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The Art of Breath & How It Teaches Impermanence in Yoga

October 10, 2015 By Monica Stone Leave a Comment

I studied art history in college, which is something I rarely reference. I love that I got my degree in art history even though I never really used it. Actually, I used it for a split second when I worked at a museum, but it wasn’t for me.

But seriously, I never really felt certain about any career when deciding on that degree. I just got to a point where I had to choose, and I knew I really loved the art history classes so I went with it. People would say to me, “You should work at a museum or be a curator,” and it never really felt right. 

I eventually graduated, and moved on to other things, but there’s one artist that I’ve never stopped following:

Have you heard of Andy Goldsworthy?

He’s an earth artist, so he finds sticks, leaves, rocks, etc, and he creates sculptures from nature. They’re amazing and very detailed. But, what really stuck out to me was that once the environment changed, so did the art. 

Andy Goldsworthy is an earth artist, and his sculptures represent impermanence among many things. Read this latest post about how I compare this type of sculpture art to the impermanence that yoga teaches us.

The slightest wind, chill, or drop of rain changes the whole dynamic of the artwork. The sculpture just changes with the environment. Even when it gets to the point of total destruction, the pieces are still absorbed into the earth, and just a part of something else. Even if the sculpture was burned and dissolved into thin air – it just becomes a part of the air. 

Maybe it even becomes a part of you? If you were to breathe in that air, you would be breathing in the sculpture. 

From early on, even before I found yoga, I was fascinated by the concept of impermanence and connectedness. Nothing has a beginning or end – it just continues to reincarnate. 

When I was in heat of my studies, and immersing myself in the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras, I remember thinking that the only thing that separates you and me is our skin. It seems like we’re different people, but we really breathe in and out the same air.

Strip our bodies away, and we’re one. 

The foundation of asana practice is vinyasa, which is the linking of breath and movement. In Ashtanga Yoga, we do the same postures every day, and each posture has a specific breath count. 

Impermanence is taught through vinyasa when we practice yoga.

Here are a few ways we learn to practice impermanence during our physical yoga practice:

A. Non-attachment: We’re just making shapes. You might be able to do a posture one day, and then not the next. By focusing on just the breath, you will begin to realize that our practice is never the same. Just like how the environment changes the sculptures, everything that we take in our bodies and minds changes our practice from moment to moment.

B. Non reactive: You want to keep the focus on the breath more than the posture. Everything that we’re doing with our bodies and thoughts is impermanent. When you’re focusing on your breath, you might notice a feeling or emotion arise. Rather than reacting – just focus on the breath, and you’ll realize that after a few seconds – you feel something different.

C. Gratefulness: When you’re having a practice where things are flowing, feel great, and you’re body feels light and free – practice gratefulness. You know it doesn’t last forever, so appreciate it while you have it vs. trying to cling to it. 

D. Non identification: Your feelings and emotions are neutral. We’ve been born and conditioned to put labels on everything. Feeling sad, angry, frustrated is bad. Feeling happy, loving, and empowered is good. 

We’re so inclined to do whatever we can to get rid of the bad emotion, so that we feel good again. That never works.

When you’re feeling something “bad” just be with it. Tell yourself it’s a vibration.

Don’t question it. Don’t focus on it. Don’t fight it.

Just let it radiate through you, and then let it transform into something else. We spend so much time trying to figure out how to always be happy, but the world doesn’t exist without the opposite.

Just like how each element of the sculptures are never really destroyed – neither is your peace, happiness, sadness, or frustration. It all lives together in one beautiful place!

The faster you realize this, you can move through the discomfort with a little more grace every time. 

There is no quick fix. You must form the habit to practice daily. It’s only through a daily practice like yoga and meditation that you learn to understand impermanence, and open your mind and heart to the beauty of what the world offers. 

What insight did you take from this? Did you realize you were clinging to something that you can now let go? Tell me in the comments!

xo,

Monica

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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Testimonials

  • 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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