Prana: the breath, not the clothes

Prana is frequently translated from Sanskrit as "vital force" or "breath". It is the breath of life and the energy of consciousness in yogic teachings. Dr. David Frawley, in Yoga & Ayurveda: Self-Healing and Self-Realization, describes prana as "the master form of all energy working on the levels of mind, life and body." Pranayama (yogic breathwork) couples the poses (asanas) of the physical body with the more subtle work of the breath, integrating the physical and energy bodies.
Initially, I encourage students to increase awareness of the breath in their yoga asana practice by exhaling as they move into a posture. Exhaling ensures that the student is not holding her/his breath while in the pose.
Once that is comfortable and natural, I suggest inhaling during the extension of the torso and limbs, and exhaling while grounding the feet or other body parts into the floor. A wave action can be visualized to assist the inhale/exhale pattern.
Most importantly, the mind, the thinking aspect of our bodies, follows the breath, and does not try to control the breath.
Prana flows from the body and through the body. Pranayama is our chance to work with the breath and deepen our practice from the inside out.

Backbend Preparation

Backbends are the ultimate opening for hunched-over bodies. Our daily activities encourage rounded shoulders and collapsed chests. Backbend poses help counter habitual body positions such as sitting at computers and desks, and driving a car.

One very good preparation for backbends is ball work. The giant ball used in many bodywork activities can support our vertebrates from the base of the spine to the back of the head. It gently curves the spine while supporting it.

Place the ball near a wall, and sit down on it facing the center of the room. Walk your feet forward to move the ball while leaning back onto the ball until your back and head are on the ball. Having the correct size ball makes this possible. If you aren't supported by the ball, you need a different size.

Once positioned lying on the ball, reach your arms back over your head, keeping them straight. Reach for the wall; it might take a few tries positioning the ball just the right distance from the wall to do this. Walk your hands down the wall to the floor if possible. This is a powerful chest opener and is wonderful preparation for backbend poses like Wheel (Urdhva Dhanurasana) and Bow (Dhanurasana).

After working in this way, it feels good to lie on your mat and bring your knees to your chest in Apanasana, wind-relieving pose, for a few breaths.

15 minutes a day

A yoga practice takes 15 minutes a day. Thats all! It isn't a commitment to an hour in the gym (along with the travel time), or an hour run (add shower time, too). Your yoga routine can be just 15 minutes.

To make the most of the practice, do it every day. That usually means doing a practice about the same time each day. It makes scheduling easier, and your body will get into the habit and be ready.

Don't worry if you aren't in your yoga clothes, with your yoga mat and all your props. I have practiced yoga in jeans and dresses. It isn't my first choice for apparel, but it is better than no yoga. If you are stuck in a hotel, put a towel down on the carpet and use that for your yoga mat. If you need props for a particular pose, skip that pose, or improvise. Towels can substitute for blankets, books for blocks, leather belts for yoga belts.

Your 15 minute practice can be the gift you give to yourself every day.

 

Breathing: Quality, Quantity and Frequency

Without the breath yoga is just exercise. While many times we do our poses and think about using the breath later, awareness of the breath can give much more depth to a yoga asana practice.

To introduce breath-work into a practice, I think of three things: the quality of the breath, the quantity of the breath, and the frequency of the breath.

The "quality" of the breath means the conscious awareness of the thinking mind to on-going breath patterns. The mind says to itself: "I am inhaling at this time for this purpose." Coupled with an asana (pose) that might mean, "I am inhaling and lengthening my arms over my head." In this instance, inhalation equates to lengthening and defines the quality of the breath.

The "quantity" of the breath is more straightforward; it is the amount of breath inhaled into the body, and more specifically into the lungs, expanding the lungs with the chest muscles and the diaphragm.

Frequency of the breath is the respiration rate, how many breaths per minute. Normal respirations, "normal breathing" in yoga terms, for healthy adults is usually in the 12 to 14 breaths per minute range. There are many kinds of breathing patterns, "pranayama" in Sanskrit, that are different from normal breathing patterns. Many are difficult to perform correctly and require the close supervision of a yoga instructor.

To begin an awareness of breathing, start with the "quality" aspect of breathing. It requires the most practice and yet has the least number of physical consequences . The breathing stays "normal." We simply become more conscious of what our "normal" breathing patterns are, do not attempt to change or adapt them, but follow the patterns with our minds. This awareness of "quality" can improve our poses significantly by adding a powerful dimension to the physical movements.

Private Sessions, Many Benefits

I have been teaching only private sessions for three months and I am enjoying the experience very much. Sharing yoga with individuals, one on one, or with just two students, is by far the most effective way I have found to teach yoga. And from the comments I have from my students, they also feel the private experience is valuable. The process of learning the poses and understanding the modifications needed for your body is very personal, and private sessions facilitate that process.

My private sessions run 1 or 2 hours. A one hour session is a good place to start. We can work on things that you have in mind, or I can choose a series of poses to work on. The personal experience of having your very own teacher is very rewarding. It may be the very best way to learn anything, and it definitely works with a body/mind activity like yoga.

If you are interested in an intensive session, and to really feel you have moved ahead with a pose or a series of poses, a 2 hour session may be right for you. The time it takes to warm and loosen our muscles can be relatively long, and a 2 hour session allows that to happen. There is also time to really learn the poses, cognitively and kinesthetically. This makes it easier to practice the poses on your own at home.

Rope Wall

My new studio has a Great Yoga Wall. It is a rope wall fairly common in Iyengar studios, but a very special one. The Great Yoga Wall, has specially designed straps for hanging and holding various body parts. It is a great way to do supported poses, such as inversions. And it also allows for extension and traction. Some of the straps are padded so it is much more comfortable than most rope walls.

I am very excited about the possibilities for the rope wall, and I am including more wall activities into my practice every day.

New Studio

Great News! My new studio complete. I started having private sessions this week and it is wonderful! Please contact me if you are interested in seeing my studio, and if you are interested in a private session.