My Yoga Homework
1. Mindful breath: awareness of inhale and exhale, without changing or judging breath; beginning to draw internal focus. Observe length, rhythm, temperature, sensation of abdomen or chest rising and falling.
2. Conscious breath: (aka belly or diaphragmatic) Place hands on belly, just below navel. Exhale completely while drawing navel in toward spine. Relaxing abdominal muscles, allow belly to rise upward and outward as if filling a balloon with air. (very calming, increases vital capacity)
3. Three-part breath: Place hand first on belly, experiencing conscious breath for a few breaths. Next, place a hand on the ribcage, breathe first into belly and then into the ribcage for a few breaths. Next, move a hand to the chest. Breathe first into belly, then ribs, then chest, as if filling a glass of water. Exhale from the top down, as if emptying a glass of water.
4. Equalizing breath: Inhale for a count of 4, pause very slightly, exhale for a count of 4, pause, repeat. (deepens breath and increases focus). The cool thing about this is that you can use it as either an energizing breath or a calming one. Inhaling for a longer count = energizing; Exhaling for a longer count = relaxing.
5. Alternate Nostril Breathing: Place your index and middle fingers of your right hand in the middle of the forehead, thumb on right nostril, ring and little fingers on left nostril. Close your right nostril, inhale through the left, deeply but without strain. Close the left nostril as you exhale through the right, followed by inhaling through the right. (Balances left and right sides of brain and really good for emotional stress)
PackOne said:
I am trying number five today.
June 19th, 2008 at 6:36 am #
Citizen Wausau » Blog Archive » Your Voice for June 23rd said:
[…] • Dino Corvino – you know Dino? – offers instructions on some very Eastern-sounding breathing methods. […]
June 23rd, 2008 at 2:56 pm #