These days have been more trying.
My single reference point is the online Teacher Training Course that we are offering with our amazing Samyama team. I never thought that it could be such an effective work. The main obstacle people usually face after yoga courses and retreats is to develop a self-practice back home. Now our participants start exactly from there and everything is experienced in the reality of their lives rather than a vacuum.
So that part is great but the rest of life seems a little more limiting and stagnant than usual.
I need to adapt.
My go-to now is pranayama. Breath exercises became more and more important part of my daily routine. I need space so I create that space within.
In yoga, breath is considered as the vessel that carries life energy; prana. Besides the obvious effects of nourishing the body with oxygen; there is the subtle dimension of shuffling the bliss molecules we have in our entire body.
Our daily breath is usually pretty inefficient especially if we are superficial chest-breathers. It may be difficult to spot small but quite harmful habits in our breathing pattern if we don't pay attention. Our breath also changes according to the situations in life, our state of emotions and thoughts. This relation works both ways; when we change the breathing pattern, we can also influence the quality of our mind.
A specialised yoga program can improve your lung capacity significantly. As our breathing goes deeper and more relaxed our mental faculties, nourishment of our organs and therefore our overall health improves. Studies on people with asthma, copd, bronchitis and emphysema prove how efficient a regular practice of a few weeks can be.
During my private retreats, I consider noticing and improving breathing patterns is the biggest achievement for improving life quality.
On my youtube yoga therapy platform Yoga Therapy Pill, I offer a simple sequence of asanas and breathing exercises to create space and strength in the lungs. These free yoga videos cover little tips and tricks that can shift your practice and quality of life.
If you are in an acute breathing constriction please take it easy or use the version with props which is simplified with chair yoga practices. The latter can also be a nice yoga for seniors.
We all need to breathe these days; keeping our lungs and our energy strong.
Sending you love.
