Take a deep breath.

OAKLAND Ballet dancer Genevieve Custer was forced to think about her breathing when she was diagnosed with asthma. She often found herself out of breath, especially when performing. Finally she turned to yoga. As she became more conscious of her inhales and exhales, she increased her stamina and moved more efficiently. "As dancers we take breathing for granted," she says. "But when you start to understand how important it is to get oxygen to your muscles, you begin to sense when they are not getting air. Breathing into them makes it easier to move,"

Although it's important that our bodies breathe on their own, the benefits are infinite when we take notice of our breath and understand how it works so that we have better control. "A lot of dancers hold their breath at moments when it's most important to breathe, like a big arch," says Shila Tirabassi, who dances with Stephen Petronio and also teaches at Manhattan's OM Yoga Center. In addition to helping her move more fluidly, pranayama, of breath control, also helps her in performance. "You want to seem composed onstage, and not have people see you struggling to breathe," she says. "The more you can slow down your breath and control your diaphragm, the better."

Lauren Beale, a yoga teacher and dancer with Ellis Wood Dance in New York, says focusing on her breath helps her in a variety of ways as a professional dancer. "Being a dancer here I felt like I was holding my breath waiting for my career to take off," she says. "If I could pause for a second and remember to breathe, I was brought right back into the present moment. That was a saving grace for me."

Beale also finds that conscious breathing gives her more control of her body. "If I can direct my breath upward it helps me lift my leg into the air without holding on so tightly. The more you get in touch with your breath the more you can support your technique from the inside out."

Dancers often strive to do very difficult poses, so being willing to spend time on something as simple as breathing can be a big challenge. Here area few pranayama exercises to help you become more conscious and in control of your breath. For all of them, it is best to sit in a comfortable, upright position, either on a chair of on a cushion on the floor. Close your eyes of gaze softly at the floor a few feet in front of you. Maintain an open mind: Discovering your breath can change your life.

LONG DEEP BREATHING: Inhale through the nose for five seconds. Hold the breath for three. Then exhale through the nose for five. Hold at the bottom of the exhale for three. Maintain this pattern for five minutes. If this is strenuous, reduce the length of the inhales and exhales, but keep them equal. Or take small breaks by returning to a natural breath and then resuming the sequence. You can also try this with movement, for instance lifting the arms slowly with every inhale and lowering them with every exhale.

THREE-PART BREATH: Inhale a third of the way into the lower belly. Pause. Inhale another third into the ribcage. Pause. Inhale the last third into the upper chest. Pause. Slowly, smoothly exhale all the air. Repeat this pattern for five minutes. Begin to notice how the breath feels as it moves through each part.

ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING:

This exercise is designed to create balance by opening up energy channels on the right and left sides equally. With the right hand, bend the index and third fingers into the palm, and extend the thumb, fourth, and pinky fingers in a "hang-loose" position. Rest the right thumb and fourth finger on either side of the nose. Inhale through both nostrils equally, then exhale. Gently close the left side of the nose with the fourth finger and inhale through the right for four seconds. Close the right nostril with the thumb, release the left nostril and exhale for four. Keep the right nostril closed and inhale through the left nostril for four, then switch fingers and exhale through the right nostril. Repeat for five minutes.

Shayna Samuels writes frequently on mind-body techniques.