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:
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