A good way to purify one's body and mind is through breathing exercises. Proper breathing techniques can help rid the body of toxins, strengthen the immune system, balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, alleviate stress, depression and fatigue.

Most people, especially those in the Western cultures, do not breathe correctly. Due to illness, stress, fear, societal pressures, constrictive clothing and ignoring the body's demands for oxygen, we tend to breathe very shallowly.

The diaphragm and the intercostal (rib) muscles control breathing.

In natural breathing, the diaphragm flattens upon inhalation, expanding the thorax and creating a vacuum in the lungs.

Air comes in. As you exhale, the diaphragm rebounds, contracting the abdomen.

Many people are taught as children to contract their abdominal muscles while inhaling, while the reverse is true for intuitive breathers such as newborn babies.

To determine your breathing patterns, try the following: place your right hand over the heart, the left over the navel.

Exhale completely.

Now, inhale and see which hand rises the more. If the right hand is higher, you are a chest (incorrect) breather. Left hand indicates abdominal (proper) breathing.

Abdominal breathing exercise:

Sit erect, breathing through the nose. Exhale fully. Upon inhaling, expand your abdomen as if filling a balloon. Exhale by contracting the abdomen. The chest moves very little if at all. Continue breathing this way for five minutes. With practice, this will become automatic.

Complete Breath

Begin with abdominal breathing, then exhale. Inhale by expanding the abdomen, next the chest, and, finally, lifting the shoulders to fill the upper lungs. Exhale in reverse (shoulders relax, chest, then abdomen contract). Do this slowly. If you feel slightly dizzy, this is due to increased oxygen in your bloodstream. Stop or slow down.

Alternate nostril breathing

Sit up straight. Close the right nostril with the thumb of right hand. Inhale through the left nostril using the complete breathing technique. When ready, close the left nostril with the ring finger. Exhale through the right. Inhale through the right nostril. Close the right, exhaling through the left. Continue this cycle for five minutes. Relax and do not rush.
Do these exercises once or twice per day until it becomes natural to you and you do not need to do this consciously.