Breathwork: Taking a deep breath into calm.

In the yoga tradition, the individual soul is called “Atman.” From the Sanskrit root “at,” meaning “to breathe,” a soul is defined as “That Which Breathes.”

Our life begins with a breath. We know that a baby has been born successfully when we hear a loud cry. Our life ends with a breath. When a body exhales then no longer inhales, we know the soul is gone. If breath is what defines life, breath IS life energy. In yoga, we call this “prana,” which simultaneously means both “breath” and “life-force energy.” The two are seen as virtually the same thing. It follows that there is no quicker way to transform your energy than to alter your breathing pattern.

Like training our bodies or training our minds, our breath can also be trained. Not because it’s bad and needs to be fixed, but so that it can be harnessed to work more effectively for us. We are made up of body, mind, and breath, and the breath for many of us is the last frontier. If you’ve been doing practices for the mind and body, but are still struggling with stress or your mood, you may be skipping yoga’s “secret sauce.” Breathwork is the most effective practice for your vibe, otherwise known as your feeling tone or how you show up in the world. 

One of the quickest ways to determine if someone is healthy is to examine their breathing pattern. If the breath is slow or shallow, rapid or irregular, you know that something is off. While doing breathwork cannot replace seeking medical help, it can be used to shift your energy and state of mind. For example, when someone is having a panic attack, we’ve all been taught to have them breathe into a paper bag. The idea is that if a person is panicking, they are usually also hyperventilating. The panic alters the breath cycle and the altered breath cycle creates more panic. This can quickly become a downward spiral.

The wise, old method of breathing into a paper bag does two things. First, it makes the person breathe in more carbon dioxide, which they’ve been losing through their quickened breath. Second, because the bag creates a sort of drag, it slows the breathing down. When the breath is slowed, the body takes the cue and thinks there is nothing to worry about. The act of slowing down your breathing is incredibly potent. Think of it like lifting weights with your lungs. It can be done by anyone, at any time, through techniques that are thousands of years old. It doesn’t require you to be spiritually elevated or psychologically evolved. On the contrary – it costs nothing and is simple to learn.

YOGA AND BREATH

Just like yoga and meditation, breathwork has a variety of styles and techniques with corresponding benefits. it can leave you feeling uplifted, focused, calm, or ready for sleep—depending on what type you do. There are energizing practices that require quick, short breaths and those that lengthen the breath for a more relaxing effect. Some techniques retain the breath at certain times or direct you to breathe out of just one nostril. 

While some of it can seem a bit unusual at first, just like embarking on your first downward dog, have an open mind and a sense of adventure. However, remember that no matter what the teacher says, you are in charge of you. If a teacher says “Twenty more like this,” and you feel that you need a break—take it! If nothing else, you are practicing to have a better sense of yourself.

While it may appear simple on the surface, in the yoga tradition, breathwork was often taught as one of the most advanced practices. Introduced to students after they had mastered physical yoga, breathwork is essentially the synergy, the alchemy, the powerful combination of all yogic practices. 

Why building a yoga community is to important

Community is about union and connection. The actual definition of community according to Webster’s Dictionary is, “A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.” It can be created because of a work culture, a commonality such as having a baby, or an interest a group of people shares such as yoga. Community requires a little something of each person as well. For example, if you’re going to be a part of a community, then you’ll have some responsibility to create a positive energy around the other people. By bringing positivity and a desire to impact others via new connections, a community can grow and be a safe area for expression.

Building a yoga community is a beneficial step to bringing every yogi together to increase positivity and health.

YOUR YOGA COMMUNITY

A practice community, sometimes known as a sangha in Buddhist circles, is a group of people that support you in your chosen lifestyle. Most often this support comes as a result of a shared set of values or ethics that need not be spoken about, but that you have all decided on for yourselves as a beneficial or healthy way of life, for example the Yoga Sutras. A practice community doesn’t have to be formally affiliated, and sometimes you even find yourself within such a network without having had the intention of joining or being part such a group.

Living ‘on the path’ of consciousness, towards enlightenment or awakening or even just with the intention of putting health and wellbeing before money and materialistic goals isn’t always easy. In many ways it feels as if you are swimming against the tide. Modern society has been built, to a large extent, on the premise that we all want to make a lot of money and spend it, while still thinking anxiously about what comes next. So if this isn’t your goal, if you’re working on a life of contentment, of being present and accepting of each moment as it shows up, then inevitably there will be times that you find yourself at odds with people around you or with processes that you are expected to participate in. This is when it helps to have other people that have similar goals or intentions to you that can help you remember what works for you, what is authentic for you, what helps you find happiness and health.

Humans, by nature, are social animals. From birth we rely on others to validate and confirm our existence. We watch the behavior of others to learn and seek out the support and comfort of others when we are sick or hurt. But we don’t always make the best choices for ourselves. And, just like with food, ‘we are what we eat’, or in this case, who we hang out with. This doesn’t mean we judge or look down upon those who live a different lifestyle than we do, but just begin to think about who you spend your time with and what you do when you are together. We have limited time here in this body, a finite period in which to experience life as a human being. If each minute were a dollar, how much would you pay to spend time with the people you choose to be around? Are these people your friends?

When you actively join a practice community, such as a yoga class or meditation group, you not only gain support for your lifestyle but you also take on responsibility for supporting others. Be considerate in the way you interact with those in your practice community. Remember to give what you would like to receive, share love and happiness rather than gossip and negative attitudes. Practice being happy and joyful for others, compassionate, grateful, non-judgmental and above all else, be a good friend to those in your practice community. Know when to set your ego aside and be present for others.