Five Postures for Practicing Breathwork

Dr Ela Manga is an Integrative Medical Doctor and breathwork practitioner and a co-founder of Breathwork Africa. Ela is committed to sharing breathwork on the African continent and further afield. Her integrated and conscious approach to wellness, alongside her unique focus on breathwork has been a catalyst for healing and change across many communities and sectors from business to education.

Here she shares five postures for practicing breathwork…

Sitting cross legged  on floor  hands in prayer

The cross-legged position naturally encourages an upright spine when done properly. This vertical alignment opens the chest cavity and prevents the collapse that occurs when slouching, giving the lungs more space to expand fully. The prayer hand position further reinforces this by drawing the shoulders back and opening the chest.

Sitting in hero’s pose on floor with one hand on belly and the other on heart

The hand placement creates a direct feedback system. Your belly hand monitors diaphragmatic movement while your heart hand tracks chest expansion. This tactile awareness helps you distinguish between shallow chest breathing and deeper belly breathing, naturally guiding you toward more complete breath cycles. With your hand on the belly, you can feel whether your diaphragm is actively engaging. Proper diaphragmatic breathing should cause the belly to gently rise on inhalation and fall on exhalation, while the chest remains relatively stable. The hand feedback helps retrain this pattern if you’ve developed shallow breathing habits.

Sitting in hero’s pose doing alternate nostril breathing

Alternate nostril breathing specifically targets the autonomic nervous system by alternating stimulation between the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches. The right nostril is associated with sympathetic activation (alertness), while the left connects to parasympathetic dominance (relaxation). This alternating pattern helps balance these systems, leading to more regulated, efficient breathing patterns. The technique requires sustained attention to coordinate finger positioning, nostril switching, and breath timing. This concentrated focus naturally slows and deepens breathing while training precise breath control. Hero’s pose provides the stable foundation needed for this level of coordination without physical distraction.

Sitting cross legged doing humming bee breath

The humming vibration directly stimulates the vagus nerve, which runs through the throat area. This activation triggers a strong parasympathetic response, naturally slowing heart rate and promoting deeper, more rhythmic breathing patterns. The vagus nerve is key to the mind-body connection that regulates optimal breathing. The cross-legged position combined with internal vibrations creates heightened proprioceptive awareness. The stable seated position allows you to focus entirely on the breathing technique while the vibrations provide both physiological benefits and a focusing point for sustained practice.

Standing posture for breath and voice

When standing upright to speak, your body naturally engages diaphragmatic breathing rather than shallow chest breathing. The stable base created by your feet allows the diaphragm to move freely downward on inhalation, creating the deep breath reservoir needed to support sustained speech. You can feel how slouching or poor posture immediately compromises this breath support. This posture essentially turns your entire body into a wind instrument, showing how optimal breathing provides the foundation for effective voice use.

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