Open the
Respiratory Channels
A Kundalini Yoga kriya to clear your breath, strengthen your diaphragm, and restore energy from the inside out.
Your class is ready
You can do this in the morning to set your energy for the day, or whenever your breath feels tight and your body needs space.
What's happening
Your breath is the first thing stress touches.
And the first thing you can change.
When the nervous system is under pressure, the breath is the first casualty. It becomes shallow, high in the chest, fast. Most of us don't notice. We just live with that low hum of tension and wonder why we feel depleted by noon.
This kriya works directly on the respiratory system. Through three specific postures and targeted breathwork, it opens the channels that stress and fear close, flushes stagnant energy from the lungs, and rebuilds the natural rhythm that helps your whole system run more clearly.
No prior yoga experience needed. What it asks of you is simple: show up, breathe, and follow along.
Clears the respiratory channels
Specific postures combined with Breath of Fire activate and clear the full length of the respiratory system, from nostrils to diaphragm. The result is a felt sense of openness and ease in the breath that stays with you after the practice ends.
Breath as the primary tool
This is not a stretching class. The pranayama sequences and mudras in this kriya work on the nervous system and the energy body in ways that standard breathwork exercises do not. The sequence is precise, and that precision is what makes it effective.
Inside the kriya
Four postures, one intention
Opening what stress and fear closes.
Arms overhead in Easy Pose
Palms together, arms hugging the ears, elbows straight. Breath of Fire activates the lungs from the top down. A long inhale with a breath hold seals in the energy.
~7 minutes
Vajrasana with arms crossed behind the head
Sitting on the heels, hands on opposite shoulders, arms crossed behind the head. Breath of Fire now opens the mid-respiratory system and releases tension held in the upper back.
~6 minutes
Yoga Mudra
Hands interlocked in Venus Mudra behind the back, folding forward from the hips with the forehead resting down. Arms lift perpendicular to the floor. Long, deep breathing. This posture completes the opening of the full channel.
3 minutes
Savasana
Complete rest on the back. Ten minutes to allow the body to integrate everything that has moved. This is not optional. It is where much of the work happens.
10 minutes
From Daniela
Daniela, Co-founder, Imagine Yoga Academy
I share this kriya because it's one that works, and works fast. If you've spent years breathing shallowly without knowing it, this practice will make that very clear. And then it will show you what the alternative feels like.
Most people who come to our teacher training have never been taught how to breathe. Not really. They've done yoga, they've tried meditation, but they haven't met the breath as a tool with this level of precision. This kriya is a small window into what that feels like.
Try it. Sit with the savasana at the end. Notice what you feel. That noticing is where everything starts.
Sat Nam, Daniela.
Ready to go deeper?
200h Kundalini Yoga
Teacher Training
This kriya is one of the many practices you learn, and teach, in the Level I 200h Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training. We offer it in Zürich, Geneva & Lugano, starting October 2026.
If something in you is asking whether this is for you, a discovery call is the right next step. No pressure. Just a conversation.
30 minutes with Daniela or Pedro. No commitment required.
The full training experience
- Four in-person weekends in your city (Zürich, Geneva or Lugano)
- Weekly live online sessions during the training
- Lifetime access to the online curriculum
- Two printed programme manuals
- Four-day closing retreat in the Swiss Alps at Kientalerhof
- 200h Yoga Alliance certification
- Teaching in English, with local support in German, French and Italian
Health and safety disclaimer
The yoga and breathwork practices shared on this page are provided for educational and informational purposes only. By participating, you acknowledge that you do so entirely at your own risk. Imagine Yoga Academy, its co-founders, teachers and representatives, including Daniela Troconis Daly, accept no liability for any injury, health issue, or adverse effect arising from participation in these practices. These practices are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have any pre-existing health conditions, are pregnant, or have any concerns about your physical or mental health, please consult a qualified healthcare professional before participating. If at any point during the practice you feel discomfort or pain, stop immediately and seek medical advice if needed.
