JUST BREATHE

Pranayama is one of the eight limbs of yoga but when people first start the practice of yoga they are often resistant to the practice. Yoga is about expanding the consciousness into a state of ananda. Ananda is BLISS!

So is Asana. The connection between the state of asana and bliss is the vehicle of the breath. It is often hard to really focus on breath as we move from pose to pose so sitting and tuning up the breath vehicle. One of my favorite breathing exericses to practice or teach is the balancing breath of nadi shodana, or alternate nostril breathing.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika gives many variations of this practice but the simplest way to start is to just sit and close the nostril on the right side and breath into the left. Right away you are accessing a state of pure consciousness by accessing the right side of the brain. Then closing the left you open the right and exhale. The next inhale is into the right and then closing it, you exhalte out the left. This balances the brain on both sides. This is a scientifice practice and you can build on it by increasing the lengths of the breath and retaining between in and out takes of the breath. Five rounds will lead you into a state of bliss. Build up to 20 minutes and you will be moving towards a deep state of meditation without even thinking about it.

Also don't beat yourself up if you get frustrated or if it brings up anxieties or other emotional issues. It is supposed to. Like the asana practice you have to consistent and keep practicing.

I love seeing students in a blissful state of pranayama at the end of class. The whole class starts feeding into a state of community bliss and awareness.

So keep breathing everyone. Start right where you are and just start focusing on your breath awareness.