork practice. It could be your bedroom, balcony, or even backyard. Make certain the place you are choosing is large enough to roll out your yoga mat and where you are not likely to get distributed for a while. That way, it will be easy for you to focus on your breath.
Everything about Ekattva Yogshala’s online breathwork program in India
#4 Practice on empty stomach
One of the most important tips to consider while setting up your morning breathwork routine. Practitioners may struggle to stay focused and still while performing any technique on a full stomach. They may even doze off during their breathwork practice after having a meal.
When you have an empty stomach, your mind is alert, which helps you enter into an enhanced breathing state. It also elevates your emotional abilities and improves the brain's memory, learning functions, and senses. Therefore, practice breathwork on a light or empty stomach. Keep a 2-3 hour gap in between your meals and your practice.
#5 Keep expectations low
Anthony Hopkins once said, “Keep low expectations and life gets pretty good.” He was 100% right. The mantra to develop regular breathwork practice is little optimism. When one has high expectations, he focuses more on results instead of the process. Don’t expect too much and don’t expect anything too soon.
Just at the moment that you begin practicing different breathing techniques after considering this tip, you will notice that all your anticipations begin to go AWOL. Your morning breathwork routine will unravel more instinctively, harmoniously, and with more impunity.
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#6 Be comfortable
Choosing the right time and comfortable space aren’t enough. You also have to make certain that you are feeling comfortable during your morning breathwork practice. It will be harder for practitioners to breathe when they are uncomfortable or in pain. They will be less likely to stick with their routine.
Either sit or lie comfortably with your shoulders relaxed. Ensure that your spine is straight. That way, not only you will be able to feel the line of energy going from the base of your spine out through the crown of your head but also overcome your breathing pattern dysfunction.
You will be able to recognize the rhythm of your breathing and stay alert.
#7 Breathe in through nose
Another important tip to consider while setting up your morning breathwork routine. Instead of breathing through the mouth, always breathe in through your nose. Why? Because the mouth has no system to filter the air you breathe. Nasal breathing culminates in better use of a diaphragm and increases the release of nitric oxide in the human body.
It allows for deeper breath and more oxygen, which in turn, improves the functioning of the lungs and circulatory system. Always keep your mouth either closed or slightly open during breathwork practice.
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#8 Be open and non-judgmental
It’s okay if you are failing to learn a single breathing technique after setting up your morning breathwork routine. Keep in mind that it takes time to learn new things. Our experts say that anything related to yoga practice, be it meditation or breathwork, usually takes about 6-12 weeks to come into effect.
So rather than feeling frustrated that you’re failing to concentrate on your breath and unable to overcome anxiety and depression, restrain yourself and keep trying hard until you manage to do the necessary. Also, be open to experimenting with different techniques and different times of day to practice breathwork.
Morning breathwork routine: Final words
Above are useful tips and ideas to set up a morning breathwork routine. Breathwork practice can be challenging for beginners but at the same time, it is going to be worth it. It can improve the immune system, slow down the emotional turbulence in the mind, and dissolve invisible walls that stress and unawareness have built.
Make sure to join online breathwork essentials for everyone classes at Ekattva Yogshala in case you struggle with practicing breathwork at home. Our highly experienced experts will address your problems and help you understand your breathing patterns.
Got any queries to ask? Send them to info@spiritualpunditz.com and have them answered by our breathwork experts.
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