"Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail" - Charles F. Kettering

Monday, February 5, 2018




Just Breathe

An Introduction to Pranayama – Yoga Breathwork


Ever wonder why you hear your yoga instructor say “breathe” so much or perhaps you’ve heard the person on the mat next to you breathe in a way where they sound a little like Darth Vader?  Well Yoga has a whole other aspect (or Limb) around the breath.  So it’s rather important.  Some yogis say the breath is more important than the asana (physical poses).

Prana means life force or breath sustaining the body; Ayama translates as “to draw out or extend.” Place the two together to mean breath control.

Depending on the tradition, yoga has many types of breathing techniques to offer body and mind wellbeing.  Some breathing practices connect to the parasympathetic nervous system, this is the calming part of the system.  Think about it, when we’re in a state of “fight or flight” with anxiety, anger, etc. the breath is the one thing we can typically control.  So off the mat these breathing techniques can help bring calm on the highway in traffic, in the dentist chair, on the ball field, in the classroom, or through a challenging conversation with the boss.  Other breathing techniques energize the body which can be helpful off the mat with things like depression, get you through that mid-afternoon slump on the job, or on the mat it may help you get off the ground in a challenging arm balance. Other breathwork health benefits may include increasing lung capacity, centering the mind, weight loss, lowering blood pressure, and more.

Join me and Cindy on Thursday February 22nd at 6 pm-7:30pm to explore some of these ancient breathing techniques.  We’ll show you how they can be used in a practical way on and off the mat. Here's the link to sign up and save $5 in advance: https://www.wellnessliving.com/rs/catalog-payment.html?k_id=58342&sid_purchase_item=enrollment 

Until then, take a long slow deep breath in through the nose and exhale it all out.
To your Health,
Sara Cain-da Costa, E-RYT