Body · Reading
Breathing system
From the nose to the alveoli, the muscles of breathing, and common problems.
Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.
Structural anatomy
Breath begins at the nose, which warms, moistens and filters the air. It passes the pharynx and larynx into the trachea, which divides into two bronchi, then into ever smaller bronchioles, ending in the alveoli: tiny air sacs where oxygen passes into the blood and carbon dioxide passes out.
The main muscle of breathing is the diaphragm, a dome beneath the lungs that flattens on the inhale. The muscles between the ribs help, and in effortful breathing so do muscles of the neck and shoulders.
Coughs, asthma and sinus problems all affect this system. They are medical matters; see a doctor about them. The poses linked here open the chest. The breath practices the content map pairs with the lungs await subject review, and none is offered here as a treatment.
Breath practices named for the lungs
The content map names Nadi Shodhana with retention, Ujjayi, Surya and Chandra Bhedana, Sheetali and Sheetkari, Jala and Sutra Neti, and Kapalabhati. Their pages are being written and reviewed.
Practices
Bhujangasana
Cobra pose
Cobra pose. Lying on the front, lifting the chest with the hips and legs on the floor.
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Upward-facing dog
Upward-facing dog. The backbend of the vinyasa, the chest lifted between straight arms.
Balasana
Child's pose
Child's pose. Kneeling and folding forward to rest, the forehead to the floor.
Ustrasana
Camel pose
Camel pose. Kneeling and arching back, the hands reaching for the heels.
Matsyasana
Fish pose
Fish pose. The counterpose to the shoulderstand group, the chest lifted and the crown resting lightly down.
Surya Namaskar A
Sun salutation A. The first opening of the Ashtanga practice: one breath for each movement, from standing to Downward Dog and back.
Surya Namaskar B
Sun salutation B. The second opening of the Ashtanga practice, adding Utkatasana and Warrior A on each side.
Ideas behind it
Sources and tradition
- YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, pp. 11–12, anatomy cards