Former yoga teacher in Wellington New Zealand
Pranayama refers to practices or techniques to moderate, change or influence how we breath. It can involve changing the pace, quantity and method of breathing. Scientific research has shown many benefits while historic yoga texts outline pranayama as one of the practices leading to mind-body connection and connection with the greater consciousness.
Yoga and research have shown that lengthening your exhale can help trigger the relaxation response. This audio recording talks you through the steps starting with 1) breath awareness, 2) finding an even breath, 3) lengthening the exhale, and 4) then returning to the even breath.
Learning to control and change your breathing patterns can be difficult when you are first starting. It’s helpful to start with basic simple and easy practices.
This brief audio recording walks through how to do alternate nostril breathing including an option to visual the practice if you would rather not use your fingers to control your nostrils.
I’m not sure who came up with the idea of taking a deep breath to relax. But unfortunately, it’s a very unhelpful suggestion. Breathing deep will not relax your body. Instead it leads to hyperventilation (too much oxygen) and that
This breathing practice or pranayama is helpful for relaxing. It involves matching the length of your inhale to your exhale. I’ve previously described how to do this breathing practice but it can be easier listening to someone rather than reading
If you don’t want to lie down on the floor from last week’s options for cooling down with yoga, there are other options. Some of the breathing practices from yoga also trigger the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) which tells your
This week’s tip is one of my favourite breathing techniques to help relax. Read through the directions first and then try the practice. And as with any breathing practice, if it doesn’t feel right or you experience tension, stop the
One of the great aspects of yoga is paying attention to how you breath and connecting your breath to movement in your body. I often give cues in class to inhale or exhale. This isn’t a cue to take the biggest breath