Breath Awareness / Pranayama Archives

Breath Awareness Meditation for Anxiety

August 16, 2024August 16, 2024

In an ideal world, the idea of practicing Yoga solicits feelings of calm equipoise, energy and vibrant health. However, for many people the idea of practicing Yoga in the context of a structured class can bring up feelings of apprehension and fear. There may be any number of reasons for this apprehension. Some of these reasons include being physically or emotionally fragile. This sense of being physically fragile can come from being injured or in the process of healing from a surgical procedure.

Teaching Hatha Yoga: Prana and Pranayama

August 12, 2024August 10, 2024

One Yoga teacher training intern remarked that prana could not be in his mat, since it was an inanimate object. After all, his mat was not a living…

The Importance Of Breathing In Yoga

May 2, 2024May 2, 2024

To look at pranayama simply: We inhale and exhale for a specific ratio, getting valuable oxygen and stress reduction. This is often enough for most people, who barely realize that their breathing has been altered by situations, which naturally occur during the course of a day. However, serious Yoga practitioners may wish to go deeper into pranayama itself. For these practitioners, it is essential to find good and reliable information. Pranayama, while very beneficial, can be harmful if practiced improperly. Some of the dynamic pranayama techniques can cause hyperventilation, which may do more harm than good. Through gaining control of the breath, one gains control of one’s inner self by truly connecting the mind and body.

Pranayama Exercises for Trauma Survivors

February 8, 2024February 2, 2024

Some pranayama exercises are stimulating and other breathing techniques are balancing and calming. Nadi Shodhana pranayama is known as an…

Pranayama for Stress and Anxiety

June 6, 2023May 31, 2023

In Yoga, breathing is considered a very important process as it is the most vital means of absorbing Prana into the body. The Shastras explain how Prana gives consciousness and life to every creature which breathes. According to Taittiriya, Brahmana and Maitri Upanishads and Shiva Swarodaya, the breath is referred to as the vehicle of Brahman or cosmic consciousness.

Yoga Breathing Exercises for Beginners

March 31, 2023March 30, 2023

Yoga breathing exercises are commonly referred to as pranayama techniques. Pranayama, the discipline of breath control, is the fourth of…

Proper Yogic Breathing in Daily Life

January 2, 2023January 2, 2023

At first, breathing this deeply and thoughtfully probably won’t come naturally. You’re sure to spend most of your day breathing shallowly. To start incorporating yogic breathing into your daily life, try setting an alarm on your smartphone. Whenever it goes off, set aside a minute or two to practice pranayama. You can do this anywhere you happen to be. Even if you’re at the gym engaging in intense cardio, you can force yourself to be mindful of the way you’re breathing. If you’re just sitting at a desk or otherwise being sedentary, it’s especially easy – and beneficial – to engage in this type of breathing.

Pranayama for Weight Loss

December 10, 2022December 10, 2022

These types of kramas or Yoga asana sequences certainly do help to boost students’ metabolisms, burn calories and expedite weight loss. However, it is also important to balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems of your students through a regular practice of pranayama exercises, in order to facilitate mental well-being and hormonal balance.

When Should We Teach Pranayama

September 30, 2022September 30, 2022

The end of class is another beautiful space to teach the technique to feel the belly lift and fill, and collapse and empty. Again, use the hands on the stomach and/or one on the belly and one on the heart, to allow the practitioners to fully feel what their body does during the full breath – new and veteran yogis both. With the earth underneath the body as complete support, the breath feels much different than it did in the standing tree exercise above.

Pranayama for Respiratory Ailments

September 12, 2022September 10, 2022

In Yogic teachings, breath is considered extremely important. The word Pranayama is a compound word. Prana means life force, and vital energy; it’s the breath of life. Ayama means to control, restrain or hold. Pranayama could be translated as simply breath control, but there are a lot of subtle nuances in the word that are lost with such a simplified definition.