Just breathe . . .

“If you can breathe, you can do yoga.” – Krishnamacharya

“The body follows the mind and the mind follows the breath.” - Yoga Bhajan

Breathing. So important to sustaining life and function yet so often overlooked. How often do you think about breathing? Do you notice what impacts it or how it might change throughout the day? Many of us don’t but learning to do so can give you new insight into your body and how it reacts to challenges. 

Learning to notice when and how your breathing changes can help you understand how your body reacts to stress, physical exertion, and how best to center yourself and refocus. 

When we work to notice and control the breath, we can control our mind. Think about it for a moment. How do you usually try and calm yourself when you are nervous or stressed? If you generally take a deep breath in and then sigh it out slowly through your mouth, you are not alone. This is a common technique to lengthen the exhale which is known to have a calming effect on our nervous system and therefore on our minds and bodies as well. 

During a yoga practice, you are encouraged to link movement and breath. Linking these actions can help you notice how the breath changes as it is challenged and can also help to train the mind to stay calm when faced with a stressor. The breath is also your gauge for intensity during your yoga practice. 

Knowing how to use your breath to gauge the intensity of your practice will allow you to learn when you are able to push yourself a little more or when your body is asking for rest. And know this, rest is just as important, if not more so, than movement. 

Learning to listen to and understand what your body is telling you that it wants or needs is critical to developing a sustainable yoga practice. The best tool for this - your breath!

Pranayama or breath control is one of the eight limbs of yoga. There are multiple techniques or breathing practices that can be used to achieve different outcomes. But do not let this overwhelm you. The most important technique is to breathe comfortably while learning to notice your breath and how it changes. 

Biggest take away - take time to pause and learn to notice your breath. You might be surprised what you learn about yourself. 

Gentle, easy breathing practices are incorporated in all of my private yoga sessions. If you are interested in learning how breath and movement can help you on your journey to wellness schedule an Initial Private Yoga Session today or contact me to chat about your specific goals at 231-215-9660 or caitlin.anderson@tranquilwavesyoga.com.