Day 5 - The Benefits of Better Breathing

Daily Reflection
This week we will be talking about the breath. The breath or prana (life energy) plays an essential role in our lives. While we normally don't think much about our breathing and it happens automatically, in yoga, we learn to work with the breath in many ways. The practice of pranayama or controlling the breath (or life force) is vital because it helps us to live better and more harmoniously. It improves our healthy, our vitality, our creativity and our thinking. Although breathing is one of the simplest things we can do, we have often lost touch with our own breath so this week will be all about rediscovering our breath and the relationship we have to it.

Some of the benefits of better breathing are:

Reduced stress

Calm and quiet mind

Better connection to your inner self

Reduced anxiety

Improved focus

Reduced anger and irritability

More compassion

In your journal write down which of these benefits you feel you would like to work on right now in your life. What would be the most helpful to you?

Swami K

Day 4 - Let Your Body Breathe

Daily Reflection
This week we will be talking about the breath. The breath or prana (life energy) plays an essential role in our lives. While we normally don't think much about our breathing and it happens automatically, in yoga, we learn to work with the breath in many ways. The practice of pranayama or controlling the breath (or life force) is vital because it helps us to live better and more harmoniously. It improves our healthy, our vitality, our creativity and our thinking. Although breathing is one of the simplest things we can do, we have often lost touch with our own breath so this week will be all about rediscovering our breath and the relationship we have to it.

So by day 4, you should have at least a beginning understanding of the way the breath works in your body. You most likely have discovered some places that the breath gets stuck or you may have found you are a shallow breather. You may also have found that you tend to hold your breath sometimes.

The goal is to let your whole body breath - to feel the breath everywhere. We can use different pranayama techniques, like the one we tried yesterday to learn to gain greater control of the breath.

In your journal write down where you think you need to gain a greater control over the breath and why. How do you think this will help you?

Swami K

Day 3 - Alternate Nostril Breathing

Daily Reflection

This week we will be talking about the breath. The breath or prana (life energy) plays an essential role in our lives. While we normally don't think much about our breathing and it happens automatically, in yoga, we learn to work with the breath in many ways. The practice of pranayama or controlling the breath (or life force) is vital because it helps us to live better and more harmoniously. It improves our healthy, our vitality, our creativity and our thinking. Although breathing is one of the simplest things we can do, we have often lost touch with our own breath so this week will be all about rediscovering our breath and the relationship we have to it.

Today we will practice and reflect on alternate nostril breathing. This technique helps to quiet the mind as well as open up the channels on both the left and right side of the body. I have noticed that it is very helpful to use this technique with asthma and it also works well with anxiety.

Please watch this short video for the technique.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

After you have practiced the technique record your reflections in your journal. Which nostril felt blocked? How did your mind feel after practicing this technique? Did you find it easy or difficult?

Swami K

Day 2 - Breath Discovery

Daily Reflections

This week we will be talking about the breath. The breath or prana (life energy) plays an essential role in our lives. While we normally don't think much about our breathing and it happens automatically, in yoga, we learn to work with the breath in many ways. The practice of pranayama or controlling the breath (or life force) is vital because it helps us to live better and more harmoniously. It improves our healthy, our vitality, our creativity and our thinking. Although breathing is one of the simplest things we can do, we have often lost touch with our own breath so this week will be all about rediscovering our breath and the relationship we have to it.

Today, I will have you lie down in Savasana. Just rest and don't try to control the breath. Try to notice your breath pattern. Are you breathing mostly in your chest? Your abdomen? Your throat? Can you feel the breath in the limbs of your body? Your toes? Your fingers? Where do you feel the inhale? Where do you feel the exhale?

After you observe your breath in Savasana write down the answers to the above questions and reflect on the breaths movement and your breathing pattern.

Swami K

Day 1 - The Breath of Life

Daily Reflections

This week we will be talking about the breath. The breath or prana (life energy) plays an essential role in our lives. While we normally don't think much about our breathing and it happens automatically, in yoga, we learn to work with the breath in many ways. The practice of pranayama or controlling the breath (or life force) is vital because it helps us to live better and more harmoniously. It improves our healthy, our vitality, our creativity and our thinking. Although breathing is one of the simplest things we can do, we have often lost touch with our own breath so this week will be all about rediscovering our breath and the relationship we have to it.

In your journal today, I want you to begin by just simply observing your breath. Just notice it in your body. Where do you feel it? Is there anywhere in which it feels stuck or restrained? Where does it flow easily? How do you feel about your breath? Does breathing come easily to you or do you suffer from an illness or medical condition that makes it hard to breath? Write down any thoughts you have on the breath and its role in your life.

Swami K