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Take Your Yoga Off the Mat: An Introduction to ...

During this uncertain time, more than ever, our yoga practice has a LOT to offer us. The challenges we’re facing are various and different people will, of course, be suffering in different ways and to different degrees.

But if you practice yoga, or are interested in it, now is a really good time to find new ways of taking your yoga off the mat and integrating it into your way of life. Really, that’s what yoga is — it’s never just postures on a mat. Sometimes, we need the motivation of new challenges to make us see that.

Take Your Yoga Off the Mat: An Introduction to the Itties

Breathing practices

Abdominal Breathing for Happiness and Health

Abdominal Breathing for Happiness and Health

One of the most important contributing factors to life, health and longevity is the way we breathe. In fact, breath is the very essence of our life force.

 

The best breathing technique is the one that is most efficient, moving the most air in and out of the lungs with the least effort. In this respect, abdominal breathing wins.

 

While infants and small children naturally breathe exclusively with their diaphragms, as we grow into adults, we tend to lose this habit and ability. This can be due to physical and mental tension, poor posture, tight clothing, and unhealthy lifestyle habits.

 

The first step to improving quality of life through the breath is to

An Introduction to Pranayama and Natural Breath Awareness

An Introduction to Pranayama and Natural Breath Awareness

If you’ve ever been to a yoga class, you may have heard the Sanskrit word pranayama — but what does it actually mean?

 

Prana means ‘life force’; the energy that courses through the body. Ayama means ‘to extend’. So pranayama is the practice of expanding and extending prana, energy.

 

In yoga, this is done by learning techniques to control and direct the breath, as breath is the vehicle that carries the prana. These techniques allow you to alter your physical and mental state of being by controlling your breath.

 

There are a number of different breathing exercises that are typically practiced within yoga. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring some of them in more detail — so come back soon for further pondering on pranayama!

 

WHAT DOES PRANAYAMA DO?
 

A growing body of scientific research highlights the benefits of pranayama practices; for example, this study by Bangalore University suggests that when practised correctly, breathing exercises can have a positive impact on mental and physical health.
 

Pranayama can:

•    Reduce emotional and physical tension

•    Help with stress and anxiety, and be a useful tool for managing...