Sorcerer's Secrets

The Vase Breath

The first breath that we need to cover is called the Vase breath because you are filling the lungs like you would fill a vase with water: from the bottom up. As I mentioned previously, the lungs will hold about seven pints of air, yet we generally only draw in one pint at a time. We also tend to favor the upper chambers of the lungs, puffing out our chests and holding in our stomachs. Although this may be a more physically attractive way of breathing, it’s not very efficient.
To perform the vase breath, you must make sure that your back is reasonably straight and vertical. Seated or standing doesn’t matter, but do not do it lying down. Simply breathe in through the nostrils keeping the mouth closed and filling the lower chambers of the lungs first. Allow the belly to distend as you do this. Allow the upper chambers of the lungs to fill almost all the way. Without closing off your airway, hold the breath for a moment and than exhale, releasing the upper chambers of the lungs first, and than the lower. You should aim to take in about six pints of air. If you do this correctly your breath rate should slow from about 15 times per minute to about eight times per minute.