Ujjayi Pranayama: Victorious Breath

Ujjayi Pranayama

In Sanskrit ‘ujjayi’ means ‘victorious’. In this pranayama you conquer or are victorious over the fluctuations of the mind. The sound of the breath is meant to be so absorbing that you are able to focus completely on the sound instead of getting wrapped up in your thoughts. The sound is created by partially closing the glottis while breathing. You may have also heard this referred to as the Ocean Sounding Breath.

This pranayama can be practiced at almost any time. You can practice this while walking around, before going to sleep to calm your mind, during a yoga asana practice to center your mind and after a yoga asana practice to continue channeling the energy/prana that was cultivated during the asana practice.

Benefits of Ujjayi Pranayama

• encourages your attention to turn inwards

• opens you up to a deeper level of awareness

• brings you into the present moment

• calms a racing mind

• lowers blood pressure

• regulates autonomic nervous system

• activates vagus nerve due to the slight pressure created in the throat
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How to Practice Ujjayi Pranayama

1. Sit comfortably, or even stand or lie down! Just be sure not to hunch forward as that will make it much harder to take in a full deep breath!

2. Breathe naturally and become aware of the natural sensations of breath moving in and out of your nostrils and wind pipe. If you are familiar with dirgha pranayama (the 3 part breath) begin to deepen your breath and practice dirgha, otherwise continue breathing normally.

3. Create a slight constriction at the back of your throat as if you are swallowing or fogging up a mirror with your breath (watch video below to see what I mean!)- making a “ha” or whisper sound at the back of your throat with your mouth closed.

4. Create this whisper sound with your throat as you breathe in and out through your nose. (It will be easier on the exhale than the inhale). The sound might remind you of the ocean…or Darth Vader! Even though you are breathing in and out through the nose the sound is really made in the throat.

5. Work towards making the sound as strong at the beginning of the inhale and exhale as it is at the end of the inhale and exhale. Continue strengthening the sound of the breath so that if someone were next to you they could hear you breathing. Try to make the sound of the breath louder than your thoughts!

6. Practice Sama Vritti (equal fluctuations/ equal inhale+exhale) breathing in for 4, exhaling for 4 (gradually lengthening both inhale and exhale perhaps up to 12 counts) or practice Asama Vritti (unequal fluctuations) making the exhale twice as long as the inhale- perhaps inhale for 4 and exhale for 8, or inhale for 6 exhale for 12. Making the exhale longer than the inhale is particularly soothing for the nervous system.

7. Take about 10 breaths. Then be sure to take a few minutes afterwards to just rest and feel the effects of ujjayi on your body/mind/spirit!

Words on Ujjayi Pranayama from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika:

VERSES 51 + 53

Closing the mouth, inhale with control and concentration through ida and pinball, so that the breath is felt from the throat to the heart and produces a sonorous sound.

This pranayama, called ujjayi, can be done while moving, standing, sitting or walking.

Down-regulating Breathing Patterns to Practice with Ujjayi

The following breathing patterns are very soothing for the nervous system and can be practiced with ujjayi.

1. Lengthen your exhale! This is the simplest thing to remember when you begin to feel agitated or anxious. See if you can work your way up to lengthening the exhale to twice the length of the inhale.
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2. The 4-7-8 breath. Inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8. In this breathing pattern the exhale is twice as long as the inhale but you also hold the breath for 7 counts before you exhale. Read below on the power of the pause during pranayama!
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3. Box breathing. Also known as sama vritti (sama=equal. the 2 breaths above would be considered asama vritti - asama=unequal). Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4 and so on. Apparently they teach this one to Navy SEALS!
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4. Coherent breathing. Inhale for 6 seconds. Exhale for 6 seconds. This adds up to about 5 breaths per minute.
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One of the keys to the great benefits all these breathing practices is that you're breathing more slowly than you normally would. Many people normally only inhale for 2-3 seconds and exhale for 2-3 seconds.

The Power of the Pause in Pranayama

rest in the space between breaths.
rest in the space between actions.
peace is in the pause.
settle there.
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part of the power of pranayama (yogic breath work) lies in the pause between inhales and exhales.
according to the sage Patanjali that’s all pranayama is- the gap between the inhale + exhale!
holding your breath at the top of the inhale for even just a moment is thought to allow for more time for the individual to absorb the prana (life force/energy).
holding your breath after exhale was said by Patanjali to be the key to removing any obstacle to yoga (yoga=union: union between 2 opposite poles of energy within us, union between individual self and universal self, etc…)
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practice the power of the pause in your breath and you will begin to see the power of the pause in your every day life.
over time as your nervous system begins to learn that it is safe to slow down (whether through yoga, somatic therapy, polyvagal exercises) and you allow yourself to pause you will uncover your innate ability to c h o o s e.
a new reality is revealed when you discover your ability to pause and choose how to respond to the world instead of automatically react.
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in that pause lies:
peace
spaciousness
and
possibility
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If you want to practice Kumbhaka (breath retention) begin first by noticing the natural pauses between your inhales and exhales and as you become comfortable resting in that pause begin to extend it 1 second a time- eventually playing with releasing the exhale only when your body cues you to do so.
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Happy Breathing!

Let me know in the comments what your experience of ujjayi was and let me know if you have any questions!

Dirgha Pranayama: The 3 Part Breath

You’re already breathing all day and all night so why take extra time out of your day just to do more of what you’re already doing? 

Although we are in fact breathing all day long many of us have a very shallow breathing pattern which results in a dampening of our life force (i.e. energy). When you take time to breathe with intention you create more space in the body/mind which creates more opportunity for energy to flow freely which makes you feel more alive!

Here’s some of what you might feel after several minutes of practicing Dirgha Pranayama:

• a sense of mental clarity

• a wave of calm and stability (due to the parasympathetic nervous system being activated)

• a boost of energy

• a physical sensation of openness

• a deeper connection to yourself and your true desires (this comes with the mental clarity!)

• a slowing down of racing thoughts

Pranayama (yogic breathing exercises) were developed to help the practitioner meditate with ease by unblocking the energy channels of the body/mind and therefore making it much easier to concentrate/dharana, so you can experience meditation/dhyana and ultimately experience enlightenment/samadhi (a direct and unmediated experience of reality). 

Prana=energy Yama=restraint/control OR ayama=extension/expansion.

The yoga community has not settled on whether it’s ayama or yama —either way, in pranayama practices we explore both the control and the expansion of breath. 

You could say we explore the expansion of energy through the control of the breath.

DIRGHA PRANAYAMA

Dirgha= stretched/long.

In this breath practice we are stretching out and lengthening the breath which helps to slow and deepen the breath, activating the parasympathetic nervous system while also creating a kind of internal massage for your organs!  

STEP 1: Sit in a comfortable seated position (or try lying on the ground if you feel any discomfort doing this while seated).

STEP 2: While breathing in and out of your nose begin to notice the natural pace and depth of your breath. (If it feels comfortable close your eyes to help turn your attention inwards.)

STEP 3: Place a hand on your belly and softly begin to expand your belly on your inhale…and draw your belly towards your spine on the exhale. 

Continue 2-3 more times. 

Keep the belly soft. Your belly might feel really tight and you might feel like you need to force and push your belly to expand. No need to do this. With time the belly will expand with more ease. 

STEP 4: This time, as you inhale, practice allowing your ribs to flare out to the sides. It can be helpful to place your hands on your ribs and feel them expand.

Exhale and release the ribs. 

Repeat 2-3 more times.

STEP 5: Inhale into your chest, perhaps feeling the clavicle/collarbone lift. 

STEP 6: Once you feel comfortable breathing into your belly, ribs, and chest combine all 3.

In one fluid breath feel your belly fill, then your ribs flare, and then your collarbone lift. 

Exhale and let it all go.

STEP 6: Set your timer for anywhere from 1-10 minutes and practice filling belly, ribs, and chest on the inhale, and completely emptying your lungs on the exhale. 

Aim for slow, fluid, deep breaths. 

STEP 7: For one minute (or more!) just sit and notice the effects of Dirgha Pranayama on your body, mind, and spirit. (Noticing the after effects is just as important as actually doing the pranayama!)

DOES DIRGHA FEEL CHALLENGING FOR YOU?

Are you finding it easy to inflate your belly on the inhale or does it feel like a bit of a struggle?

When I first started Dirgha my belly felt really tight! I found out I had been a reverse breather all my life! I was drawing my belly in when I inhaled instead of letting it expand out. Not only did this lead to less mobility in my abdomen it also defaulted my breathing pattern to chest breathing which made me feel like I could never really take in a full breath which then led me to feeling anxious!

Even if you’re not a reverse breather you might still find you feel tightness around your belly— if that’s the case see if you can encourage a subtle and soft filling of the belly instead of forcing it to inflate beyond what feels comfortable and natural. Be gentle with your practice and gradually you might find that over time the breath deepens with more ease.

DOES DIRGHA INCREASE YOUR ANXIETY INSTEAD OF SOOTHE IT?

Your emotions and your breathing pattern are intimately connected. This is why breath work can be a great tool for emotional regulation. This is also why it could have the opposite effect and actually create dysregulation in some people. 

Anxiety and fear often create a fast and shallow breathing pattern while joy and contentment create a slower and fuller breathing pattern  (there are exceptions).🔹 For some people who live in a more anxious state focusing on the breath could increase awareness of the shallow/fast breathing pattern which could potentially make it worse. 🔹For some people who have experienced trauma (especially trauma relating to trouble breathing or feeling close to death) having to focus on the breath and in particular having to control the breath (as we do in pranayama) can be extremely triggering. 🔹For some people who have been living in a hyperaroused flight/flight state for a long time the muscles/fascia of the torso are chronically tight so getting the belly to expand when inhaling feels near to impossible. if this is the case for you but you’d like to learn to belly breathe know that you can take it slowly, be gentle with your belly, never force it to expand. gradually, overtime you may find it becomes easier to expand the belly.

if you are in a yoga class or any other setting where you are practicing breathwork know that you have full permission to take your attention off of your breath. 

🔹orient yourself to the present moment by connecting to your 5 senses

🔹look around and bring your attention to a few different objects that interest you and be curious about colors, texture, shape.

🔹notice what you smell and taste, if anything.

🔹tune in to sounds around you bringing attention to far away sounds and nearby sounds.

🔹feel your feet on the earth.

🔹tune in to any other body part that feels neutral.

Above all: tune in to self-compassion. Allow this experience to be as it is knowing it will pass. Find refuge in the present moment and approach your exploration of the five senses with curiosity and compassion.

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OK SO NOW YOU HAVE THE BASICS OF DIRGHA DOWN— WHAT’S NEXT?

1. Try practicing it at different times and see what feels good to you! Do it when you wake up, at your desk, in the shower, washing dishes… start integrating it into your every day life giving yourself a quick little internal massage and energy cleansing!

2. Make it even more relaxing and down-regulating for your nervous system by making your exhale longer than your inhale! .Start out by inhaling to a count of 4 and exhaling to a count of 4 and gradually lengthen the exhale to a count of 8.

3. Add a visualization! Visualize your favorite color entering and exiting your body. Visualize peaceful + loving energy entering your body on the inhale and fearful + dark energy leaving your body on the exhale.

4. Add a mantra! Inhale I make space for all that I am. Exhale I release all I am not.

5. Add breath retention! Explore holding your breath in for several counts at the top of your inhale. Rest in the steadiness, stillness and spaciousness of that moment.

What do the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali say about pranayama and breath retention?

…Sage Patanjali defines pranayama as the gap between inhalation and exhalation. Pranayama is usually considered to be the practice of controlled inhalation and exhalation combined with retention. However, technically speaking, it is only retention. Inhalation and exhalation are methods of inducing retention. Retention is most important because it allows a longer period for assimilation of prana, just as it allows more time for the exchange of gases in the cells, i.e. oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Sage Patanjali further says that retention of breath after expiration removes the obstacles to yoga. Yoga is the union of the two poles of energy within us. In mundane awareness these poles are separate from each other. In transcendental awareness these poles come closer together, and during retention the poles come closest together. Breath retention must be developed in order to stop the fluctuations of the brain and mind so that a more expansive type of experience can develop.

- Hatha Yoga Pradipika

CREATE A WHOLE MORNING RITUAL AROUND YOUR PRANAYAMA PRACTICE!

1. Light a candle…ring a bell… do something special to mark the beginning of your ritual.

2. Set an intention that you can embody in both your practice and throughout your day.

   • i.e. if your intention is “I move through life with ease and grace” explore how it feels to embody that intention as you breathe!

3. Take a moment to move your body in any way that feels good. Not sure where to start? Explore the 6 movements of the spine: forward flexion, extension, lateral flexion/extension (side bend), and rotation (a spinal twist). Check out this 10 minute practice that moves through the 6 movements of the spine.

4. Scan your body and mind. Check in with yourself. What is the current state of your body/mind and how does your breath move within that container?

5. Practice pranayama.

6. Feel the effects of the pranayama.

7. Meditate.

8. Reflect again on your intention for the day.

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE BREATH!

As a psychotherapist I’ve seen some powerful moments of emotional release precipitated by the client daring to breathe a little more deeply.

A soft belly, a deep inhale, a slow exhale…it’s enough to release tears that have been held back for years.

Sometimes we don’t realize to what extent we’ve been holding the breath.

It is powerful to be present with your breath- even without changing it- just being present with it as it is.

Allowing it to be.

Feeling the body pulse with the waves of breath. 

Feeling the gentleness

the vulnerability 

the gentle expansion and contraction.

Wishing you deeper breaths and greater joy.

In this week’s mini yin practice I’m contemplating the “powerful unbounded consciousness” that I am. As I practice I visualize softening the boundary of skin and flesh that “separates” me from all that is. I allow my mind to soften along with my skin, my muscles, my ego. As I allow all this to melt my breath is allowed more room to expand and my spirit to expand with it. I am not “trying” to expand, but allowing it to be as powerful and unbounded as it is.

Shoelace: this pose can be quite intense in that it creates a lot of sensation in the hips. The knees are meant to be stacked one on top of the other but if this is too uncomfortable feel free to place a block/blanket between the knees or outstretch and straighten the bottom leg so only the top leg is bent. Breeaaaathe deeply in this pose. Continuously remind yourself to soften your face. Often the pleasure in this pose is in the release! Stay upright for 3-5 minutes or begin to fold forward after a minute if it feels good in your body.
When you release this pose you might feel creaky and achey. Take your time as you outstretch your legs, lean into your hands and let yourself feel the echo of the pose in your body.

Melting Heart: If hanging out here feels uncomfortable you might like to try this with a prop under your elbows/triceps! Inhale expansive energy through the crown of your head, exhale limiting beliefs through the heart center. 

Bridge: In the image the block is at the highest setting but you could even try this with a couple of pillows under your sacrum for a more restorative version. What is your relationship to having your heart open and vulnerable? Do you feel better able to allow the heart to be open when the back feels supported? As you lie here, with each exhale can you soften your resistance to allowing the front body and the heart to open?

Legs up/snail: Lie here and contemplate the existence of your toes! If it feels good in your body you can drop your legs straight back behind your head into Snail pose (or what you might know as Plow Pose) either keeping you legs straight, or bending them and bringing the knees to the ears. 

Always take several breaths between each pose to rest+feel

Hakini Mudra

Finding it easier to drop in to your meditation session when using a mantra but want to take your level of focus (dharana) to the next level? Hakini mudra to the rescue! This is the mudra for focus, concentration, memory, and clarity. ⁠

This is my go to mudra before I need to sit down for a couple hours of paper writing. ⁠

In Hakini mudra we create a complete circuit of energy in the body by bringing the fingers to touch. It is said that this mudra helps to bring together the right and left hemispheres of the brain. ⁠
When I practice Hakini mudra I like to imagine all my scattered energy being drawn back into the center where I can allow it to settle. ⁠

Sit with this mudra for anywhere from 2-10 minutes or until you feel ready to focus on your task at hand!

Let me know if you try it out! ⁠

This sequence begins with 3 forward folds for encouraging introversion and focus. 

Hold each pose for 3-5 minutes. 

1. Caterpillar: unlike your classic seated forward fold make sure your feet are not flexed and the muscles in the legs are relaxed. USE AS MANY PROPS AS NEEDED! Sit on a blanket/cushion. Place blocks/bolster/blanket under knees. Place a bolster/pillows on your legs to support your torso. Prop up your head with fists. As you rest here you might imagine thoughts draining out of your forehead as you allow the earth to absorb them. After 3-5 minutes slowly release the pose by bringing your hands behind you to prop yourself up. Sit & feel the echo of the pose in your body.

2. Butterfly: Same rules apply here: make sure you support yourself as much as necessary. If you find it hurts to have your knees bent in this way make sure you place something underneath. Now that you have dropped in to your body with caterpillar you might be ready to begin shifting into the “flow” phase. Connect with a sense of flow in your body. Even if you do not feel any flow you can encourage it by deepening your breath and/or visualizing that the sensations you feel are flowing through your entire body instead of remaining stagnant. 

3. Sleeping Swan: (aka pigeon). This pose often stirs up a lot of sensation. Can you take a step back from the sensation and observe it without judgement? Notice the ebb&flow of sensation&breath. In this pose practice cultivating your ability to witness your experience without reacting. Even when you have a desire to move can you observe the sensation and just let that be? (if you have a desire to move because you are in pain- please move!)

4. Supported Side Bend: in this pose you place a bolster/pillows under the side of the torso underneath the armpit. You can have the knees bent or straight. The arms can be alongside the ears if comfortable. After a minute or so you might keep the knees/legs where they are as you roll on to your back into a supine twist. This is the pose to “let go”. To let yourself be. Allow. Surrender. Nothing to do but just be. 

Taking 20 minutes to do this could totally turn your day around! Let me know if you try it!

Mantra Meditation

"Dharana", the sanskrit word for “concentration” is the sixth limb of the eight limbs of yoga. Once the mind is focused you can meditate, which is “dhyana” the seventh limb. Then comes “samadhi”, or “enlightenment”, the eighth limb. These three final limbs can also be thought of as “focus, flow, and let go”. (I think I first heard that from my teacher Sudhir Jonathan Foust). ⁠⠀
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For there to be freedom in the mind there must first be focus. We can find that focus through mantra meditation.⁠⠀
As I mentioned last week 98% of our thoughts are the same thoughts we thought yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that! Mantra meditation is a great way to insert a new thought into your daily thought carousel, and a great way to focus the mind for meditation.⁠⠀
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So far I’ve shared the mantra “my roots run deep into the center of the living earth” and I will continue to share more. You also can make up your own phrase or just choose a word.

Some to get you started:

1. OM

2. I am that I am

3. I am enough

4. I am where I am meant to be

5. Peace

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In meditation you can choose many things to focus on: breath, sound, sensation, etc… no matter what you choose to focus on all you have to do is come back to your point of focus every time you realize you have wandered off into some fantasy or a rabbit hole of thoughts. In this case you will come back to your mantra. ⁠⠀
You can repeat the mantra in your mind until you feel you’ve “dropped in” to a flow state and are ready to let go of it. You could also begin by repeating it out loud, then whisper it, then just repeat it in your head. ⁠⠀

Try it out and see how it goes!⁠⠀
Happy mantra-ing! ⁠⠀

Ksepana Mudra

The mudra for letting go. ⠀
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I have experienced feeling fairly “empty” after practicing this mudra so If you would like to add Ksepana mudra to this week’s Yin practice (see previous post) I would suggest sitting in meditation with the mudra for a few minutes and then transitioning into the yin poses to ground you and get you back into your body. ⠀
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Ksepana mudra is for emptying yourself of negative energy to make space for new and positive energy! Negative energy includes physical ailments and negative thoughts, experiences, and memories. ⠀
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As you hold the mudra visualize what you want to let go of and imagine you can let go a little bit more with each exhaaaaale. ⠀
You can hold the mudra in front of your heart, or point your fingers down in a gesture of letting go and releasing. If you are lying down you can point the fingers towards your feet. ⠀

Sit with this mudra for a few minutes, add it to your meditation, or begin and/or close your yin or other asana practice with it!
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Let me know if you try it- and how it feels!! Happy mudra-ing! ⠀

Allot about 20 minutes for this sequence. No props needed!

Hold each pose for 3-5 minutes. (Insight Timer is a wonderful app with tibetan bowl sounds for the alarm instead of the harsher alarm sounds that come with our phones.)

1. CHILDS POSE: knees as wide as feels comfortable, big toes together, arms extended but remember to allow the muscles to be passive! If too much weight is in your knees when you bring your forehead to the floor bring something under your forehead so the weight goes back towards your heels.
2. SPHINX: if you have tight neck and shoulders this pose can be uncomfortable at first but stick with it! See what it’s like to just be supported by your bones and let the muscles “melt”.

3. HALF FROG: take just 1 minute on each side to give your lower back a break after all that compression from Sphinx pose!
4. STIRRUP: for those of you who have done Happy Baby in a yoga class you might be surprised at how holding Stirrup for a few minutes can be a bit uncomfortable. What is it like to breathe into the discomfort? (note: do not breathe into pain! If it’s pain just let the pose go/back off. Discomfort is different than pain!) Between the poses take a minute to just breathe and feel the echo of the pose in your body. 

I heard someone say once that Yin yoga is a bitter practice with a sweet result (was it Bernie Clarke who said this?). Some of the poses can be very pleasurable when holding them, but more often than not the real pleasure comes from the release. 

PRANAYAMA FOR LETTING GO:

To deepen the experience of letting go of the old to make room for the new add some breath and a visualization to your Yin practice! This breath works especially well in Childs Pose and Sphinx. 
1. as you inhale imagine drawing the breath in through the crown of your head and visualize the breath/energy moving down your back all the way to the base of the spine. 
2. as you exhale visualize the breath/energy moving back up your spine and pouring out of your heart (or you might visualize it pouring out of your chest)
3. Continue like this or add the visual of drawing into your body on the inhale what you would like to draw into your life and on the exhale releasing what you would like to get rid of. 

note: illustrations are a collaboration between me and my mom but most of the credit goes to her

My Roots Run Deep Into the Center of the Living Earth

Post holiday rest  *part 2*

Did you do the yin poses from part 1 but still feel a bit disconnected, scattered and ungrounded ? Calm and center the mind and body even more by adding the very grounding “bhu mudra” either in seated meditation before and/or after the yin poses, or even incorporate it into the yin poses. 

To do the Bhu mudra simply place the tips of your peace fingers on the ground as shown in the image. 

Option to add the mantra: 

“my roots run deep into the center of the living earth.” 

(not sure if the credit for this mantra goes to Jennifer Reis or Joseph LePage?)

Close your meditation practice or yin practice with the intention of offering some of the peace and joy you experienced in the last 20 minutes to those who made it possible for you to have these 20 undisturbed minutes to yourself 🙏

What is Yin Yoga?

In the future I will go even more in depth into Yin yoga but for now here is what you need to know:

• Yin yoga has its roots not only in the yogic practices from India but also in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Taoist yoga. Just like TCM uses acupuncture to help unblock Qi/energy by inserting needles along meridian lines (channels in the body through which energy flows)  the practice of yin yoga unblocks energy by applying pressure to those same meridian lines. (If you’re familiar with yogic “nadis”, meridians are essentially the same thing). 

• Yin yoga accesses the fascia, connective tissues, tendons, and ligaments instead of the muscles (which we access in yang yoga styles like vinyasa). We do this by entering the poses without warming up and holding the pose for 3-5 minutes which is the amount of time it takes to rehydrate the connective tissues and restore flexibility. 

• In the 3-5 minutes we hold the pose we only move if we are in pain and need to modify or if the body begins to open up and allows us to sink more deeply into the pose. Otherwise we find stillness and surrender. In Yin yoga we have the opportunity to allow, accept, and be (as opposed to do). 

• Sometimes when we come out of a yin pose we feel a bit stiff and achey- this is normal. Exit the pose slowly and take a minute to just sit and feel the effects of the pose. 

 A COUPLE OF MY THOUGHTS ON YIN YOGA…

1. People who practice yoga often talk about having an experience of a “yoga high” after practicing and I have to say that the particular yoga high I experience after a yin yoga class is what really got me hooked on this approach to yoga. 

2. After ten years of trying different meditation techniques I finally figured out how to approach meditation after diving deep into yin yoga. Yin yoga taught me how to be with discomfort and observe my experience without needing to change it. This profoundly shifted my meditation practice, and my whole life. 

Have you tried yin yoga? what did you think? 

Stay tuned for the first in my 20 minute self care series!!

Coming Home with Dirgha

Dirgha Pranayama is useful in and of itself, but you can have fun taking it a step further by adding a visualization and seeing where that takes you. 

As I’ve mentioned before, one of my goals when practicing yoga and meditation is to feel at home within myself: comfortable, at ease, totally, and vibrantly…”myself”. I love layering a visualization on to Dirgha to help me get to that place.  One visual I use is imagining myself growing large enough to contain ALL that I am on the inhale, and letting go of everything cluttering my mind, body, and spirit on the exhale.

You might have to put this into your own words to make it work for you, so, experiment !

You might imagine it is your body that is growing large, or perhaps your sprit, or your mind. Whatever helps you to feel that you are big enough to contain all that you are. Your quiet self, your loud self, your daughter self, your sister self, your lover self, your angry self, your musician self, your wild self, your student self, your spirit self... all of it. Or perhaps you want to focus on being big enough to contain all that a moment is, all that another person is, all that a place is, etc.. alter it to fit what it is you feel you most need.

And for the exhale? You likely know what it is you need to let go of. Thoughts, feelings, concepts, c l u t t e r of the mind, body, spirit. 

This is just a suggestion. Your experience of Dirgha doesn’t have to lead to a certain place. Experiment and find what feels good for you. Perhaps you love Dirgha without anything else added!

p l a y ! Have FUN on this journey. And when in doubt? Just breathe.

Let me know your thoughts ! Do you find it helpful to use visualization, or do you prefer the simple and straightforward act of intentional breath work? Feel free to comment here or contact me directly with any questions or for further guidance!

Happy Breathing! 

Why bother breathing?

Have you tried Dirgha yet? (pronounced DEER-GAH)

You already breathe all day…and all night…so why take the time to breathe a little differently?

Breathing slowly and deeply can take your autonomic nervous system from fight or flight (sympathetic nervous system) to rest and digest (parasympathetic nervous system).

In other words: it’s  r e l a x i n g. 

Have you already tried out Dirgha but didn’t find it particularly relaxing? Try making your exhales longer than your inhales. This has been proven to help activate the parasympathetic nervous system. 

B E N E F I T S I’ve experienced from Dirgha Pranayama:

• Helps my mind to  s l o w  down, let go of unnecessary thoughts (which is…most of them), and press a mental reset button! 
• Breathing slowly and deeply into the three parts of my torso has helped me develop body awareness- i.e. awakening sensitivity to what my body needs.
• Breathing with intention helps me return to the present moment. (studies have proven that people are FAR happier when they are focused on the present moment).
• I feel as if I’m creating space in my body on the inhale and releasing tension on the exhale- both physically and mentally!
• I’m able to let go of external influences and return back to my home within- my homebase- a sense of returning back to a place that feels more authentically "me". 
• In a world where there are so many things to draw my attention outwards it is vitally important to my mental health that I have a practice that can help draw me back inwards.

So, have you tried Dirgha yet? If so, let us know in the comments what benefits you’ve experienced! If not- check out my last post for a little instruction, and feel free to reach out with any questions! Happy breathing! 

Dirgha Pranayama

My first offering is s i m p l e,  e a s y, and  f u n d a m e n t a l. 

 It is  D I R G H A  pranayama

(Otherwise known as the complete yogic breath, or the 3 part breath.)

In Sanskrit Dirgha= stretched or long, and Pranayama=the extension or restraint of Life Force/the breath. 

If you are new to meditation or yoga this is a great place to start. I’d even say it’s THE place to start! If you’re not interested in meditation or yoga and you just want a way to chill out + feel more grounded—this is also for you!

This week try carving out 5 minutes a day to practice this breath. You could even do just a total of 2 minutes! 1 minute of breathing and 1 minute just to notice the after effects. Try it when you wake up, before going to sleep, or when you need to press the reset button during the day.

STEP 1: Sit in a comfortable seated position (or try lying on the ground if you feel any discomfort or difficulty doing this while seated).

STEP 2: While breathing in and out of your nose begin to notice the natural pace and depth of your breath. (If it feels comfortable close your eyes to help turn your attention inwards and become aware of the subtleties of your breath.)

STEP 3: Place a hand on your belly and softly begin to expand your belly on your inhale, and draw your belly towards your spine on the exhale. Continue 2-3 more times.

STEP 4: Fill the belly on the inhale and draw in a little more air as you allow your ribs to flare out to the sides (this is intercostal breathing). Exhale and release the ribs and the belly. (You might practice flaring the ribs on the inhale without expanding the belly if it feels easier to isolate this step at first)

STEP 5: Once you feel comfortable with filling the belly and flaring the ribs, take in your biggest breath of the day so you feel your belly fill, your ribs flare, and your collarbone lift. Exhale and let it all go. (It is not necessary to release the belly, ribs, and collarbone in any particular order.)

STEP 6: Set your timer for one minute and practice filling belly, ribs, and chest on the inhale, and fully emptying your lungs on the exhale. Alternating between a sense of fullness on the inhale and emptiness on the exhale.

STEP 7: For another minute just sit and notice the effects of Dirgha Pranayama on your body, mind, and spirit. (Noticing the after effects is just important as actually doing the pranayama!)

Stay tuned throughout the week for more tips and info on Dirgha Pranayama! 

Happy practicing, and feel free to reach out with any questions!