Aspen Yoga Studio - Yoga Breathing

Breath is fuel for the body.  When you are not breathing you are "out of your body" and your awareness is more "in mind".

Conscious, active breathing integratesthe mind and body.  It brings your awareness inside where you can focus on yourself and your inner space.

Performing yoga postures (asanas) without conscious, active breathing is just stretching.  When you do yoga postures without listening to your breath you are more prone to injury.

Your breath determines your bodies boundaries.  It tells you how quickly and deeply to move into a posture, or not.

To feel, heal or bring an area of the body more fully alive you need to breathe into the area of challenge, tightness or injury.  If you give an area enough awareness, focus and breath, eventually you will get energy and breath there and the area will open, shift and change. 

When you are stressed you lose your inner space and your body begins to "tighten up".  Check your breath.  Chances are you stopped consciously breathing.  To begin again exhale and pull your low belly in.  To inhale keep you low belly gently in, inhaling filling your lungs and spreading your ribs. 

Amp your breath up or make it deeper and fuller to match the challenges of the moment so the challenges don't wear you down.  Keep breathing and you'll win over your challenges.  Your body won't have to experience the negative effects.

At the Aspen Yoga Studio and in Forrest Yoga we practice and teach three types of breathing:

click on any of the links to get a full description of the breathing exercises

1) Ujjayia Pranayama - a soft contraction of the throat or space between the vocal chords called the Glottis.  This creates a whisper breath or aspirant sound on both the inhalation and exhalation.  It keeps the rate of your breath steady and smooth, long and full.  Ujjayia is a warming breath and unless we are doing another breathing exercise we use always use Ujjayia.

2) Alternative Nostril Breathing - using the thumb and ring finger to close off the nostrils.  Inhaling through one nostril for a 4 count, holding both for an 8 count and exhaling opposite side for a 4 count.  There are many different variations in counts and sequences to be used, all having different effects. 

This is one of my favorite breathing exercises for clearing my mind because it balances both sides of the brain.  I also use it to create space in my upper chest and back and get awareness and support for the thoracic spine (the part of the spine which connects to the rib cage).

3) Kappalabhati  - often nicknamed skull shining, Kappalabhati is excellent for moving energy upward, forcing the stale air out of the lower lungs.  It raises your energy levels quickly and helps change the effects of depression - it can get you really conscious of the energy of the second chakra (the subtle energy center between pubic bone and navel).

Now Your Ready for The Aspen Yoga Warm Up

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