How to Breathe in Yoga: The Bridge Between Movement and Mind
A calm, steady breath can change everything about your practice. You’ve probably noticed how easy it is to lose track of your breathing in class… holding it during a difficult pose or exhaling when you meant to inhale. But breath is what transforms movement into yoga. It connects body and mind, effort and ease, and once you learn how to work with it intentionally, your whole practice softens and deepens.
This post is adapted from Yoga for Longevity, my podcast where I share therapeutic yoga tools for healthy aging. I’m Mikah Horn, yoga therapist and founder of Lifelong Yoga Online, a membership designed especially for adults 50+. If you’re looking for a way to put the things you learn in this episode into practice, you can explore it free for 14 days, with gentle classes for joint health, healthy hips, posture, and more.
The Foundation: Breathe Through Your Nose
In yoga, we breathe in and out through the nose, and for good reason. Nasal breathing filters, warms, and humidifies the air before it reaches your lungs. It also helps your blood vessels open through a small release of nitric oxide, improving oxygen delivery throughout your body. The slight resistance through the nose strengthens your diaphragm and naturally deepens your breath.
Mouth breathing skips those benefits. It can leave you feeling dry, tense, and a little wired. If you notice you’re breathing through your mouth during the day, try closing it gently and letting the breath flow through your nose instead.
📘 If you’re curious about this topic, the book Breath by James Nestor offers a fascinating look at how breathing habits affect our health.
The Diaphragm: Your Core Breathing Muscle
Your diaphragm sits under your ribs like a parachute, and its movement shapes every breath you take. When it moves freely, your breath expands in all directions… front to back, side to side, top to bottom. That movement doesn’t just bring in oxygen. It supports posture, digestion, and even circulation.
You can feel it for yourself:
- Sit comfortably and place your hands on the sides of your rib cage.
- Inhale through your nose and feel your ribs widen into your hands.
Exhale and feel them gently draw back in.
This is diaphragmatic or functional breathing. It’s quiet, rhythmic, and steady. The shoulders stay soft. The ribs, belly, and back all move a little. Over time, this natural breath steadies the mind just as it steadies the body.
The Gentle Power of a Longer, Smoother, Softer Breath
Before exploring more complex pranayama (breath techniques), it helps to reconnect with the simplest pattern… a longer, smoother, softer breath.
Rather than forcing a deep inhale, focus on drawing the breath out just slightly longer than usual. Then smooth the flow of air, softening any rough edges. Finally, invite a sense of ease into the breath… soft, quiet, and sustainable.
This approach, taught by pain science educator Neil Pearson, calms the nervous system and reminds the body that it’s safe. You can practice it anywhere… at your desk, in the car, or before sleep. Over time, this kind of breath restores balance and presence, gently guiding your body back toward equilibrium.
Moving with the Breath
Every movement in yoga reflects the rhythm of the breath.
- Inhale: lift, open, expand.
- Exhale: ground, release, soften.
For example, in Cat-Cow, you inhale as you arch the spine and open the chest, then exhale as you round the back and press away from the floor. The same rhythm appears in Sun Salutations. Inhale to rise, exhale to fold, inhale to lengthen, exhale to release.
If matching movement and breath feels confusing at first, let it go and simply breathe smoothly in and out through your nose. The coordination will come naturally over time. Even noticing that you’ve stopped breathing is part of the practice… awareness always brings you back.
Bringing It All Together
Your breath is your most powerful tool, and it’s always with you. Whether you remember every cue or forget halfway through class, simply noticing your breath is the heart of yoga. That awareness connects you to the present moment and helps your body restore itself from the inside out.
If you’d like to explore this in practice, every class inside Lifelong Yoga Online begins and ends with breath awareness. You can join me for a free 14-day trial and experience how gentle, conscious breathing can reshape your practice and your well-being.
Until next time, keep moving with intention and joy.
🔗 Mentioned in the Episode
Connect with Mikah
Membership: Lifelong Yoga Online
Work with Mikah 1:1: Private Yoga Therapy
YouTube: Lifelong Yoga with Mikah
Instagram: @lifelong.yoga
