No, You Don't Have to Breathe the Way the Teacher Instructs in Yoga. Here's Why.

"Many yoga practitioners are used to being instructed to connect breath and movement in a very particular way: breathing in to come into the poses that expand the chest, arch the back, or lift the body (think backbends like Cow Pose, and rising from Standing Forward Bend to Mountain Pose), and breathing out to come into poses that contract the abdomen or lower you to the mat (as in Cat Pose, forward folds, and Chaturanga)."

""While there are reasons we often follow and reinforce the conventional breath and movement pairings in yoga, these aren't rules," says Noah Maze, yoga instructor and teacher trainer. "There can be multiple reasons to switch it up and much to be discovered by doing so." Inhalations and exhalations affect the body and mind in real ways, so it makes sense to explore their connection to your practice."

Yoga instruction often pairs inhalation with movements that expand the chest, arch the back, or lift the body, and exhalation with movements that contract the abdomen or lower the body. Many practitioners internalize these cues so they become habitual, while others find them counterintuitive. Breath cues help remind students to breathe and prompt awareness of breathing patterns such as rate and breath-holding. Conventional breath-to-movement pairings also reflect anatomical and mechanical considerations. These pairings are not mandatory rules; experimenting with reversed or varied breath patterns can reveal different sensations and benefits. Inhalation and exhalation influence both body and mind.

Read at Yoga Journal