(The posture series of the blog is designed
for quick tips to help yogis to gather a deeper understanding of the postures and their
benefits)
Dear Yogis,
By now how many have you experienced the all too
familiar wandering mind syndrome during what seems like a pointless breath
exercise? Even though this may seem like
a posture you could have less of or do without, all yoga would simply not exist
without it. Why is that you ask? Weather it is the meaning of Bhattacharyya to describe Pranayama
as “vital air” or Thomas McEvilley reference of our “spirit-energy”, Pranayama
is the life force that is regulated and lengthened through our breath that
continuously flows through us in and out of the hot room. It is what keeps us
alive.
Before getting into standing
series, begin by lying down on your mat in Savasana and settling your mind from
your day to day thoughts. Stand with your
toes and heels touching to help encourage a straight spine. When you inhale,
begin with your fingers interlocked (including your thumbs), underneath your
chin and elbows touching. As you inhale, press your chin against your
interlocked fingers and raise your elbows at the same level of your head.
Inhale deeply into your lungs, until you get dizzy. Watch yourself in the
mirror and move the air from your throat, into your lungs and then into your
abdomen.
Now time to exhale. Here’s the tricky part, when you
exhale, keep your elbows at shoulder level. I know it’s tempting to take the
easier route to simply bring your elbows back down in a circular like motion,
but this way of doing it will ultimately put you at a disadvantage as the
exhalation will not empty the lungs as much as possible for the next
inhalation. Additionally, this will decrease the amount of oxygen that will
energize you for the next 85 minutes ahead. In addition, try to keep your
inhales and exhales to the count of 6. This will help to encourage long,
strong, deep and energizing breaths. If you have trouble breathing, try to work
your way up to 6 seconds on each inhale and exhale. Remember that this is your
time to begin getting in tune with your body to see where you are at for that
day. This beginning posture can set the
whole tone for your entire practice. Let Pranayama breathing work for you as
oppose to your mind being at war with the whole series from the first posture.
Try to remember that our bodies and minds are
synergistic systems that we can control and hone by practicing the awareness of
breath. When you practice Pranayama, your mind will realize that your heart
rate has slowed down and your adrenal system will decrease the adrenaline being
sent out into your body. Then your mind will begin to realize there is no need
to run away from the situation. Listed below are some other benefits of
Pranayama breathing to help you better understand why this posture is a vital
part of your yoga.
- Increases circulation to the whole body
- Wakes you up and helps you to focus and concentrate
- Holding the deep breath in for a moment raises your internal temperature, warming up the body of from the inside out as your cells absorb fresh oxygen from the bloodstream.
- When you exhale using your diaphragm and contracting the intercostal muscles, you force carbon dioxide and other toxins out of the lungs. If you’ve ever been a smoker, this is a great way to help heal your lungs.
- The entire breathing exercise strengthens abdominal muscles, loosens the neck and shoulders, and helps reduce stress. We spend a great deal of our day bending forward and actually holding our breath – it’s a natural reaction to stress. Learning to consciously focus on deep breathing relaxes the body and calms the mind, and keeps the oxygen flowing, improving our health:)
little YogaGal
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