Practices:
- Lake Erie Sunset
BREATHWORK ~
KEY TO RELAXATION and BALANCE
Through the practice of breathwork we are able to connect with our physical, spiritual, and emotional core in ways that can have transformative effects upon our person. Through a gentle, though regular practice, you may find that you are:
* releasing the daily/hourly accumulation of stress
*feeling more at peace with yourself and others as your emotional/spiritual heart begins to grow stronger and opens
*allowing the body to heal itself, aiding in recovery from illness
*improving the muscle tone in the lungs and abdomen
*growing in self-understanding, uncovering the masks of daily life to reveal your authentic self
*recharging yourself, quenching burnout, regaining motivation and purpose in your life
* coming to recognize the beauty and love that emanates from your core, developing greater self-acceptance
* recognizing the connections between breath and emotion and beginning to learn how to channel the breath in a beneficial manner
*recognizing the connections of breath and physical movement or posture
*recognizing the way the breath can connect the mind and the body in walking or movement meditation
* enhancing your sense of well-being, and bringing more joy into your life
variegated hydrangea (carolyn grady photo)
PRACTICE POINTS
* Breathwork can be exhausting; don’t overdue it.
* Work regularly for short time periods. Five or Ten minutes per day is a good timing at first. You can gradually increase one or two minutes at a time as your lungs increase their elasticity and your abdominal muscles grow stronger.
* Allow yourself a few minutes of resting after every practice. It is really important to refrain from jarring the nervous system.
*The practice sessions described on this site are meant to be sequential. Practice Breathwork#1, Breath observation for several weeks or longer before moving to Breathwork #2, etc. Wait until you feel comfortable
with each stage before proceeding to the next stage.
*Consistency in practice is very important. Aim at practicing some breathwork everyday. It will probably take some time to get there, but if you set that as your intention, you will eventually find that you miss spending time with your breath on “off” days.
Carolyn writes about the breath in these posts:
breath-a-pleasurable-path-to-mindfulness
DELVE DEEPER into BREATHWORK:
The Yoga of Breath, A Step-By-Step Guide to Pranayama.
Richard Rosen.
The Breathing Book, Good Health and Vitality Through Essential Breath Work.
Donna Farhi.
Light on Pranayama, The Yogic Art of Breathing.
B.K.S. Iyengar.
Breathwork is so critical to my yoga practice. Noticing my breathing is critical to life.
Kathleen,
YES….I find practicing yoga postures without breath awareness keeps the practice anchored to the physical plane. When breath becomes an integral component of asana, the mind focuses and can achieve the single-pointed awareness so often mentioned by the ancient sages.
Breath is key for yoga practice-as-meditation practice. As it anchors the mind to the physical movement (or non-movement), it awakens the body’s intelligence, as B.K.S. Iyengar says.
As you point out, breath is also key to opening into more mindful awareness of life itself. When my thoughts or emotions start to spin out in their all too often merry escapades, I find that checking in on my breath can slow the wild energy down and I can more easily glimpse the reality I am experiencing sans whatever emotional or mental machinations surrounding said reality.