Breath - the source for every body, mind, and heart
One of the biggest mystery to us all - our breath being readily available, with its potential to heal, charge, soothe, energize, protect, awaken, nourish, and yet most of us can’t remember its existence.
Group yoga classes can be approached as a safe space where we encourage and teach students to breathe collectively - a place where we gather to practice different breathing techniques. It so happens that asana practice is the front runner that represents yoga in our Western hemisphere. We move from one pose to another syncing our intentional breath with the corresponding movement. It is a healing act of self-study, a meditative dance and an insightful dive within us. The places and spaces we get to visit and experience grant us to move one step closer to our contentment.
I speak about breath in my teachings as a source of life, our vital energy, an object of our concentration. Ultimately, it is a measure of our knowledge, awareness and perseverance. We train our attention on the supply of breath. We shape its flow, its duration, its intensity. With our intention we use our awareness as a valve to either supply more heating or cooling kind and more energizing or more calming kind. As a result we fine tune our state of mind, body and heart center.
No esthetics necessary, a harmonizing asana sequence can deliver wonders to our mind and body, and so can our breath. Unlike our yoga pose, we can’t take a picture of our breath and thus we don’t advertise it nearly as much as we could. There is no place for “should”, no lecturing, no shame necessary. Needless to say, our breath continues to be the forgotten secret. A lot of progress has been made, a more inclusive way of thinking has been shared. It is a big AHA moment when yoga practitioners hear from their teachers that they don’t need to be flexible, formal athletes, dancers or cheerleaders to practice yoga. There is yoga for every body, every mind, and every heart.
Whichever breathing technique applies to your specific need it is a constant qualifier for our attention and yoga practice. When in doubt, breathe. When in pain, breathe. When in hype, breathe. Our breath can come to our rescue and save us from forming negative thoughts in our mind, from speaking hurtful words, from acting out of insecurity/ego/pain, and from living out of blind ignorance.
Yogalicious breath hasn’t given up on you. Yoga welcomes all. Breath is there readily available to help us navigate through life’s challenging moments and phases. Let’s remember it, trust it and treasure it. Individually and collectively. Students and teachers alike.
with love and light,
Alena
