Did you know the way you breathe can change everything from your stress levels to your sleep, focus, posture, and even your heart rate? Breathing isn’t just something we do to stay alive. It’s a powerful, often overlooked tool that can dramatically transform our mental, physical, and emotional health. I started exploring the connection between yoga and breathing at a young age, and it’s led me to a lifelong fascination with how something so simple can be so profound. My understanding deepened after reading Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor. This book unlocked the science behind what yogis have known for centuries: how we breathe affects nearly every aspect of our well-being.

On the surface, breathing seems automatic because we do it roughly 20,000 times a day without thinking. But how we breathe matters. James Nestor explains that many of us have unconsciously developed poor breathing habits over time, like chronic mouth breathing, that negatively impact our health. According to his research, our ancestors had broader faces, wider jaws, and clearer airways. They breathed slowly and deeply through their noses. In contrast, modern humans have narrower airways, slouched postures, and higher rates of breathing-related problems like snoring, asthma, anxiety, and fatigue. This loss of proper breathing technique is, as Nestor puts it, “a silent epidemic.” You can explore his work further by reading his book.

In yoga, breath is everything. Known as pranayama, or “control of life force,” breathwork is central to the practice. Whether it’s a dynamic vinyasa flow or a meditative yin session, every movement begins and ends with the breath. When I first started practicing yoga, I thought breath was secondary and something that just happened in the background, especially when struggling to hold a new pose. But over time, I discovered that breath is the key to everything: deeper stretches, steadier balance, a clearer mind, and a stronger connection to my body. It wasn’t until I read Breath that I truly understood the science behind what I was experiencing on the mat. Techniques like diaphragmatic breathing, box breathing, or even alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodhana) don’t just relax you, they actually retrain your nervous system. If you're looking for a great intro to yoga-based breathwork, I recommend Yoga with Adriene's breathing practices on YouTube.

Let’s get into the science for a moment.

Proper breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the part of your nervous system responsible for “rest and digest” functions. When you slow your breathing and extend your exhalations, you calm your heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone). Fast, shallow breathing, especially through the mouth, does the opposite: it puts your body into fight-or-flight mode. Over time, this can lead to chronic stress, poor sleep, anxiety, and even digestive problems. What amazed me is that the effects are immediate. One of the most powerful practices I learned is simply breathing in through the nose for four counts, and out for eight. That longer exhale sends a message to your body that it’s safe, and suddenly, everything softens. For a deep dive into the neuroscience behind breathing, I highly recommend the Huberman Lab Podcast, especially their episodes on breath and the autonomic nervous system.

In my own yoga practice, I’ve started to tune in more deeply to how I breathe. On days when I feel overwhelmed or anxious, I don’t always need to “do” more. I often just need to breathe better. Even outside of yoga, whether I’m preparing for a test, walking between classes, or trying to fall asleep, I’ve found that my breath is the fastest way to regain control. Some things I’ve learned are:

• Nasal breathing during workouts improves endurance and focus.

• Longer exhales help calm my nerves before public speaking or tests.

• Left-nostril breathing helps activate a calming response (yes, nostril breathing affects different brain hemispheres!).

Even the simple act of noticing your breath, without trying to change it, can create a sense of awareness and presence as I learned from Sadhguru's Inner Engineering program.

What makes breath so amazing is that it's completely free. You don’t need special equipment, a gym membership, or even a yoga mat. Your breath is with you, every moment of every day. It’s the most accessible wellness tool we have, and yet it’s often ignored. Breathing isn’t just a life-sustaining process, but it’s a form of art, a discipline, and a tool for healing. Whether or not you practice yoga, learning to breathe with awareness can change how you live. It can help you move through challenges with more calm, connect with others more deeply, and feel more at home in your body.