BREATH, The Very Foundation of Yoga

I think you would agree that our health is the most important aspect of our lives and yet, most of us don’t pay much attention to it until it fails us in some way.  The reason I practice yoga is because I am committed to having the highest quality of life until my last breath, and to enjoy the process.  

I admire people who run or participate in sports to help maintain a healthy body.  I was never good at sports or running.  I have done a lot of walking over the years, however, it wasn’t until I was introduced to yoga about 15 years ago, around age 62, that I fell in love with an activity that helps keep me healthy and happy.  

Let me give you a small sample of what, why and how you could start practicing yoga on a regular basis.  Sit on your mat or the floor in 'easy pose', with your legs crossed.

The most important thing we do every day is to breathe and yet most of us use very little of our lung capacity.  Let’s all take three deep breaths right now.  Breath is the very foundation of yoga.  All of the movements we make in yoga are accompanied by deliberate and focused breathing.  

How are you feeling right now?  Let’s take three more deep breaths, but this time I want you to relax your shoulders.  Place your hands palms up on your knees, straighten your spine and lift your chin as if your head is dangling from a thread.  In order to breathe deeply your belly will expand.  I like to relax and close my eyes.  Pay attention to how you are feeling.  

Now breathe to the very bottom of your lungs to the count of four and do it three times.  How do you feel now?  This is just the beginning of yoga.  There are several other types of breathing that will not only help you in your yoga practice but will bring more oxygen into your blood and especially to your brain.  Some methods are energizing and some are calming.  Let's face it, breathing just makes you feel better.  www.gobodhiyoga.com

There Is More To Yoga Than 'Just Yoga'

Patanjali, a sage in India who lived 200 to 800 B.C. is considered the “Author of Yoga”.  In the process of compiling the precepts of yoga, he lists “The Eight Limbs of Yoga.  These are eight aspects of the practice which work together to effect the spiritual, emotional and physical parts of all who practice yoga.  I will quote some of these aspects from my training manual at Bodhi Yoga.    www.gobodhiyoga.com

1. Integrity:  Yama-ethical precepts of non-violence, honesty, chastity and non-covetousness.  
2. Surrender:  Niyama-observing personal practice of cleanliness of thought, contentment, self-study, fervor for the subject and surrender of all thoughts and actions to God.  
3. Practice:  Asanas-This is the sanskrit word for posture; referring to yoga postures.  A process where the “body and mind move in harmony”.  Further interpretation of the word also carries the meaning of being steady and joyful.  

Integrity, Surrender and Asanas, (the actual practice of postures) are just three of the aspects of yoga.  I will share the other five aspects later.  For now, take time to consider the deeper meaning yoga can have for you as you enjoy the benefits of this ancient and joyful practice.  

Have You Ever Wanted To Play Dead?

Have you ever wanted to play dead?  I know I have.  Back in my clinical depression days I wanted to hide from life, just lie down and be done with it all.   Fortunately, it didn’t happen.  

When I play dead now it is doing the corpse pose or savasana at the end of a yoga practice.  I am in a place of utter relaxation and peace.  How often do we get there in the midst of our usually hectic and busy day?  Seldom, if ever.  That’s why yoga is so beneficial.  It slows everything down.  It has to be a conscious choice, like eating breakfast.

Even going to bed at night isn’t that refreshing if we haven’t wound down from our busy day.  How about choosing a few simple yoga poses before going to bed.  Stepping back into down dog makes you focus on something besides your daily stressors.  Everyone deserves a simple child’s pose to help put the brakes on.  Last but not least, lie on the floor and put your legs up the wall.  Close your eyes and dream of clouds or flowers or a waterfall.  I call it ‘blissing out.’  

Crawl into bed and assume your savanna or corpse pose.  Lie on your back with your hands open and facing up.  Move your eyes from left to right and back several times to disrupt the patterns of thinking of your to-do list for tomorrow.  Breathe softly and go to sleep in relaxation and comfort.  I love yoga, don’t you?  www.gobodhiyoga.com

As Best You Can Yoga

Yoga has made a positive difference in my aging body.  My stiffness, aches and pains are minimized as I stretch and pose making my body do things I didn’t expect to do in my seventies.  Going to BodhiYoga (www.gobodhiyoga.com) two or three times a week keeps my body from complaining.  I got so motivated a year ago that I started taking the teacher’s training course.  I am working on my certification.  I love helping others enjoy yoga—‘yoking body, mind and spirit.’  Doesn’t that sound lovely? 

You may think you can’t do yoga.  If so, it is only because you haven’t tried.  I make it easy to give it a try.  I hold classes in my basement for the brave at heart and willing in body.  I often call my classes, As Best You Can Yoga.  I will say, “Bend over your front leg and touch your nose to your knee—-as best you can.”  There is no perfection and no pressure in my basement studio.  We laugh a lot and everyone wants to come back.  I have taught classes of children, young adults, adults, Baby Boomers, and Seniors.  Everyone has a great time.  Everyone is surprised at what their body will do when given the right instruction.  Let me know if you want to join us. 

There is MUCH More to Yoga Than ‘Just Yoga’

I hope you enjoyed contemplating some of the deeper meaning of yoga in my previous blog where we considered three important aspects of yoga.  Petanjali, the “Author of Yoga” from ancient times included five more aspects that influence our physical and mental health.  Again, I will be quoting from the Bodhi Yoga Teacher Training manual.  

4. Breath-Work:  Pranayama-Prana refers to the life force of the universe.  Pranayama is yogic breath-work.  This is a big one.  The benefits are listed; to tone the diaphram, release thyroid tension, increase energy, calm the nervous system, relieve insomnia, cleanse the body and mind and reach altered states of consciousness.  How about a sound night sleep?  I consider that an altered state of consciousness.  Breath-work does magical things.

5. Reflection:  Pratyahara-Turning the senses inward from the external world to the inner.  

6. Focus:  Dharana-Concentration and focusing of the mind on a particular point.

7. Meditation:  Dyana-a meditative increase of deep concentration to envelope the entire consciousness in the present.  

The last three aspects help me become fully present in my life.  This is no small trick for me and I continually work on becoming better at it.  These aspects of yoga really help.  Now for the crown jewel.

8. Joy:  Samahidi-“State of truth and bliss”, Transcendence.  Have you ever wanted to lift out of this troublesome world, just for a few minutes?  That isn’t easy for me, but doing yoga on a regular basis brings me closer to the joy I aspire to in my life.  Come join me in my yoga practice and find out what I am talking about.  

Learning The Language of Yoga

It’s one thing to watch someone do yoga or even do it oneself; but learning the whys and wherefores of yoga is another thing. It’s like learning another language. In fact, it is learning another language. Most of the terms in yoga come from Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language.

What would you do if someone asked you to do the Urdva Dandasana pose? Easy. Everyone knows it is the plank, right? Not that it is easy for me to do, but I do it as best I can. How about the Balasana pose? This is my favorite. It’s child pose. I couldn’t survive the more strenuous poses if I didn’t know I could soon rest in child pose. Then there is Savanasana or corpse pose. At the end of each practice we get to rest in corpse pose, relax in our blended nature of body, mind and spirit and feel alive in every cell of our body. It is the cherry on top of our beautiful yoga practice at Bodhi Yoga in Provo. www.gobodhiyoga.com

As we sit up one more time in Sidhasana-Sukasana or easy pose with our legs crossed and hands together at our hearts we chant OM three times. We feel the resonance of all the positive energy we have drawn on together and end with a bow of the head and say “Namaste.” Namaste means “The divine in me salutes the divine in you.” What a sweet salutation to end our session together. There are many more poses; sitting, standing and kneeling. You have just given your body, mind and spirit the recognition they deserve in your life. Working together you can experience the peace and joy of yoga without even knowing another language.

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life—Do Yoga

I am fascinated by what is going on in brain research these days. I just read Change Your Brain, Change Your Life by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. and learned that doing yoga and mediation are two ways to change your brain. Not long ago, scientists said the brain couldn’t change. When we reached maturity we had a certain amount of brain matter that would diminish as we aged and there wasn’t anything we could do about it.

Fortunately for us, research has proven that there are things we can do to change and improve our brains for our entire lives. How, you ask? Well, we all know we should eat our spinach and get adequate sleep, drink water and move our bodies. I’ll let you deal with your nutrition and sleep. Let’s talk about yoga and meditation for our minds and bodies.

Studies show that meditation actually builds new brain cells. Yoga is a meditative practice as well as a physical one. Yoga builds brain cells, too. One of the benefits I find is that yoga lifts my mood. The gray days of winter in Utah Valley influence me less than they used to before yoga and meditation. You can be sure that I will fight for every little brain cell I can build and use to keep me from sliding into dementia and lethargy any time soon. Join me in the fight and come to yoga with me at Bodhi Yoga in Provo. www.gobodhiyoga.com  Or you can call me for a private session.