YOGA BENEFITS BEYOND THE MAT

Yoga, an ancient practice and meditation, has become increasingly popular in today's busy society. For many people, yoga provides a retreat from their chaotic and busy lives. This is true whether you're practicing downward facing dog posture on a mat in your bedroom, in an ashram in India or even on Bondi Beach on a busy day. Yoga provides many other mental and physical benefits. Some of these extend to the kitchen table.

Keep reading to see how Yoga’s benefits extend beyond the mat. 👇

Types Of Yoga

There are many types of yoga. Hatha (a combination of many styles) is one of the most popular styles. It is a more physical type of yoga rather than a still, meditative form. Hatha yoga focuses on pranayamas (breath-controlled exercises). These are followed by a series of asanas (yoga postures), which end with savasana (a resting period).

The goal during yoga practice is to challenge yourself physically, but not to feel overwhelmed. At this "edge," the focus is on your breath while your mind is accepting and calm.

A Better Body Image

Yoga develops inner awareness. It focuses your attention on your body's abilities at the present moment. It helps develop breath and strength of mind and body. It's not about physical appearance.

Yoga studios typically don't have mirrors. This is so people can focus their awareness inward rather than how a pose — or the people around them — looks. Surveys have found that those who practiced yoga were more aware of their bodies than people who didn't practice yoga. They were also more satisfied with and less critical of their bodies. For these reasons, yoga has become an integral part in the treatment of eating disorders and programs that promote positive body image and self-esteem.

Becoming a Mindful Eater

Mindfulness refers to focusing your attention on what you are experiencing in the present moment without judging yourself.

Practicing yoga has been shown to increase mindfulness not just in class, but in other areas of a person's life.

Researchers describe mindful eating as a nonjudgmental awareness of the physical and emotional sensations associated with eating. They developed a questionnaire to measure mindful eating using these behaviours:

• Eating even when full (disinhibition)

• Being aware of how food looks, tastes and smells

• Eating in response to environmental cues, such as the sight or smell of food

• Eating when sad or stressed (emotional eating)

• Eating when distracted by other things

The researchers found that people who practiced yoga were more mindful eaters according to their scores. Both years of yoga practice and number of minutes of practice per week were associated with better mindful eating scores. Practicing yoga helps you be more aware how your body feels. This heightened awareness can carry over to mealtime as you savour each bite or sip, and note how food smells, tastes and feels in your mouth.

A Boost To Weight Loss and Maintenance

People who practice yoga and are mindful eaters are more in tune with their bodies. They may be more sensitive to hunger cues and feelings of fullness.

Researchers found that people who practiced yoga for at least 30 minutes once a week for at least four years, gained less weight during middle adulthood. People who were overweight actually lost weight. Overall, those who practiced yoga had lower body mass indexes (BMIs) compared with those who did not practice yoga. Researchers attributed this to mindfulness. Mindful eating can lead to a more positive relationship with food and eating.

Enhancing Fitness

Yoga is known for its ability to soothe tension and anxiety in the mind and body. But it can also have an impact on a person's exercise capacity.

Researchers studied a small group of sedentary individuals who had not practiced yoga before. After eight weeks of practicing yoga at least twice a week for a total of 180 minutes, participants had greater muscle strength and endurance, flexibility and cardio-respiratory fitness.

Cardiovascular Benefits

Several small studies have found yoga to have a positive effect on cardiovascular risk factors: It helped lower blood pressure in people who have hypertension. It's likely that the yoga restores "baroreceptor sensitivity." This helps the body senses imbalances in blood pressure and maintain balance.

Another study found that practicing yoga improved lipid profiles in healthy patients as well as patients with known coronary artery disease. It also lowered excessive blood sugar levels in people with non-insulin dependent diabetes and reduced their need for medications. Yoga is now being included in many cardiac rehabilitation programs due to its cardiovascular and stress-relieving benefits.

Before you start a new exercise program, be sure to check with your doctor.

Researchers are now also studying how yoga can help people with depression and arthritis, and even improve survival from cancer.

Yoga may help bring calm and mindfulness to your busy life, so book in with us to start experiencing these benefits and the feelings of calmness & happiness for yourself!

Original Post – Harvard Medical School

The Power of Community in Yoga

Yoga is undoubtedly starts as an individual pursuit. The practice is personal, and although we follow the same path, each person’s journey is ultimately unique.

Yet, even when practicing alone, there’s a pervading sense of connection to a wider community, united by a shared love of Yoga. The power of this connection is almost tangible in a group class, when your breath and movement is synchronised harmoniously with others around you, and there begins the sense of community within Yoga.

The desire to connect with others is a fundamental part of the human experience.

Whether we like it or not, we are hard-wired to crave and seek a sense of belonging.

This biological reassurance is the driving force behind the many roles and relationships in our lives, and the bonds we create with others undeniably accelerate growth and development.

Research has demonstrated that social support increases survival and longevity by some 50%. Holt-Lunstad and Smith’s meta-analysis of 148 studies found that not only is the risk of mortality from loneliness in the same category as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, but the benefits of community and interpersonal social networks are as important to physical health as beating obesity.

Community is clearly as nourishing for body and mind as yoga is itself, and the common ground doesn’t end there. Just like yoga, community is about connection and unity. Merge the two together and their power is amplified, allowing us to feel safe and supported in our journey, regardless of whether or not it’s a solo one.

In fact, it’s impossible to separate community and yoga; whether you’re practicing alone or in a hoard of hundreds, you are part of a worldwide network of likeminded and beautiful beings, whose connection transcends imagined boundaries of race, religion or nation.

This is one of the many incredible things about yoga; that something so personal can unite so many people.

After all, it is within others that we are able to most clearly see ourselves.

Without community, it’s easy to feel isolated and disengaged. But when we surround ourselves with like-minded and uplifting people, our shared experience builds strength and encourages growth.

The coming together of people of all cultures, backgrounds, shapes and sizes to find union in yoga ultimately has the power to influence a wave of positive change in communities across the world.

Even when we feel alone, this connection reminds us that we are always together, united as one.

Original article by Yogapedia

10 REASONS WHY YOU NEED ARM BALANCES IN YOUR LIFE

Ready to tap into your inner strength, courage and fearlessness?
Need to break free of things weighing you down?

If you’re lacking motivation lately to get stronger and work on your yoga and calisthenics arm balances then keep reading. It’s never too late to begin because your body will respond well to fitness challenges. You can even build muscle and bone mass in the later decades of life, and I’m no spring chicken myself!

Arm balances can be both intimidating and fun (plus many other things), and many yoga/fitness enthusiasts find it difficult to resist them. I can relate to that! The good news is that these postures come in a wide variety of styles and difficulty levels, so usually most people can find an arm balance that is within their reach. There are so many benefits to giving them a go, it just requires some strength and dedication.

Even though arm balances are hard for most people, there are many benefits if you accept the challenge and really work on them. Through hard work and detailed tips and tricks to work on in your practice you might make these arm balances a little easier.

So if you’re ready to get stronger, here’s 10 reasons why you need arm balances in your life…

1. Sharpen your mental discipline

Invigorate yourself by having a go at new things and put yourself in some interesting positions. While balancing in many shapes and angles it will be virtually impossible to think of anything else. Turn yourself into a human pretzel and see if you’re still distracted! There’s so much diversity in arm balances, you can get creative with many variations and build better self-awareness along the way.

Arm balances will challenge your mind and body to remain balanced. You can achieve this through the alignment of body awareness and focused attention. That’s the most important thing. Keeping your mind on your intention and in the moment gives your mind the clarity it needs, plus you can have a great time doing it!

Some of the most common yoga arm balances like crow, grasshopper, astavakrasana, firefly, and of course dolphin (forearm stand), can take quite a bit of effort to achieve. But there’s so much you can do now to find your way into these poses. There are planks, side planks and all kind of strength drills that you can do to build power in your body and focus your mind, so why wait?

2. Develop your core strength

Strong core muscles make it easier to do many activities. Weak or inflexible core muscles can impair how well your arms and legs function, and that saps power from many of the moves you make in yoga. Think of your core muscles as the sturdy central link in a chain connecting your upper and lower body. No matter where motion starts, it ripples upward and downward to adjoining links of the chain. Properly building up your core cranks up the power you need, like recharging a power station.

A strong core also enhances balance and stability, helping to prevent falls and injuries during any physical activities, particularly transitions between yoga postures. In fact, if you didn’t have a strong core then you wouldn’t have stability in any physical exercise. A strong core will help support your lower back and bring inner strength.

3. Face your fears and insecurities

Arm balances are empowering!

They give you permission to get past doubt and any limited mental belief systems. There are so many times yogis talk themselves out of arm balances because of mental blocks. But once you can figure out where your body is in space and how to balance your weight safely, there is nothing stopping you from achieving your goals. Through your practice and detailed understanding of arm balances you’ll train your mind to look past fear and embrace the evolution of your practice.

4. Keep your bones sturdy

As bipeds, people come to yoga relatively weak in the upper body. This weakness can be due to a lack of regular work with the arms, shoulders, chest, and abdomen. Unfortunately, this weakness usually progresses as the decades go by. Over many years, the lack of hard work that challenges your upper body muscles and bones contributes to a loss of mineralisation in those bones, and osteoporosis, which can be a serious health problem, begins.

The practice of poses that include weight bearing on your arms will build a strong and stable upper body. This will protect any vulnerable shoulder joints and strengthen the muscles and bones to prevent the onset of osteoporosis.

5. Improve your spacial awareness

In order to get into your arm balances you’ll need to understand where your body is in space and activate a variety of muscles to lift off. When we first move into arm balances, especially inverted ones, it’s often difficult to know where we are. We have no idea where the hips are in relation to the shoulders, and get confused about left and right, up and down. Thats understandable.

When you begin your arm balance journey, it can feel awkward and frustrating because you might be unsure of how to get in and out of them, especially because there are so many creative variations. Let this inspire you to develop a deeper understanding of your muscles and centre of balance. As you begin to weave arm balances into your practice, you’ll feel stronger and more self-aware. As awareness improves you deepen your capacity for balance and grace in any orientation.

6.  Strengthen your whole body

Many yoga and calisthenics arm balances strengthen and tone the entire body and prepare you for a multitude of other poses. When we try to lift our body up, every part of the body is engaged. Arm balances involve not only the arms but also the core, wrists, shoulders and legs. In fact, every part of the body needs to lift itself in order to take your feet off the ground.

By practicing arm balances, you effectively tone up your whole body and counter a more sedentary lifestyle. As you begin to work arm balances into your yoga practice, it’s important to get into the general shape of the pose and wherever you are, find your edge and build stamina by holding your position. There are so many tools and techniques to help you achieve your goals of finding strength and stability on your arms.

 7. Change your perspective

At the very least, an arm balance challenges us to get our faces unusually, and often uncomfortably, close to the ground. Inverted arm balances like headstands and handstands also turn our world upside down. By changing perspective, we can gain greater insights and gain deeper fulfilment. Often seeing something with fresh eyes and shaking up our ‘normal’ daily view has both physical and metaphorical benefits.

Start to notice the moment right before you want to give up on an arm balance. What’s your mind saying? Is it a pattern? As soon as you recognise your internal dialogue or identify your insecurity, turn it into a positive intention and develop a new belief system. If your focus is on something that you perceive to be negative in your life and you come at it from a different angle, then you can feel better about it. What’s more, you might even find that it helps you to perform better as a result. This approach is called reframing and is just one way in which you can derive benefits from gaining new perspectives.

8. Build your resilience

Resilience is the ability to ‘bounce back’ from stressful or challenging experiences. It involves being able to adapt to changes and approach negative sources of stress as constructively as possible. Your ability to cope with tough times or tough postures allows you to apply your inner and outer strength and engage what you know.

Arm balances are built on commitment and determination. Adding challenging arm balances into your practice can teach you a lot about discipline, but too much hardness in our efforts will get in the way. Learn to be strong, but at the same time supple. Find the steadiness and ease. As much as we need strength, most arm balances also require a great deal of flexibility to get into and hold. The trick is to keep returning to the arm-balancing practice without becoming frustrated or tense.

9. Stay calm in the challenge

Practicing arm balances also teaches us to stay calm in the midst of a challenging situation. Studies on the benefits of yoga show that, yes, yoga is relaxing, but the most significant changes that yoga can bring us, on a neurological level, is that we can learn to calm ourselves down and to keep the breath steady. We learn to relax the features of our face, to keep our thoughts kind even when things get rough. This is worth practicing. Living life from a place of calm response rather than frantic reaction. What we learn on the mat, we hopefully take off the mat and share with the world.

10. Learn to practice self-compassion and letting go

If at first you don’t succeed…

When the balance and lift-off hasn’t come, despite all the effort, this is also a beneficial lesson. So what if it hasn’t happened yet? Didn’t you enjoy having a go? It can be very difficult to not get what you want, to not achieve something you’re working so hard at. It’s easy to get down on yourself and start that all-too-familiar negative self-talk.

Are you able to let go of it all and say, so what? Can you keep yourself light of heart and mind and just keep stepping on your mat without worrying about what you will get out of it?

Arm balances are the perfect opportunity to practice persistence. They allow you to actively practice pushing past fear while building self-awareness and strength. Start with introducing one or two to your daily practice and embrace the changes happening within and throughout.

LOOKING TO FINE TUNE YOUR ARM BALANCES OR MAYBE READY FOR SOME INSPIRATION?

sign up for ARI’S ARM BALANCE ACADEMY - ARM BALANCES MADE EASIER - Saturday 15 October | 11am - 1pm here.

Source: http://ari.yoga/2021/08/24/10-reasons-why/

Flexibility and yoga practice

We often think of muscles like a rubber band; pull them harder and they will stretch longer. The problem is that most of our muscles are old, rigid rubber bands that will snap the minute you pull them too far. Another problem is that our muscles don’t work exactly like rubber bands. So how do our muscles function and how do they stretch longer? Enter flexibility: range of body motion that loosens us up.

What flexibility is… and what it is not

Before we can pull our muscles every which way in our yoga poses, we have to loosen them up.

Believe it or not, our flexibility is not determined by our muscles; the nervous system determines our flexibility. Take tight hamstrings as an example. Say you have tight hamstrings and you do a deep forward fold. Your brain will send the flashing red “danger” signal to your hamstrings (via your nervous system) and your hamstrings will respond by contracting. They do this as a survival mechanism; when they contract they may lose flexibility, but they gain strength, which they use to protect you.

Your first instinct might be to push past this feeling into a deeper stretch. But pulling yourself deeper won’t improve your flexibility and could actually cause you to get injured. Yoga for flexibility is not about pulling on our muscles until they grow longer, it’s about teaching our muscles to relax when we hit our limits. A relaxed muscle is a loose muscle, and that is where you find flexibility.

Why flexibility is important

Regularly practicing Yoga poses for flexibility have many health benefits. Stretching is a great way to increase your mobility, improve your range of motion and reduce the risk of injury. Flexible exercises are an important part of any workout routine. They help you avoid injury and keep your body limber. You should also stretch before and after workouts to prevent soreness and muscle fatigue. Stretching helps increase blood flow, improves circulation, and increases joint mobility. Flexibility is essential for maintaining a healthy spine and avoiding back problems.

Stretching helps us release tension and stress. It improves overall physical health and mental health. Yoga poses are great for correcting poor posture, improving sleep quality, cultivating body awareness and boosting mood.

How to improve your flexibility

I constantly remind my students that flexibility does not come from pushing past your limits, but from reaching your edge and staying there. The number one way to improve your flexibility is to keep practicing. Keep these flexibility tips in mind during your next yoga practice.

• Play with your limits—While you do not want to force yourself beyond your limit, you also do not want to stay too far on the other side. The only way to learn (and expand) your body’s limits is to play along the edge.

• Use your breath—With every inhale, focus on alignment and check on the integrity of your posture. With every exhale, think about letting go and sinking a little deeper into the posture.

• Remain calm—A lot of our muscle tension comes from a fearful brain. This turns on the sympathetic nervous system, which triggers muscle contraction. Keep your breath long and smooth and remind yourself that you are safe so your brain and nervous system can relax. This will inevitably lead to your muscles relaxing.

• Stay awhile—Maybe yin yoga is not your thing, but there is quite a bit of science that supports the argument that your muscles need time to relax. Staying in a pose for five breaths is good for your muscles, but stay for five minutes and you might be amazed by how much deeper your muscles relaxed at the end compared to when you started.

Whether your regular practice consists of intense vinyasa classes or relaxing yin classes, if you follow these tips you will see shifts in your flexibility. Just remember—stop worrying about lengthening and focus on relaxing!

How does yoga help improve flexibility?

Yoga isn’t just about stretching. Yoga is an ancient practice that combines physical movement, breathing techniques, meditation, and philosophy. Yoga differs from just stretching because it focuses on safety, form, and the variety of poses that target both major muscle groups and deeper-seated stealth muscles. Yoga emphasizes proper alignment, attention, and the awareness of your body.

It helps us to understand our bodies and minds better. It teaches us to focus on our breath and body while we move. It teaches us to calm down and relax. And it teaches us to become aware of what we’re doing and why.

12 yoga postures for flexibility

Most asanas have a balance of both strength and flexibility, but there are a handful of positions that will be most helpful to increase your flexibility. These poses require minimal effort so you can focus on relaxing, breathing and relaxing into the stretch. Start with just a few of these poses each week until you feel comfortable enough to add more.

Bound Angle pose

Baddha Konasana is a great pose for beginners because you get to stretch your hips while opening your chest. Holding this asana for several deep breaths will stretch the adductors, inner quadriceps, and hamstrings. Feel your heart expand as. you let your shoulders drop down and your spine lengthen. This pose helps you release any tension and stress in your body and stimulates the reproductive, nervous and respiratory systems. It also helps you prepare for meditation and other seated yoga postures.

Wide Legged Seated Angle pose

This hip opening pose is perfect for those who struggle with tight hamstrings. Upavistha Konasana opens up and stretches out your inner thighs while stretching the entire back side of the body: legs, back, and arms. It also helps Strengthens the calves, ankle, hamstrings, glutes, abdomen, and spine. If you find this pose difficult, try placing a folded blanket under your hip bones or use a bolster under your chest.

Triangle pose

Utthita Trikonasana is a great pose for stretching out your muscles in your legs and in the sides of your body. Triangle pose can increase stability by activating your core muscles. Keeping the lower hand lightly touching the floor engages your core strength which helps you gain confidence and feel stronger. Triangle pose stimulates your organs, including your digestive system, which can improve your metabolism. It reduces stress by targeting the lower back, which can cause tension and pain. It can also help relieve stress, anxiety and help stabilize emotions.

Child’s Pose

Balasana is a great pose to relax the entire body, and it’s a great resting pose after practicing a challenging asana. Child’s pose is a simple yet effective position that gently stretches the low back muscles. Breathing deeply in this pose also massages and tones the abdominal organs to help them function properly. It also helps reduce stress by calming the mind and soothing the nervous system.

Supine Pigeon pose

Supta Kapotasana is a great pose for beginner students or for people with tight hips. Reclined pigeon pose provides an opportunity for us to gently stretch the hips, thighs, and low back. It helps prepare us for backbends, as well as for sitting meditation. It allows us to open the front side of the pelvis, which is often tight and contracted when we sit still for extended periods of time. Reclined pigeon pose provides us with a great opportunity to practice patience and surrender.

Standing Forward Bend

Uttanasana is a great pose to lengthen your hamstrings. Standing Forward Fold stretches the hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves. It stretches the backside of the body, which improves posture and spinal alignment. It calms the mind and relieves stress. It also stimulates the liver and kidneys and helps improve digestion.

If you’re feeling your legs or low back extra tight, bend your knees slightly. To relax deeper into the stretch, grab opposite elbows and let yourself hang upside down.

Seated Head to Knee pose

Janu Sirsasana improves flexibility in your back, hip, and thigh muscles. It also increases blood circulation in the lower abdomen and relieves stress. Seated Head to Knee is a great pose to stretch the hamstrings, the muscles of the inner thigh and groin. It helps to calm the nervous system, eliminate mild depression, and improve digestion. Janu Shirshasana helps us release tension in the hips, knees, and lower back. It’s a great pose to practice when you feel stressed out, anxious, or depressed. Use a yoga strap around the foot of the straight leg if you cannot reach your toes.

Half Lord of the Fishes pose

Ardha Matsyendrasana elongates and aligns the spine and strengthens the core muscles. This seated twist provides a great stretch for the back muscles along the spine. It improves posture and provides relief from lower back pain. It can help with digestion, constipation, and indigestion. This asanas’ twisting action is said to stimulate heart, kidneys, liver, spleen and lungs.

Cat-Cow pose

Bitilasana and Marjaryasana is an easy movement for beginners to warm up the spine and stretch the hip flexors, abdominals and back muscles. It creates coordination, improves focus, and invigorates prana by activating the diaphragm and breathing deeply into the belly. It improves digestion, relieves stress, and calms the brain. Flowing with the breath between arching and rounding the spine creates emotional balance by helping us release pent-up emotions and feelings.

Pyramid pose

Parsvottanasana is a great pose for stretching the hamstrings, calves, quads, hips, glutes and back muscles. It strengthening the legs, hips, ankles and the feet to maintain the stability of the body. Parsvottanasana improves blood circulation in the head, which calms the nervous system and improves brain function. Deep conscious breathing in this asana further encourages the release of tension in the lower back, legs and hips, as well as in the shoulders and upper back. This asana opens the throat chakra, which is associated with communication and expression. It also activates the sacral chakra, which is related to creativity, sexuality, and self-expression.

Cobra pose

Bhujangasana stretches the entire front side of the body, including the hips, abdominals, chest and the tops of the feet. Cobra Pose has been shown to improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and increase energy. It’s a great posture to practice before bedtime, as well as during the day if you need some extra energy. It can help reduce back pain and inflammation. It also builds muscle strength in the arms, core, and upper body. In addition, there’s evidence that practicing Cobra Pose regularly improves posture, self-esteem, and symptoms of depression.

One Legged King Pigeon pose

Eka pada rajakapotasana is a deep hip opener that improves flexibility in hips, legs, pelvis and groin. It stretches the thighs, psoas, glutes, hip flexors, and piriformis muscles. This asana helps to release tension in your hips, lower back, shoulders, and chest. If your hips are tight, you can place blocks or blankets under your hip bones for support.

Breathing deeply in Pigeon Pose improves nervous imbalances and stimulates the internal abdominal organs. According to Ayurveda, stress, sadness, and worry are stored in the hips, so this asana encourages an emotional release and regulation. Regular practice of this pose may help relieve anxiety or stress.

Breathwork for Beginners

You take about 23,000 breaths every day. How many of them do you consciously think about?

Take a moment right now to notice your breath.

Is it deep or shallow? Are you breathing into your chest, belly or back? Did you instinctively breathe deeper the moment you brought your attention to it?

That is a clear example of the power of breathwork. As we move through the routine of daily life, most of us breathe into the chest with short, shallow breaths. What we don’t realize is that breathing from our chest signals to our body that we’re stressed. By spending time focusing on deep, long, full breaths, we can activate our parasympathetic nervous system and oxygenate the body, contributing to a more relaxed, peaceful way of moving through the world. 

What is pranayama?

In Sanskrit, pranayama is made up of “prana,” meaning life force, and “ayama,” meaning lengthen. Therefore, pranayama is not the practice of breath control, but the practice of controlling your prana, or life force, through the power of breath. 

It is said that the most important part of your physical yoga practice is not the poses, but the breath. The way you breathe in yoga matters. Since your inhales and exhales happen naturally, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about your breath. But bringing attention to the way you breathe in yoga and in your life is one of the best things you can do for your mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing.

In yoga, breathwork - the practice of bringing attention to your breath - offers a chance to clear the mind, purify the body, and balance the flow of energy within. And the best part is: anyone can do it. All you need is time, intention, and guidance to feel the effects of this powerful practice on your life.

The Benefits of Yoga Breath Exercises 

In yoga, it is thought that the mind, body, and breath are connected. Think about what happens to your body when you’re stressed or anxious: your heart beats faster, your blood pressure rises, and you’ll start to take fast, short breaths. Just as your state of mind can influence your breath, your breath can influence your state of mind. Taking time to focus on your breath can calm your nervous system, improve your digestion, and aleve suffering in a variety of ways. 

Practicing breathwork has been scientifically proven to have an effect on the heart, brain, immune system, and digestive system.

Studies have shown that practicing yoga breath can:

• Effectively treat depression, stress, anxiety, and PTSD

• Improves mental focus and reduces brain fog

• Help with emotional regulation

• Lower cortisol levels in your body (your body’s main stress hormone)

• Lower and stabilize blood pressure

• Boost the immune system

• Help you get a good night’s sleep

• Increase oxygen levels in the body

• Improve core strength

• Manage poor digestion and improve symptoms of IBS

Does when I inhale and exhale really matter?

In short, yes. 

Breathing changes the shape of your body. When you inhale, your diaphragm and pelvic floor descends to make space for the expansion of your lungs. At the same time, your ribs and sternum lift up and out to allow the belly to expand. When you exhale, your diaphragm and pelvic floor ascend to expel air while your chest and ribs move inward.

Your yoga instructors tell you when to inhale and exhale based on what best facilitates different types of poses in your body. Experienced yoga teachers will intelligently sequence yoga breath with movement so that you inhale during poses that open the frontline of the body, and exhale during poses that compress the frontline of the body. 

Why do yoga instructors always remind the class to breathe?

While it can sound like a broken record, a yoga instructor who consistently brings attention to your breath understands the connection between asana (poses) and prana (breath). 

We all have a tendency to hold our breath in difficult moments. During a challenging yoga practice, you may naturally hold your breath, which will make it difficult to hold poses. Deep, intentional yoga breathing has a calming effect on the body. Focusing on the quality of your breath while you practice will also improve your focus, mental clarity, and mind-body connection.

When to breathe in yoga:

As a student of yoga, it can be difficult to know when you should inhale and when you should exhale. If you find that you’re constantly on a different breathing rhythm than your instructor’s cues, it may help to understand what poses correlate with breathing in and out. 

In general, you will inhale for:

• Backbends and heart openers

• Poses where you lift, like Mountain Pose and Crescent Lunge 

• Spine lengthening cues

• Transitions where you re-engage, extend, and prepare

In general, you will exhale for:

• Forward folds and surrender poses

• Spinal twists, like Revolved Crescent Lunge

• Side bends

• Transitions where you release, surrender, and softening
  

What is the yoga breath called?

While there are a variety of yoga breath exercises practiced in yoga, the term “yoga breath” usually refers to ujjayi pranayama, also known as the victorious breath or ocean breath. This is the type of breathing you’ve probably encountered in vinyasa classes, where it’s used to bring power and focus into the body.

Ujjayi pranayama is practiced by inhaling and exhaling through your nose while slightly constricting the back of your throat to produce a gentle sound like an ocean wave. When you breathe through your nose, your perceived exertion during exercise is lessened, making your workout feel less difficult. But studies have also shown ujjayi pranayama can increase oxygen consumption in the body by as much as 50%.

Next, we’ll explore Ujjayi pranayama as well as other yoga breath exercises you can do to clear your mind, feel present, and deepen your yoga practice.

Ujjayi Pranayama  - Victorious Breath in yoga

Sometimes called in yoga “ocean breath,” Ujjayi pranayama is a yoga breath exercise practiced throughout asana to bring power and focus into the body. Practice it by inhaling and exhaling through the nose while slightly contracting the back of your throat. The breath should sound like oceanic white noise. 

Yogic Breathwork Contraindications

You should not practice breathwork on your own if you:

• Are pregnant 

• Have a history of aneurysms

• Have uncontrolled hypertension, epilepsy, or seizures

• Have high blood pressure or cardiovascular problems

• Have vision problems or a panic disorder

• Take heavy medication

• Recently underwent surgery 

• Are healing from a recent physical injury

Heart Opening Yoga

Work from your heart, not your brain to create harmony” - BKS Iyengar

Backbends are often referred to as ‘heart opening’ poses and their many benefits are pretty clear. Physically – they stretch the hips, open the shoulders and chest, build strength in the legs, arms and back muscles and can even alleviate back and neck pain. Mentally and emotionally they invite courage and vulnerability, help us to face fears and remain calm in the face of difficult situations.

How many times in yoga class have you been told to open your heart, lift your heart, or draw your heart forward? This is a very common cue indicating students should drop their shoulders away from their ears, lift their chest, and bend through the thoracic spine. Including backbends in your practice encourages an even deeper physical opening of the chest and heart center. They also elongate the spine; release tension and stress from the neck, shoulders, and back; create space for the lungs and deeper breaths; and energize your practice, body, and mind. In addition to backbends, focusing on love and gratitude while practicing will open your emotional heart. Opening the heart teaches us to be humble, vulnerable, and lead with our hearts in both practice and life.

Explore the following yoga practices to open your heart, cultivate gratitude and bring more love into your life:

Set up your practice space

Use colors, stones, and essential oils related to the heart chakra in your yoga practice space and on your body. The heart chakra is located in the physical heart and governs love, kindness and compassion. It’s represented by the colors green and pink, the stones rose quartz and watermelon tourmaline, and essential oils of rose and jasmine.

Body Scan

Begin your yoga or meditation practice with a body scan. Sit in a comfortable seated position and check in with your posture. Is your chest collapsed or lifted? If your chest is collapsed, you are physically protecting your heart. Lift the chest and open the shoulders to bring the heart to the front. Then rest one or both hands on the heart. Leave them there for a few deep breaths. Note how this feels.

Breathe into the heart

Focus your breath work on your heart. Imagine you are breathing from the heart and into the heart. Feel the chest rise and fall with your breath. Again take note of any feelings that arise.

Mudras

A mudra is a gesture or seal that channels our life force. Incorporate mudras into your practice to energize the heart. To practice Anjali mudra, bring the palms together at the heart and press the thumbs into the sternum. Use Anjali mudra at the beginning of practice while seated and in Mountain pose (Tadasana). As you grow comfortable with the mudra, use it with different poses throughout your practice.

Mantras

Use a mantra during your practice. The mantra for the heart chakra is “yam” pronounced similar to “young” or in English, “I love.” If using “I love,” think “I” as you inhale and “love” as you exhale.

Bring gratitude into your practice

Lasting, loving relationships are significantly influenced by expressions of gratitude. According to a study published in 2014, gratitude is what holds two people together. The study reported that after expressions of gratitude, participants reported feeling more loving. Gratitude also increases feelings of happiness and well-being. Practice gratitude on the mat to get comfortable expressing thanks to your loved ones. Think of three things you are grateful for at the start or end of your yoga practice.

Asana

When practicing heart opening backbends, it is important to maintain balance by using counterposes. After any deep back-bending yoga pose, neutralize the spine with a simple twist and then counter with a forward folding pose. Backbends energize and physically open, expand, and lift the heart. Forward folds give your heart a chance to recharge and rest. Begin with gentle backbends such as Dog Tilt pose (Svanasana), Cobra pose (Bhujangasana), or Bridge pose (Setu Bandhasana). For a deeper backbend try Camel pose (Ustrasana) or Upward Bow pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana). These backbends bring the heart above the head. This is a physical representation of following or leading with your heart. For more specific asana recommendations, try this heart-centered sequence.

Heart Meditation

Close your practice with a heart-centered meditation. This can be as simple as breathing into the heart and using the mantra “I love” as mentioned earlier. You may also incorporate a mudra here, such as Anjali mudra.

Take any or all of these recommendations and mix them into your daily practice. As you move from your mat and through your day, come back to your intention of love and gratitude.