Working The 4 Corners of Your Breath

It’s easy to take breathing for granted. Our yoga practice teaches us to watch and listen to our breath, to be awake to the flow of life force inside us.

Consider experienced yogis, using proper deep-belly breathing in day-to-day life, or flowing smoothly through a vinyasa class using ujaii or ocean-sounding breath. Even for them, this breathing can become so habitual that somehow they lose contact with their breathing.

Breathing Under a Microscope

At this point, we start to look at the act of breathing under a microscope. If you watched your breathing, very carefully, you might notice that the breath has 4 distinct parts. The inhale, the moment of transition (that pause before the exhale), the exhale itself, and then the moment of pause before the inhale.

Each of these 4 parts of the breath has a different quality or signature effect. Just like each pose invigorates certain muscles, energetic pathways and emotions, the different parts of the breath do as well. The inhale and its pause builds energy and heat, while the exhale and its transitional pause creates a soothing and cooling effect on the body and mind.

Working at the Top and the Bottom

The moments of transition between the active inhales and exhales are the ‘top’ and the ‘bottom’ of the breath. In your yoga practice, you will broaden your breathing techniques to include working with these two areas. Practice deep-belly breathing, and notice your body’s subtle reactions and changes in these places.

As your breath deepens, start to work with the top and bottom of the breath by pausing in those spaces for one extra second. Think of this moment like putting a light cap over your throat; you are not squeezing or not forcefully holding your breath, but allowing the retention to be soft and easy.

The 4 Corners of the Breath

Another great visualization to use when you are working with the top and bottom of your breath is to imagine a rectangle. Each side of the rectangle represents the duration of each part: the inhale, the exhale, the retention at the top, and the retention at the bottom.

The four corners represent each stop and start of your breath; for example, you inhale up the right side of the rectangle, then the corner marks the transition from the inhale, to the suspension, followed by the next corner, which signals the release, leading to the exhale.

A Balanced Breath Diet

The main purpose of this visualization technique is to learn how to breath evenly. If breath brings energy, or prana, into our bodies, then we need to make sure we are getting a balanced diet of breath.

Using the image of a rectangle makes it easier to equalize the length of your inhales and exhales, which are the long sides of the rectangle. It will also help you to make the shorter holds at the top and bottom of your breath equivalent.

Working with the 4 parts or corners of your breath will not only keep you steadily engaged with your breathing; they will also help you learn how to control and influence your mood and energy.