Breath Technique for Better Lung Function

This breath practice acts as an incentive for the breath to become more spacious and the alveoli in the lungs to work as best they can.

Viloma Pranayama

Viloma pranayama is an interrupted breathing technique where you pause briefly during the inhale or exhale that’s great for improving the health of the lungs.

Laura Gilmore has made a video about this technique which you can watch here.

This breath technique improves the function of the lungs and relaxes the mind because when the breath is paused during inhalation or exhalation:

The alveoli are stimulated to open up and absorb more oxygen (Laura likes to think of it as scrunched up raisins remembering they were once a grape!)
The calm and controlled action of the breath sends a message to the mind that things are ok so the mind can be calm as well.

Teach it to your students:

Settle into a position that’s comfortable for you. Either sitting crossed legs or lying flat on your back on a mat.
Allow the body to settle into this position. Let the body surrender into the support of the floor or the sit bones sink into the ground.
Become familiar with the breath. There’s no need to change anything about the breath, only observe it. It can be useful to ask questions like: What is the texture of the breath? Where is the breath is coming from? What part of the body is moving as you breathe?
When you feel ready, begin the practice of Viroma. Inhale, pause, inhale, pause, inhale, pause, softly exhale, releasing the breath.
Go at your own pace, finding a breath that works for you in your own time, letting the breath be as short or as long as you can manage.
Take this breath for 3 or 4 rounds and then let the breath return to its normal rhythm.

You might:

Find it useful to imagine you’re filling up the lungs from the bottom, or that they’re expanding steadily from the centre, becoming wider.
Feel the exhale is a bit sudden, so if this is the case, try shortening the inhale.
Like to have something under the back to open the chest a little more and give more space to the lungs.