13/4/2022 0 Comments What is Pranayama?What is pranayama and why do we use it in yoga practice?...Put simply - Pranayama is the control of ‘prana’ and the breath. The Sanskrit translation of the word (Sanskrit being the ancient Indo-European language of India in which key classical yoga texts are formed) is as follows: ‘Prana’ = vital life force / energy 'Yama’ = control Using yoga techniques - primarily specific breathing patterns and rhythms - pranayama helps to awaken this life force, purify, release blockages, enhance mental focus and healing.Pranayama is described in an abundance of ancient yoga texts, most famously the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. “Prana comes into our body more than 90% through the breath” - Yogacharini Deepika Variations When it comes to Pranayama there are many techniques that are used. In fact, the Gitananda Yoga Tradition mentions 120 Pranayamas! Some are used as cleansers, for cooling, for heating, as purifiers, for healing and rejuvenation. Did you know? - The lungs contain approximately 2,400 km of airways and 300 to 500 million air sacs (alveoli). There are about 600 million alveoli in your lungs. If you stretched all of them out, they would be about the size of a tennis court or four and a half 18-wheel trucks parked next to each other! - www.lung.ca/lung-health How can pranayama help? There are many pranayama yoga benefits which vary depending on how you use and for what purpose. Pranayama techniques can help with:✨ Mental focus ✨ Rejuvenation ✨ Improving lung function ✨ Lowering the heart rate and stress levels ✨ Enhancing brain function, reaction time, and ✨ Executive function including working memory, cognitive flexibility, and reasoning skill ✨ Pranayama has been shown to help aid covid recovery. Practice Today Now that you've had an introduction to pranayama, it’s time to put it into practice in your life today. Watch the ‘4 minute Yoga for Calm and Focus’ video for guidance from me, or follow the steps noted below: Are you ready? Find a comfortable seat. Draw the eyes closed or keep a soft gaze just beyond the nose. Scan up through the body. Begin to notice what's going on in the body today, do you notice any sensations? Notice the shoulders, are they holding any tension? Begin to consciously relax the shoulders, relaxing down and away from the ears. Consciously unclench the jaw. Soften the tongue. Relax the muscles in the face. Begin to draw your awareness to the spine. Feel a gentle lengthening up the spine, sitting a little taller if comfortable to do so. Tune into that balance of ease, softening, of strengthening, of lengthening from root to top of head. Consciously relax the muscles, relax the mind, begin to find ease. Focusing now on the breath: Breathe in through the nose for a count of 6. Pause at the top of the breath for 3. Breathe out through the nose for 6. Pause at the bottom of the breath for 3. Continue for 4-6 rounds, or as long as feels comfortable. Taking this 6x3x6x3 ‘savitri rhythm pranayama’ bring awareness to the lungs: Breathe into most lower parts of the lungs you can feel + visualise: the lower lobes. The mid section of the lungs - the mid lobes. And the most upper part of the lungs - the upper lobes. Expanding into all parts on inhale - Lower, mid, upper lobes Releasing out from all parts on exhale - Lower, mid, upper lobes. Finding a heightened sense of softening, calm, cleansing on inhale. And a releasing out of toxins, tension, letting go of stagnant energy on the exhale. ... Did you enjoy this calming breathwork taster? Would you like to deepen your connection & awareness to the breath? Explore more yoga breathing pranayama techniques, find the perfect mix of calm & clarity with me as your guide, in-person? Take 4-10 minutes to find some mindfulness today with this simple yet effective pranayama yoga exercise wherever you are.
Get comfy, focus on the breath, take a moment of gratitude for your day today. Namaste, Hazel x
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Blog posts written by me: Hazel Parsons | Hazel Lily YogaMore blog posts coming soon :) ... Archives
November 2023
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