When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, and others build windmills
Chinese Proverb

Tree in wind

Pranayama - liberate your breathing

The breath is a bridge, a practical link between mind and body. Most of the time your breathing is unconscious, reacting and adapting to the world around you, to your body and to your emotions seamlessly, and without effort.  When you’re stressed, exercising, in pain, happy or anxious, your breathing will change automatically to fit the situation. If you’re permanently stressed and anxious, your breathing will stay high and shallow, using only a small portion of your lungs.

 Often when enthusiastic students come to class for the first time, they make lots of effort with their breathing. How very western – to get better at something we try even harder! Sometimes they feel dizzy or even a bit sick with the sudden rush of oxygen pushed into their system.

 In yoga, breathing practices are called ‘pranayama’. There’s a bit of debate here, but the view I follow is that this is a synthesis of prana – the energy of life, like ‘chi’ in traditional Chinese medicine and ayama – which means liberation. Liberating the breath is to set it free, to open the gates and allow it to move unhindered. You don’t need to force it, the breath will open and fill new space in its own time. Your breathing habits weren’t formed in an hour and half, so accept that this may not change in a single yoga class, it is a longer journey, like a flower coming into blossom. Your breath is intertwined with prana – your energy and therefore with your health in mind and body too. It’s under both conscious and unconscious control, so can be used to affect the automatic and unconscious functions of your body – like your blood pressure, heart rate and your subconscious mind.

 Classical or traditional pranayama are very powerful and best practiced with a teacher – like ujaii (victorious) breathing, nadi shodhana (cleaning the energy pathways or alternate nostril breathing) or kapalbhati (shining skull). There are some simple practices though that you can experience right now.

 Let the out breath grow and lengthen naturally – like a sigh, go limp, let go, pause, empty, then breathe in again. This will work any time you’re feeling stressed. Some students find it easier to do with soft lips, gently blowing away the breath out. You get a better idea by blowing bubbles. You can’t puff too hard, the bubbles will pop rather than float out. It’s a great practice for stressed mums, amusing little ones at the same time. A longer breath out than breath in is your body’s natural cue to relax.

 Also become mindful. Notice if your breathing stops when you concentrate– are you holding the breath in, or holding the breath out? As soon as you notice, you can let the breath flow. What situations trigger this? Is it family? Work? Feeling out of control? Or something else? You’ll know to notice again when the situation appears.

 It’s also useful to open up the body for your breath to deepen, to undo the places you block and hold – some emotional, so physical habits. Twists stretch the muscles between your ribs, opening up the breath in the centre, chest openers like gomukhasana also release tight shoulders, opening the lungs. Be aware of relaxing the tummy – tension here can restrict the diaphragm and cut off your breathing short. This can be emotional tension.

 Take one minute now, breathing, noticing with awareness. Just one minute. Treat yourself!

 Next strong bones and spacious joints for room to move.

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