Breathing consciously is the anchor in yoga and aids the connection to the subtle energy within.
At the start of each practice, we are encouraged to sit and observe the way the breath is moving through the body, in and out of the nostrils.
Nostril breathing is important because we have two major energy paths that transport prana (life force), through the spine which end at each nostril. These two paths represent basic duality in life. It is this duality that we traditionally know as masculine and feminine. The right nostril represents fight or flight (masculine) and the left nostril aids calm and rest (feminine).
Flow-style yoga incorporates movement with the breath encouraging the link between the physical, mental and emotional states of mind. Once the connection has been made we start to notice a deeper sense of presence. Living more in the moment than in the past or future. We begin to notice during the practice how the breath changes depending on how we are moving on the mat and this remains our focus throughout.
Through the breath, we are able to navigate different levels of consciousness. It has a biological effect on our mental, emotional and physical states. We learn to trust our heart and intuition, we learn to harness our dreams and aspirations and have the confidence and determination to see them through. Each time we roll the mat out we are honouring our breath, honouring our body, our mind and ultimately our reality.
Then over time, the breath becomes so conscious that we notice it even when we are not physically practising yoga. We use this awareness to help us through all of life's challenges and also in those magical moments when we notice beautiful things or wonderful experiences. The clarity our breath provides guides us towards a deeper understanding of this duality of life. We breathe in and expand and open and we breathe out and release.
Here is a simple practice you can do right now sitting in your chair.
Sit up straight and ground your feet on the floor
Place your hands, palms facing up on your legs
Bring your chin parallel to the floor
Close your eyes
Begin to notice your breath in and out of your nose
Notice the flow of air in your right nostril then notice your left nostril
Count your inhale from 1, 2, 3 and so on
Count your exhale from 1, 2, 3 and so on
Continue counting your breath for 22 rounds
One round consists of a inhale and exhale
When you are finished sit and notice how you feel
A great way to get into the habit of breathing consciously is to schedule a reminder into your phone mid-morning and mid-afternoon to do twenty-two rounds of counting breaths.
Once you have done this do let me know how it went for you in the comments below.