A Note on Breath

When I first started practicing Yoga I could not have cared less about the Breath. For me, all I wanted to do was get my leg and knee back into working order so I could start jogging again. At that moment in time, talking about Breath was unimportant.

But I was so very, very wrong.

Everything revolves around breath. Without breath, you die. There is no other way around it. The last moment of life is an exhale. Therefore, logically, the quality of breath is directly related to the quality of your fitness and of your life. Sound important now? I hope so, because if it doesn’t, than you are missing out on one of the more significant and rewarding parts of Yoga.

The discipline of Breath is called Pranayama. Prana means energy and learning to listen, retain and let go of that energy is key to any Yoga practice and key to your own life enjoyment. I love the look in my students eyes once they finally figure out ‘belly breathing’. They had no idea how much space they had there or how filling it with good air made them feel so..good! From there I then teach them to bring the breath up further from the belly to the chest. This is a full Yogic breath. This kind of deep belly breathing relieves all sorts of disorders from digestion to depression to nervous tension and aggravation. This is the first kind of breathing I teach my students. I advise them to focus upon this breathe in every posture, but to not beat themselves up if they forget. It takes practice. It takes time.  Furthermore, and you can try this out for yourself, right now, by focusing upon the breath you will be amazed at how much further you can go into a posture. Just imagine expanding your muscles each time you inhale and extending them each you exhale. Envision it in your mind and see what a difference it makes.

From there the art of Pranayama goes into other forms of breathing such as Bhastrika, Kapalabhati, Shitali, Sitkari and Nadi Shodhana as well as focusing upon the exhalation vs. inhalation. These breath exercises are done with a specific purpose in mind. The first two help to create heat in the body and are great in the morning or during the cold winter months. The following two are good for releasing heat from the body and I recommend this kind of breathing for strong Pita types or for those living or working in an environment where they find their body heat is quite high. The last, depending upon how you alternate the nostril, helps to regulate all the energies in the body. If you feel like you are extremely agitated one day, you might try just breathing through the left nostril, as this is activates the Yin, Shakti or Female energies. In science speak, this would translate to the parasympathetic system. Conversely, if you feel the need to wake up a bit, or perhaps get your blood moving or your digestion going, trying breathing through the right as doing this will active the Yang, Shiva or masculine energies of movement rather than the feminine energies of acceptance and relaxation.

There is much more to the breath than what I have covered in this brief summary, but I hope it was enough to at least peak interest in its importance and variety. If you would like to read more about breath and its many benefits I suggest the books, Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, Yoga for your Type by Dr. David Frawley or checking out your nearest pranayama class or get personal instruction from yours truly and experience the joy of Breath for yourself.

Downward Dog

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Downward Dog is a fantastic posture that stretches you from head to toe, literally.

Start with your knees and hands on the floor, hip and shoulder length apart. Lift your hips up first and relax your head down. Once there, bring your knees into your chest and then straighten the legs and bring the heels down to ground.

Bending the knees to the chest forces the hips up and and opens the lower abdomen.

Even if you can’t get your knees to your chest, just the attempt itself will make the stretch deeper and more rewarding. While in this posture visualize a rope that goes from your tailbone to the ceiling and another one that goes from the top of your head to the floor.

Keep your shoulders pointed towards your hips and don’t let them scrunch up to your ears. Open your fingers wide and keep the focus on bringing your heels down and your hips up.

Paschimottanasana

Paschimottanasana

You either love or hate this pose, depending on your flexibility. However, no matter what your level of flexibility is, this posture is useful for bladder control, diabetes and the removal of excess fat. Read here to learn more about the benefits of Paschimottanasana.

To begin, sit up straight with your back straight and pelvis tilted forward. If you can’t sit straight with your legs in front of you (this is common if you have tight hamstrings), use a blanket or pillow to tilt your hips foward and straighten your back.

Lift your arms and hands above your head and slowly bend forward from the hips, not the back. Depending on your flexibility, you may not go very far. That is okay. Let your hands rest next to your hips, on your thighs or knees. Wherever your limit is. If you desire you can also use a rope or belt situated in the arches of your feet to pull yourself forward more. Just keep your elbows out and your back straight as your bend forward.

However, if you are able, first try and bring your fingers to your toes, than the arches of your feet. If you feel comfortable there, turn your palms out and grab your wrist.

No matter where you end up in the posture, be sure to breathe as the breath itself acts a force that stretches the muscles in your abdomen and back. Close your eyes and see where you feel the pressure increase and decrease as you breathe in and out.

Matsayasana

Matsyasana: The Fish Pose

Matsayasana also known as the fish pose because it kind of looks the way a fish does when it is flopping around out of water…but don’t let that discourage you from the benefits of this posture. Like Sarvangasana, this posture works on the thyroid but also opens the heart chakra while also helping to alleviate breathing problems such as asthma. The secret is to breathe deep into the belly and then the chest.

Rest in Savasana, and bring your arms under your body. Palms down and touching, elbows straight. Extend the arms and hands to the back of the knees. Inhale and bring your head up and come forward bringing the weight of your body onto your elbows. Let the head drop back and slowly allow it to rest on the floor. Use the muscles in your shoulder girdle to lift your chest up and remove tension in the neck. Breathe deep and attempt to stay in the posture for as long as you did Halasana.

Sarvangasana

Sarvangasana: The Queen of Yoga Postures

Sarvangasana is a fantastic posture that gets the feet up and over the head and as a result recycles blood from the feet back to heart, aids in digestion, helps to tone the abdomen and due to the pressure around the neck, also activates the thyroid gland which can help reduce anxiety and regulate metabolism and sleeping patterns. Read more about the psycho/physical benefits of Sarvangasana here.

The secret to this posture is the breath. Once you are up in the air it may be difficult to think about breathing, but attempt to breathe deeply and slowly. Bring attention to the throat and then the belly to get the full benefits of this posture.

The first step of Sarvangasana requires you to lay down in Savasana with palms facing downward. Bring feet and legs together and with the inhale bring knees to the forehead. Support the body with the palms of the hands, fingers pointed towards the spine. Try and bring the elbows in and the palms close to the shoulders.

Find your balance here first.

Once you feel comfortable here, inhale and lift the legs up into the air. Bring the pelvis forward (towards your face) to straighten yourself and utilize those abdomen and glut muscles to find a comfortable position and to maintain your balance.

Breathe deeply and slowly into the belly and try to relax into the posture.

If you can’t lift your legs just yet, don’t go straining your neck trying to. Just remain in the first part of the posture with your knees to your forehead. You are still in an inverted position and your thyroid is still being activated. If getting your knees to your forehead is too much, feel free to use a wall to rest your legs on and a bolster to lift your hips.  Let your arms rest by your side or over your head.

Once you can get your feet and hips up in the air and aligned you may be ready to bring your hands down to the ground and maintain your balance this way.

Take it one step even further and try to balance first with one hand, and then with no hands. Feel your abdomen activate. No strain in the neck. Bring the weight of the body over the shoulders and remember to breathe!