The spongy make-up of the lungs does not allow them
to be emptied completely - there is always a residue of impure air in the
lungs. We must attempt to minimize this "residue" because with the fresh
air provided by inhalation it makes up the actual air we breathe.
The more complete the exhalation, therefore, the greater
the quantity of fresh air to enter the lungs, and so the purer the air in
contact with the alveolar surfaces. The total volume of air which the lungs
are able to contain is known as "the vital capacity". A more apt term cannot
be imagined, and innumerable techniques have been thought up aimed at increasing
this capacity.
Before we can contemplate this improvement we must
make use of what we already possess by carefully exhaling. Yoga recognizes
three separate forms of breathing - diaphragmatic, intercostal, and clavicular.
Complete yogic breathing combines all three, and constitutes the ideal technique.
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