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Asana Lab: How To Breathe Correctly During Yoga Practice

January 27, 2014 By Monica Stone 4 Comments

Quick Note: There are many breathing methods for practicing yoga. This one is primarily for the Ashtanga practice, and it’s also good for beginners to expand breath and breath awareness. 

The most important aspect while practicing yoga is the breath. When we practice yoga postures, the action we take is called, vinyasa, which means breath linked with movement.

All we are doing is creating shapes, but how we breathe in those shapes – that is the yoga. Can we create calmness in every shape we make no matter how difficult? Can we create calmness even during some constriction or discomfort? Can we create calmness even when we’re pushing the edge? How can you create space to breathe? That is the yoga. The yoga is how we work through the challenges and react to them. Yoga is doing the postures with consciousness and awareness.

We connect to this consciousness primarily through our breath. 

Once your breath is lost – once you grunt, once your breath feels constricted, once you no longer have control over the breath –  then it’s important to find that space (which may be to pull back a little and observe) in your practice to bring yourself back to a calm breath and place.

When the awareness goes and the intention becomes about the posture; the yoga is lost. When your mind wonders and it becomes about what you have to do later, or about how you don’t like someone you work with; the prana (energy you’ve built) has gone out the door! 

Yoga is not easy. It’s extremely challenging and can be taxing on the body, so there will be times when your breath and mind will fluctuate. That’s human. Honor that. Forgive yourself.

What is important is that you treat yourself with compassion and that you keep awareness. If your mind wonders, bring it back. If you get frustrated about a posture, observe your emotions, let it go, and move on. Then, as time goes on, you can find ways to let go of those imprints, and you will eventually find ways to create calmness in those situations.

What is your goal? Are you trying to get into a posture? Are you trying to prove something? Or, when you find yourself challenged and constricted are you trying to find peace and balance? 

Before even starting the yoga postures, we have to learn correct breathing. Are you ready? Good! let’s start here:

 

Part 1 – Meditation Posture

A. Sit in a comfortable seated cross legged position

B. Set your hands on your knees or place them in your lap.

C. Make sure your spine is straight.

D. Make sure your body is firm and activated. Don’t let your arms dangle or your head hang down, sit up and be your own buddha 

E. The breath is only through the nose through the whole practice until you get to final resting posture.

F. You want to breathe from the back of your throat, and you should be able to HEAR IT.

G. The breath should be so loud that it drowns out your thoughts and everyone around you.

Part 2 – The Prep Breath

A. Hold your hand in front of you and pretend it’s a mirror. Take a big inhale, and exhale with your mouth open making a whisper sound like you’re fogging the mirror. It should sound like: “Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh”. 

B. Next, Inhale with the mouth open making that same sound, but just bringing it inward.

my hand is a mirror

Part 3 – The YOGA Breath

A. Close the mouth, and breath through the nose with control and steadiness continuing to make the haaaaaahhh sound as you inhale and exhale. You’re doing the same breath; just with the mouth closed. Once you hear it loud and clear, that is the breath! 

B. Bring it up from deep within your belly and picture it moving up your spine through the crown of your head

C. Then, let it move down the same way through the base of the spine into the earth

D. The breath should be steady, so the inhales and exhales should be the same length. Try for 5 counts inhale / 5 counts exhale

Some notes & fun facts about the breath in Yoga practice:

A. The breath creates energy to carry us through the practice, and creates an internal heat to detox. This is why we breathe through the nose. Pay attention to how the breath feels when it moves in your nostrils. It should feel cool going in and warm coming out.

B. Each movement will last a full breath. As you practice, you’ll begin to find ways to slow down the movement so that it lasts the full breath. Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutations) are great for exploring the breath with the movement.

C. Every movement you are either inhaling or exhaling. 

D. The breath is never held, but a constant flow of inhalation and exhalation

E. Never rush the movement. Always let the breath carry you through the practice. 

Your homework is to practice this breathing every night this week for at least 5 minutes! We’ll get into postures soon!

I’d love to hear how it’s all going. Update me in the comments below!

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Filed Under: Instruction

Monica Stone

About Monica Stone

Monica is a lover of all things yoga, a vegetarian, an avid tea drinker, and never gets sick of soup and noodle dishes. She teaches yoga, practices daily, and runs a Spiritual Book Club in Orlando, FL. She likes to challenge the strict rules of yoga, and makes it accessible for everyone - especially people who suffer from daily life and work stress.

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Hi! I’m Monica

Monica StoneWell hello there! I'm Monica. I'm a yoga & meditation teacher (and junkie). I teach yoga practices that are quick and effective for the busy person who just needs a few minutes of quiet time in their day. Click around and you'll find quick meditation tips for calming the mind to simple stretches to relieve stress and tension. If you are sick of being intimidated by yoga or just confused by all of the different styles out there - then this page is for you. Yoga helps me daily & I know it will help you too! I'll show you how! Welcome to The Yogi Movement :)

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  • Jaime ShearerJaime ShearerYoga Student Since 2012

    Monica is dedicated to her own practice and the true path of yoga - the one of personal experience - which makes her an outstanding teacher. She is warm and easy to talk with, and she allows the student to have their own experience on the mat. She explains postures and breath in ways that are understandable so that the student "gets it." She makes yoga real and tangible in ways that truly serve the student. Work with Monica. You'll be glad you did.

  • Jacob AbercrombieJacob AbercrombieYoga Student Since 2011

    have always wanted to try yoga, but was always nervous. Monica took that fear away and made me feel like i was the only one in class with a room full of strangers. She is able to work with multiple students during the same move and still make it a personalized class for one.

  • Serena JonesSerena JonesYoga Student Since 2010

    Monica has been a highly influential teacher to me. She creates a safe environment for learning and practice. I have always felt grounded in her classes, and she pushes me beyond my own expectations. She inspires and motivates! I can't imagine my life without sharing a path with her!

  • Angela OrofinoAngela OrofinoYoga Student Since 2011

    Monica is a caring, wise, thoughtful, and talented yoga instructor. She has an in-depth knowledge of the philosophy and spirituality of Ashtanga yoga. My previous yoga experience had mostly just been at my local gym. Luckily, last year I found Monica. She has been guiding my practice at least once a week since then. As a newcomer to Ashtanga yoga, Monica made me feel comfortable and had the patience to teach me the basics. She also encouraged me to start an at home practice so that I was able to obtain a deeper understanding of Ashtanga. Monica is always encouraging and lets me know in subtle ways when she feels that I am ready to move deeper into my practice. I feel that the growth in my practice over the last year has been tremendous. Not only do I notice the change in me but others around me do as well. I am so grateful to have found Monica!

  • Sasha TamarSasha TamarYoga Student Since 2012

    I’ve come across many a yoga instructor over the years, but Monica stands out as genuinely amiable, as she glows with an infectious inner light, and highly devoted to and passionate about her practice. Her dedication to Ashtanga as a lifestyle is very clear, and creates for a contagious motivating force. Every time I’ve practiced with her, she eagerly transmits her devotion and passion of Ashtanga and meditation to everyone in class; she makes the most fledgling beginner feel at home, and simultaneously challenges the more advanced students. While I only practice Ashtanga with her, I know she provides therapeutic yoga sessions as well as meditation. And, if her methods of guiding students out of the Ashtanga vigor into the more meditative savasana are indicative of her meditational techniques, I’d recommend her to anyone

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