21 AUG
2026
2026
Pranayama
Why the exhale matters more than the inhale
Most new students focus all their attention on taking a bigger breath in. But the nervous system responds far more strongly to the exhale — it's the exhale that signals "safe" to the body. In a therapeutic practice, we spend more time lengthening the out-breath than the in-breath, especially for students managing chronic tension or anxiety. A simple place to start: count your inhale, then aim to make the exhale one or two counts longer, without straining. Do this for ten breaths before getting out of bed, and notice what changes in the rest of your morning.