Circular breathing is a breathing technique, where one can simultaneously breathe in through the nose while expelling the air stored in the mouth. It is used in playing certain wind instruments like, didgeridoo, arghul, etc.
A person starts blowing a wind instrument by normally blowing it. A time comes when the lungs are almost empty of air. Moreover, the musician cannot stop to breath in order to continue blowing it. The remaining air in the lungs is blown into the mouth with lips tightly closed. This air stored in the mouth will be used to blow the instrument. Before all the air is used up, the musician must inhale quickly through the nose. Thus, at the time all the air stored in the mouth is used up the person can exhale and fill the mouth with air once again.
Some exercises to help in learning circular breathing
These exercises help in learning circular breathing.
Some of the exercises are described below:
Exercise 1
1. Breathe normally through your nose. Keep yourself relaxed and calm.
2. Now, fill your mouth with water and keep your lips closed. Continue breathing normally through your nose. Do this for a few minutes.
3. This time fill your mouth with air. Now, continue breathing normally through your nose.
4. Repeat the above step and now keeping your index finger and thumb just touching your cheeks.
5. Repeat the same thing but this time inhale fast and exhale longer breaths.
6. Keep on repeating the same thing. After taking some breaths while you are breathing in push your cheeks by your fingers to expel the air stored in your mouth. Thus, you actually inhaled while expelling the air out of your mouth.
Exercise 2
1. Fill your mouth with air. Keeping your lips sealed. Now, breathe in and breathe out normally through your nose.
2. Fill your mouth with water. Now, squeeze your cheeks slowly so that the un-interrupted flow of water comes out of your mouth. Continue breathing normally in this process.
3. Now, inhale through your nose while keeping your mouth filled with air. While exhaling through your mouth. Inhale through your nose and fill your mouth with air again.
4. Fill your mouth with air. While inhaling try to expel the air in your mouth. The moment you start to inhale try to squeeze the air in your mouth. It will help you in synchronizing inhaling and expelling the air stored in your mouth.
5. Do the above step and when you are expelling the air out of your cheeks, exhale deeply by saying “ha”. Make sure that you exhale deeply so that the abdominal muscles are pushing air into your mouth.
6. Keep on repeating the step 4 and 5 so that a constant flow of air comes into your mouth while you breathe.
Exercise 3:
1. Fill the mouth with air and lips tightly closed. Now, breathe normally through nose while releasing air through a small aperture in the lips. The stream of air should flow for 3-5 seconds.
2. Place a straw in a glass of water and hold the other end in your mouth. Now, repeat the above step but this time release the air through a straw. You will find bubbles being formed in the water. Repeat this step multiple times.
3. While you expel the air stored in your mouth breathe in deeply. Thus, breathing while expelling the air stored in the mouth. This is what circular breathing is all about. Repeat it several times.
It is very essential to keep practicing these techniques. Circular breathing is not at all an easy technique. It involves practice. The knowledge of the above exercises mentioned will definitely help in learning circular breathing.
