Even though I've been practicing and teaching yoga for years, I have struggled repeatedly with this question. As teachers, we repeat so many phrases, like "watch the breath" or "feel the breath" or "be with the breath." But, really, what does that mean? What does that have to do with asana practice, and why is it so important? The answers I've been given have been pretty esoteric. That's fine, but it's not enough. In order to explain yoga's value to everyone, I wanted to be able to explain it in more concrete terms.
By Jennifer Clawson, RYT Pranayama is the name for the breathing practices of hatha yoga. Prana is your vital life force, much like chi, qi, or ki, for those of you familiar with tai chi and qi gong. Prana is energy, and yoga affects the energy in your body. How you breathe is intricately connected… [Read more…]
By Jennifer Clawson, RYT Yoga teachers often instruct their students to “watch your breath.” But, what does that really mean? Even though I’ve been teaching yoga for more than 5 years, knowing exactly how to watch my breath has eluded me. There are different techniques, but each one doesn’t work for everybody. This is a… [Read more…]
By Jennifer Clawson, RYT Controlling your breath is the fastest way to control yourself. Any time you need to calm down, try this exercise: First, close your eyes, if possible. If you are driving or in a meeting, then closing your eyes is not a good idea. You can still do the exercise, though. Next,… [Read more…]
May 15, 2009
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