(Image: Andrew Clark; Design at Canva)
Published on June 17, 2026 at 06:00 AM
According to the American Lung Association, the average person takes about 20,000 breaths day. This exists 7.5 million souls every year. Even with all this practice, finding ease in inhaling and exhaling isn’t always easy. So, if you still feel like you’re learning how to breathe, you’re not alone.
common Breathing patterns That unconsciously restricts complete inhalation and exhalation befalls everyone at times and hampers your well-being Increased stress Generally creating unfavorable responses in the body and mind. As for practicing breathing exercises (known in yoga as… Pranayama) It has been proven to help with weight loss Symptoms of anxiety.
Deepening your inhales and exhales is medicine, and it’s more accessible than it seems. But if sitting still and practicing mindful breathing isn’t mandatory for you, exploring breathing in select yoga poses can help too.
5 yoga poses that will teach you how to breathe
Learning how to breathe less shallowly involves changing the habits your mind and body have adopted over time. Spending time in the following yoga poses invites you to create the space you need for the kind of invigorating breathing you deserve.
1. Fish pose
Like some of the other modes on this list, Fish pose It encourages deeper breathing by expanding along the front of the body and, more specifically, throughout the rib cage. Fish also open up your throat (thanks, throat), which helps air flow in and out of your body easily.
2. Camel pose
External stressors and emotional responses can lead to holding your breath and other less relaxing breathing patterns, which means learning how to find stillness during a challenge can help you find similar calm off the mat. Practice this in Camel posea deceptively difficult backbend, supports this. Opening the front body also helps.
3. Gate position
Opening your body in all directions supports your goal of expansion. Gate position Stretch your body laterally, including the intercostal muscles between the ribs, which increases capacity and supports your ability to breathe deeply.
4. Cow pose
The familiar transition between cat and cow is essentially the embodiment of breathing. But even on its own, the subtle backbend of Cow pose Comes with breathable supportive perks. Dropping the abdomen also provides an opportunity for the diaphragm to descend, improving your ability to inhale generously.
5. Sphinx pose
For a cool chest opener, look to Sphinx pose. It’s a passive stretch, which means you’re not putting in any effort, which means more space to focus on your breath. Additionally, the gentle stretch across the chest, combined with your lifted shoulders, creates a stretch in the chest and better posture, allowing you to breathe easier.
