Health & Beauty
Monday, 10 August 2009 05:08
Written by Yoga 109

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Yoga tips every week from Yoga 109

Breathe like a Yogi

A fundamental part of learning yoga is learning the art of listening – listening to your body and listening to your breath.

In most yoga classes emphasis is placed on bringing awareness to the breath (the fact that you are breathing), and on how to control your breath (pranayama).

What’s the difference between regular breathing and pranayama?
Regular breathing is largely an unconscious action, neither trying to control or change the rhythm, you simply inhale and exhale without thinking about it. Pranayama is a conscious action of controlling the inhalations, exhalations and the gaps between each.

The benefits of practicing pranayama regularly are quite quick for the student:
- Improved digestion, circulation and metabolism
- Improved concentration (keeps you present)
- Increased energy
- Calms the mind

Tips
It is more beneficial to make your inhalations longer than your exhalations when practicing yoga postures. Inhalations are considered to be heating for the body and exhalations cooling. You should generally enter a posture on an inhale and surrender deeper into it with an exhale.

Learn some Yoga Terms
yoga = union
prana = energy, breath
pranayama = breath control

“Breathing in I calm my body. Breathing out I smile.” -Thich Nat Hanh

Written and sponsored by Yoga 109.

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