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Learning to Breathe
Written By: Ashby Underwood - Yoga Highlands | Issue: 2016/11 - November | Photograph By: Sarah Valentine
Have you ever kept a pace in your life that only seemed to get faster, while at the same time you felt more worn down than ever?
In several traditional eastern philosophies people are thought to be born with only a certain number of breaths for a lifetime. Whether we pant throughout a busy day with shallow breathing, or lengthen each breath to experience a more present and longer attention to life, that is a moment-to-moment choice.
When I first starting practicing yoga, the physical yoga postures were my main focus, maybe my only focus! It happens to all of us…
“Am I doing this right?” Our eyes search outwardly for the teacher and the right form. If we as students are uncertain, confused, or “being led” too often in the practice, then our concentration is too outward to experience the peace that yoga offers. Just like a fast-paced life, we get too caught up in the outer circumstances and can get carried away from enjoying the present.
The truth is that on a daily basis we manipulate our breath much more than we manipulate our body, almost holding our breath still while we move through our daily habits. Learning to live fully in each moment happens by developing connected breathing, when we can let our breath be the guide.
Taking a yoga class is a first step in learning how our body, breath, mind and longevity are linked. Our breath is the space-maker and the time-slower. Our breath resets our attention to what is important. Our breath is a key to our healing. Inflammation, anxiety, depression, heart-break, grief, memory-loss, awkwardness, the list goes on of what discomfort a conscious breath practice will attend to.
Understanding the full potential of your breath can come from practice with a qualified yoga teacher with clear intention. Subtle awareness in the mind can bring both empowerment and vulnerability. There may be personal reasons that you were panting before and not diving deep into life’s experiences. As you let go of the holding patterns around your breath, healing happens, and so does ease.
Set aside time in your day to learn the breath techniques, claim your breath as a precious gift, and cultivate your sanctity, sanity, and perhaps a longer life.
