One of many pillars of our Vinyasa Yoga lessons is our breath.
The facility our breath has over our physique, thoughts and spirit is inspiring; it’s additionally important to our yoga observe. It helps us create that stunning state of circulation as we transfer via our observe. Even in probably the most difficult energy vinyasa lessons breath is the undercurrent that guides us. It additionally helps us faucet into our parasympathetic nervous system which calms our physique’s physiology. Linking breath with motion will calm down a stressed thoughts and permit one to ease right into a calmer state of being. The end result on the finish of sophistication is a harmonious, balanced vitality.
In our vinyasa lessons, we use a respiratory method referred to as Ujjayi breath (pronounced oo-jai). You will have heard of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. This textual content is broadly thought to be the authoritative textual content on the 8 limbs of yoga. In his 196 brief sutras or ‘threads’, there are 3 which reference the bodily observe of yoga, (asana). Sutra 2.46 states that our bodily postures ought to stability effort and ease. How do we all know if we’ve discovered that stability? The state of our breath may give us an enormous clue!
The pranayama breath observe of Ujjayi ought to have two qualities: It ought to be lengthy, and it ought to be easy. Ujjayi is also referred to as the ‘victorious breath’ and has a sound just like ocean waves. The advantages vary from calming our our bodies to cleaning our vitality channels (nadis) to selling psychological readability and focus. It’s mentioned to refresh our pranic vitality, or in different phrases, our life power!
In our Vinyasa lessons, you’ll fairly often hear our academics encourage you to search out your Ujjayi breath at first of sophistication. So! The right way to discover this incredible breath method to boost your asana observe.
This breath entails constricting your vocal cords partially and it’ll really feel just like whispering. When practising Ujjayi our throat muscle tissues of the glottis barely constrict, in order we breathe via our nostril, there’s a refined whispering sound because of this slight constriction on the base of our throat.
Think about whispering to somebody, however with out really talking the phrases out loud. Or equally, think about attempting to fog up a mirror with out opening your mouth. These are two easy methods to really feel this slight constriction. Preserving that, merely begin to breathe via your nostril a 4-count inhale, and a 4-count exhale. You’ve got discovered Ujjayi.
The difficult half might be staying dedicated to Ujjayi all through your complete observe, particularly in moments of problem like facet plank or after your twentieth chaturanga! However the stunning factor about your breath is it may well act as a gauge all through your observe to find in case you are pushing your self an excessive amount of, or not sufficient!
In the event you can hold a gradual cadence of Ujjayi breath simply all through your observe, it could be an indication you can discover your edge and problem your self somewhat extra! If you’re always shedding your breath, gasping for air or solely respiratory very shallowly, you can be pushing your self too laborious. We should always need to work to maintain our breath regular, however we shouldn’t be pushing our our bodies on the expense of our internal peace. Preserving our Ujjayi breath lengthy and easy helps us keep in our parasympathetic nervous system which accesses the a part of ourselves that’s calm, regular, and peaceable.
On the finish of our observe, Ujjayi helps us go away with that equanimous, balanced, easeful vitality. It additionally offers us one thing to deal with as we transfer via the observe. When the thoughts wanders, recommit to that lengthy, easy Ujjayi high quality of your breath. It can enable you anchor your thoughts again into your physique and the current second.
One other stunning lesson that the traditional knowledge of yoga presents us is that no effort in yoga is ever wasted. Even if you happen to solely observe this breath for just a few moments, it’s going to enable you discover somewhat extra presence, and change into calmer.
“The rhythm of the breath occurs 22,000 occasions a day. Once you spend just some of those occasions in delight and surprise, it begins to remodel the opposite 99.999% that you just take without any consideration.“
– Radiance Sutras
Written by Katie Tetz
Studio Enterprise Supervisor | Ever Inspiring Author & Yoga Instructor for Energy Dwelling Australia
