Breathing exercise

[justwannabe]

what is a good breathing exercise for being nervous in an activity? I am going surfing for the summer, nine weeks in costa rica, and I want to surf some bigger waves then I am used to. what would be a good exercise out in the water that will enable me to hold my breath longer and be more relaxed?
thanks
seeker

[PatR]

Mebbe you should try to get more information on Bahya & Brahmri Pranayama.

[YogiYoniMitra]

Originally Posted by tubeseeker

what is a good breathing exercise for being nervous in an activity? I am going surfing for the summer, nine weeks in costa rica, and I want to surf some bigger waves then I am used to. what would be a good exercise out in the water that will enable me to hold my breath longer and be more relaxed?
thanks
seeker

The longer and slower your breath,the longer it takes to fill and empty your lungs.The longer that takes,the slower your heart beats.The slower your heart beats,the more relaxed and more capable you are.In and out threw the nose is the best way to do this.

[InnerAthlete]

Breathing exercise?
Perhaps this isn't a yoga board question? Perhaps it is merely a surf training question or a physiology question? I am not sure how it relates to Yoga exactly.

You are asking about breathing exercises. Pranayama is not a "breathing exercise" though there is a manipulation or control of the breath within Pranayama.

I would not advise one to paddle out on a board and then begin pranayama. Pranayama is a very powerful tool and as such it is very very effective in the right hands but also very dangerous in the hands of the uninitiated.
It is not to be triffled with.

If you are looking for increased lung capcity then work with a teacher who can assist you in opening the rib cage and surrounding tissue that is the home of the breath; the lungs. A program would need to be devised and followed long before you paddle out to ride one.

Originally Posted by tubeseeker

what is a good breathing exercise for being nervous in an activity? I am going surfing for the summer, nine weeks in costa rica, and I want to surf some bigger waves then I am used to. what would be a good exercise out in the water that will enable me to hold my breath longer and be more relaxed?
thanks
seeker

[YogiYoniMitra]

Originally Posted by InnerAthlete

Breathing exercise?
Perhaps this isn't a yoga board question? Perhaps it is merely a surf training question or a physiology question? I am not sure how it relates to Yoga exactly.

You are asking about breathing exercises. Pranayama is not a "breathing exercise" though there is a manipulation or control of the breath within Pranayama.

I would not advise one to paddle out on a board and then begin pranayama. Pranayama is a very powerful tool and as such it is very very effective in the right hands but also very dangerous in the hands of the uninitiated.
It is not to be triffled with.

If you are looking for increased lung capcity then work with a teacher who can assist you in opening the rib cage and surrounding tissue that is the home of the breath; the lungs. A program would need to be devised and followed long before you paddle out to ride one.

Yoga relates to all practical aspects of life practically and does not exist in the vacuum of a Yoga class.
The word Pranayama consists of two words,Prana (life force energy) and Ayama (expansion),respiration techniques are a secondary aspect of Pranayama but still a significant aspect.So obviously Tubeseeker is searching for ways to expand his energies to hold his breath longer and become more relaxed via Yoga breathing exercises (remember,he did not say he intended practicing a Pranayama Sadana out on the waves).This is perfectly wise,especially given the fact that he is already practicing Yoga.

[justwannabe]

thanks pat and yogyonimitra, so breathe slower and longer to decrease heart rate, sounds simple enough. I can do that after I have paddled out and I am waiting on waves.

IA, I am not out there to try and levitate or go into altered states of consiousness. If I was driving a car and stuck in trafic getting irratated, would there not be a breathing exercise that would be useful then to incorperate either? I do yoga in the morning and I work with an instructor but neither my mat or teacher surf so when I am in the waves I will be on my own. Just looking for a better way to handle myself

[InnerAthlete]

Yes Yoni, of course you are right. All life is yoga.