Simply breathing

Category : Asanas (Postures), General advice 26th February 2018

Inside Yoga 226 (26/2/2018)

At the heart of a yoga practice is our breathing, and this is not just because we need breathing to live, but how we breathe and pay attention is an important factor in yoga practice. Here is a recap of the breathing technique I taught over the last couple of weeks.

I taught a mindfulness breathing technique which offers us a straightforward and accessible way to help ground ourselves and connect with our body and breath at the same time.
There are two parts: during the first part we focus on the physical sensations in our abdomen, in particular our belly and chest, while we breathe. We follow the expansion and contraction of our torso as we breathe, and to foster a better connection we also make sure we breathe deeply and slowly.
This technique helps us to focus on the use of our diaphragm which for many of us has become an under used part of our body. Many of us develop a bad habit of shallow breathing, where our breathing just dips into the top of lungs and rarely uses the lungs properly. This breathing technique teaches us how to use our lungs efficiently and properly.
As we follow our breathing we will notice that at times our mind wonders off, lost in thought, and like all meditation instructions we simple return to the exercise as soon as we realise we have drifted off. And we keep returning.
If you are new to this exercise be aware that there is a possibility that you feel uncomfortable trying to breathe deeply and slowly. All that is happening here is that you are trying too hard! Due to the newness of the exercise your mind is analysing the technique too much and then the body gets confused. So to stop this happening, first drop the idea of what you are doing in terms of the breathing technique and breathe normally, letting the belly muscles relax – and yes, that does mean let your belly go! – and now, just breathe. Notice then that once relaxed and observing you are doing the exercise properly because that is all you have to do.
Steadily we will notice how calming and relaxing this type of breathing exercise can be: because breathing and relaxing are natural partners is life.
The second part involves shifting the focus from torso to nose. Now watch the breathing as it enters and leaves the nose (breathing through both nostrils evenly), and if possible sharpen the focus to the tip of the nose.
This exercise sharpens our ability to concentrate and as a result the mind quietens down as it becomes less distracted.
We might still notice the belly and chest moving in the background of our awareness, but nostril breathing remains the principle point of focus at this stage.
How long we practice this meditation depends on how much time we have, but generally divide the time spent on each part equally. This can be a short few minutes of practice or a longer practice, we just do what we can, but like all these practices if we want to establish it as a routine practice we need to keep practising as often as possible.
And please note: this breathing technique is applied in the practice of yoga asanas (postures) as we must focus on our breathing at the same time as doing physical exercises.
This breathing technique can employed just about anywhere and anytime, and is a very useful default technique to always to return to when needed. If in doubt breathe and feel your body breathing.
Any questions or comments contact me via the blog reply panel below or email gary@yogabristol.co.uk
Please share this blog with others… on social media or even via the ancient practice of face-to-face conversation



(1) Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *