Yoga does this through both posture and breathing. A slumping posture pushes the bottom ribs into the abdomen, restricting rib movement and further limiting the amount of air taken in. If you don’t bring a good amount of air to the base of the lungs, you compromise the ability to replenish this blood-rich area with oxygen and remove gaseous waste products. The better posture that yoga encourages will open the region of the lower ribs, and learning to use the abdominal muscles to exhale more fully will allow you to take in more air on the subsequent breath. (Source Timothy McCall, M.D.)
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