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.