Benefits of the Sudarshan Kriya Breathing Technique

The Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique involves rhythmic circles of breath that have a positive impact on the body, mind, and spirit. Sudarshan Kriya Breathing by Patti Montella     Have you ever noticed that every emotion has a corresponding rhythm of breath? When you’re nervous or anxious, you tend to hold your breath. When you’re stressed, you might let out a long exhale or sigh. The rhythm of our breath indicates what’s going on in our nervous system. A smooth, light, and fine rhythm of breath means the mind is more at peace. Amid your workday, sometimes stop, close your eyes, and notice the rhythm of your breath. A few minutes spent like this can-do wonder for your nervous system. I come from a corporate background that was very demanding. It wasn’t until I started studying the Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique that I noticed how often I was holding my breath. What I learned is that when our negative emotions—fear, loneliness, anxiety, anger, or shame—don’t have a release valve, it’s like having a kink in the hose. Water can’t flow right, and things can get backed up in a hurry. Daily breathwork, whether it’s Sudarshan Kriya or some other practice, has many positive benefits. I’ll share those benefits, along with my story of approaching this practice as a slight skeptic, but let’s first dig deeper into the Sudarshan Kriya technique.   What is the Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique? Quite simply, the Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique involves rhythmic circles of breath that have a positive impact on the body, mind, and spirit. In fact, the translation from Sanskrit makes it obvious the impact of this technique. “Su” means proper, “darshan” means vision, and “Kriya” means purifying action. To put it all together, Sudarshan Kriya provides “a proper vision of one’s self through a…

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