#8 Breathe Against Gravity
As a yoga instructor, you can’t breathe in sync with how you guide your students (since you’re speaking). It takes time to understand when to cue students to inhale and exhale — and I’m still discovering this. A guiding principle is as follows:
**Inhalation** usually consists of actions that elevate or expand the body — working *against* gravity. This allows room in the chest and abdomen for the lungs to take in air. Examples include: entering **cobra**, **upward-facing dog**, arching the back in **tabletop** (commonly called *cow*), or rising into **urdhva hastasana** at the beginning of *Sun Salutation A*.
**Exhalation** generally facilitates movements that bend, curl, or proceed *with* gravity — aiding in the contraction of the chest and the expulsion of air. Instances are **the initial breath in downward-facing dog**, **full forward fold**, rounding the back in **tabletop** (*cat*), or deepening into a stretch or twist.
Clearly, every inhale should be succeeded by an exhale. Furthermore, **don’t start by exhaling**! For individuals to exhale on your cue, they must first inhale, making it the optimal way to begin an asana or a sequence.