How to Hold Your Breath Longer

When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady. But when the breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath. ~ Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Breathing is an amazing gift to human beings. Breathing is the bridge that connects the body and the soul. It is a vital factor that plays a substantial role in ensuring our emotional and physical health. Majority of us have poor breathing habits and we rarely utilize the total capacity of our lungs. That is why, various breathing exercises to improve lung capacity have been devised by ancient priests, saints and monks. The ancient scriptures, especially, the Eastern philosophy, has stated the importance of breathing thousands of years ago. Yoga and pranayama - that has become the modern era trend to stay healthy and fit, is just a glimpse of the inherent power breathing imparts to our body.

How to Hold Your Breath for Longer Period of Times

If you're eager to know the tricks to hold your breath longer, then ensure that you're NOT being stupid and trying something that can prove to be harmful for your health. You can't be David Blaine, one the previous Guinness world record holder for holding his breath for nearly 17.5 minutes (approximately!!). Holding breath is not magic or something out of the world experience. It is all about years of practice and understanding the science of breathing. As common men, I or you're not supposed to try anything that is injurious to our health. For us, controlled breathing must be aimed to improve our health. Divers, singers, swimmers and similar people practice breathing exercises to enhance their performance. So without much ado, let me tell you simple tips on how to hold your breath for long periods.

• Join a Yoga class or breathing training programs to learn breathing exercises. Remember, it is not a one day effort, you have to practice it consistently, for months and years to be able to hold breath, even for few minutes.
• Start practicing at home by holding your breath for 30 seconds to one minute and releasing it. Repeat this process four times, in a row. Do it as many times, as you're comfortable.
• Use stopwatch or count in your head to know your timing.
• To master the art of holding your breath longer in water or even outside it, one has to learn to relax deeply. Relaxation slows heart beats and it is easier to hold breath for longer times. The more relaxed and tension free your body is, easier it is for you to hold your breath.
• Inhaling properly is very essential. Beginners who have just started practicing breathing must not inhale to their maximum capacity. It is advisable not to inhale fully, initially, so that one can hold breath for some time. With practice, one will be able to exercise better control on their breathing process.
• Exhaling, just like inhaling is another crucial aspect of learning to hold the breath longer. By pushing in your belly, ensure that you're able to push every bit of air, out of the lungs. Remember that more than inhaling, exhaling properly is important.
• Concentrating on your breathing is very important to ensure that you're able to connect to your body. Distractions around yourself will only lessen your efficiency in the task of trying to hold your breath for longer time.

These are just some simple tips on holding the breath longer. There is no magical way to hold your breath for longer time and it comes through practice under able guidance of some trainers. While you can practice at home, keep your safety in mind. Remember, if you aim to stay healthy by doing breathing exercises, it is more than enough. However, if an individual is a singer or diver, by consistently practicing, one can learn to command better control on their breathing system. In fact, beginners in singing who wish to learn how to hold breath longer while singing need to understand a basic fact that with consistent practice, they can improve the ability to hold their breath for a longer time. That is why, in a profession like singing, it is important to practice breathing exercises so that there is no problem in holding breath during singing, whenever required. I hope you get my point. Practice breathing for staying healthy!