“Breathe in deeply to bring your mind home to your body.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Weekly Focus: Pranayama (breath control)

Spring is a time of transition. This season can remind us to reflect on how we adjust and navigate transitional states in our life. Transition and change is not always easy. Taking a moment to breathe, through the effort of pranayama, can help us steady the course.

Pranayama is derived from several Sanskrit root words: prana meaning “vital life force,” yama meaning “control,” and ayama meaning “extension” or “expansion.” It is the fourth limb of Patanjali’s 8-limb path.

Pranayama is an excellent practical resource in the spring. It can help us to clear our systems and passageways, adjust to change and transition, and manage anxieties or stress. In truth, this is one of the easiest yogic practices to sprinkle into our every day life. The simple act of observing the breath and breathing with intention, is itself and act of pranayama.

When we look at the root words, pranayama is so much deeper than simply managing how we breathe. When we partake in pranayama, we are managing our energies. As we become very in tune with our bodies and aware of how we interact with our environments, we may notice an effect of the seasonal transition on our disposition, mood or emotions. We remind ourselves this week that we can always fall back to the practice of yoga to help moderate our energy and to balance whatever it is that we are experiencing.

Here are a few simple ways to pratice pranayama in your everyday life:

1.  Start your morning with breath — allow yourself 5 minutes in the morning before leaving your bed. Once you feel awake, sit up, and take a few minutes to simply observe how you are breathing. Don’t change anything, just notice and become aware of your natural state in the morning. You might even take notes.
2. Breath to release stress — if you notice yourself feeling pent up tension during the middle of the day, find a space where you can be alone for a few minutes. Consciouly breath in very deeply, make tension in your fists and maybe even your toes, and then exhale and release everything. Do this a couple of times before heading back to your normal work environment and notice how you feel.
3. Close your day with breath — before falling asleep, take 5 minutes to consciously breathe before bed. Lie down in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and steadily breathe in for a count of 4, and out for a count of 4 or 5. You may even find that this practice helps guide you gently into restful sleep or calms an anxious mind before bed.

Passive Pose of the Week: Cleansing Breath – deep inhale with an “H-A” exhale

This cleansing breath practice is all about letting go and finding release. A great tool to utilize when you just need to reset.

• Close your eyes and take a full breath in through your nose.
• Imagine filling yourself up with breath all the way into the crown of your head. 
• Once you can breathe in no more, take a heavy sigh out the mouth, creating an audible “H-A” sound.
• Take this two more times.
• Sit with yourself after for a moment and just observe how the body and mind have reacted to the technique. 

This breathing practice is so handy and easy to pull out in a multitude of situations. We love this technique in the middle of our yoga practice, when you start to notice yourself holding the breath or running out of breath. Find a resting posture such as child’s pose or a kneeling seat and realease a few exhales to reset. Allow this to be a time to become reaware of how you are breathing before rejoining the rest of the practice. 

Active Pose of the Week: Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing)