Breath of Fire
In this rigorous exercise, I activate my abdominal muscles and force air out abruptly through my nose. The exercise improves my lung flexibility and strengthens my abdominal muscles.
The way I exercise ‘breath of fire’
- Breathing: exclusive through the nose.
- Position: I stand up with a straight back and close my eyes.
- Reset my breathing.
- Exhale rapidly, contracting my abdominal muscles while pulling the stomach in and pushing out air abruptly.
- Inhale effortlessly, relaxing my abdominal muscles, allowing the stomach to snap back, filling the lungs.
- Repeat until I get to the ‘hyperventilation sensation start’ on the tip of my tongue.
- Inhale in 3 parts and hold my breath until I reach the point of ‘air hunger start.’
Remarks
My hands dangle to the side of my body, and I add body shaking to my breathing.
I breathe rapidly, continuously, and rhythmically, where the focus is on the exhale. I try to equal inhale and exhale duration.
The abrupt exhalation through my nose, as if blowing out a candle, produces sounds that remind me of a steam engine.
During spontaneous breathing, I make an effort when inhaling. However, in this exercise, the effort is on the exhale, and I emphasize it. I minimally engage my chest muscles, mainly using the diaphragm.
Despite intensive breathing in this exercise, it takes time before I reach the ‘hyperventilation sensation start.’ That is because I mostly shift air up and down my ‘dead space.’ As a result, part of the inhaled air doesn’t expose to the exchange bubbles. In any case, if I experience slight dizziness while exercising, I reduce the air volume going in and out.
Even though the duration of inhaling and exhaling is equal, this exercise stimulates me because of the rapid muscle movement.
Once holding my breath, I sometimes experience slight dizziness. The breath hold is meant to offset the excessive clearing of Carbon-diOxide.