Prana and apana must have a healthy reciprocal relationship in the body;

thus, the body's pathways must be clear of obstructing forces.

Our breathing bodies must be in a state of sukha=good space.

Bad space is referred to as dukha translated as suffering, uneasy,

uncomfortable and difficult.

In yoga therapy, 90% is waste removal.Because exhalation is an action of

removing waste from the system, if we take care of the exhalation,

the inhalation takes care of itself.If we get rid of the unwanted, we make

room for what is needed.When we exhale completely, we make room for

more oxygen.

The torso consists of two cavities, thoracic and abdominal. Breathing is the shape change of the body's cavities. Both cavities open at one end to the external environment-thoracic at the top and abdominal at the bottom. The cavities open to each other by the diafragm. Both cavities are bound posteriorly by the spine. The two cavities share the quality of mobility-they change shape. This shape change ability is most relevant to breathing.

The abdominal cavity changes shape like a water balloon.

When you squeeze one end of a water balloon, the other end bulges.It change shape but not volume. In the context of life processes other than breathing, the abdominal cavity does change volume. When you drink a large volume of liquid or eat a big meal, the overall volume of the abdominal cavity increases as a result of expanded abdominal organs. Any volume increase in the abdominal cavity produces a corresponding decrease in the volume of the thoracic cavity.That is why it is more difficult to breath after a big meal, before a big bowel movement, or when pregnant.

The thoracic cavity changes both shape and volume as an accordion that changes shape and volume.

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Breathing is the process caused by a three-dimensional shape change in the thoracic and abdominal cavities.

When we say "I just had a really good breathing"really means "I just had a really good shape change"

More important if we say "I'm having difficulty breathing"means "I'm having trouble changing the shape of my cavities". This concept could have profound therapeutic implications, because it tells us where to start looking for the root causes of breath and postural issues.

A key observation that has been made in yogic teachings is that spinal movements are an intrinsic component of the shape-changing activity of the cavities (breathing). Fundamentally, the spinal shape change of extension is an inhale and the spinal shape change of spinal flexion is an exhale.