Pranayama, Yoga breathing basics.
Breathing…an essential part of yoga practice.
Pranayama, the yogic tradition of breathing, is key to creating the affects you want from your practice. most important parts of yoga practice. The purpose of breathing in a yoga practice is twofold:
Increase oxygen in the blood and thus to the brain.
Control energy, prana, which leads to control of the mind.
What is Prana? “The energy or driving force behind all energy that flows through your body.” -Swami Sarandananda
Students know that breathing and yoga go hand in hand. The frustrating part is where to start and how to make sense of all the complicated directions. Trained in Viniyoga, I believe that breath -centered yoga asana practice and pranayama breathing exercises are the way we can maintain our health as we age. We need movement and breath to support us as we age. “Which is more important: your hamstrings or your liver?” Gary Kraftsow, Viniyoga founder. “Breath-centered asana practice and pranayama are among the greatest gifts from the Yoga tradition that help us maintain our physiological and metabolic health and well-being”. We know it’s important to build strength and stay limber but as we get older the health of our digestive system is far more important.
Most of my students and I are between 40-80+ young years old. Our Breathing practice supports our desire to live with a sense of peace, happiness and fulfillment. This leaves less room for regret, resentment or fear as we get older.
First step…Directional Breath
This is one of the first breath lessons I teach students. Learn to become aware of the direction of your breath as it flows in and out of your body with this week's lesson. Our bodies use the diaphragm and intercostal muscles while inhaling and the abdominals and intercostals while exhaling. During inhale the chest expands which creates more of an energizing response. During exhale the abdominals contract, belly flattens which creates a calming response. Breathing is something we can control with practice and use as a tool to work with our nervous systems. Yogic breath exercises are a way to focus the connection between our mind and body.
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Let’s practice directional breath here:
Start lying on your back with your hands on your stomach.
Inhale through your nose, feel your breath moving down and into your chest ribs and stomach.
Exhale as you feel your belly drop in towards your spine and your breath moving up and out your nose.
Continue for 3-5 minutes relaxing going slowly with the natural rhythm of your breath.
This is the most important part of breathing in a yoga class. If you can focus and maintain this during class, you will begin to become more in tune with your body and mind. This is the start of deepening your yoga practice.
To practice this in a class with me in my Online Membership. You will find this breathing practice weaved into most of my classes. Try the class titled “Deep stretch, relax and breath” to start. https://mindbodyspirityoga.heymarvelous.com/buy/product/4588
This is why we practice yoga. Thank you for joining me, Pam