Sometimes, I feel like, “oh, I don’t have an hour to practice yoga, so I just won’t practice today.” But, then, I have to remind myself that yoga is not just a practice to be done on a mat. And, it is not just a movement practice. There are many aspects of yoga and they are called the 8 limbs of yoga. Here’s a basic outline that I find helpful:
Yamas- these are practices that help us guide our interactions with other people
Niyamas- these are practices that inform our view of the world
Asana- the physical postures that we typically think of when we think of yoga
Pranayama- the practice of controlling the breath to cultivate our prana, or “vital life force”
Pratyahara- this is a practice of cultivating our internal awareness
Dharana- a practice of concentration to still the mind with focus
Dhyana- a practice of cultivating awareness without attachment or judgement
Samadhi- a feeling of being one with the Universe
The art of controlling the breath to cultivate our prana is achieved through many practices. There are practices to calm the nervous system, to reduce stress, to decrease the heart rate, to balance our energy, to help us rest, to help us awaken, to improve performance, and the list could go on.
According to a meditation training I completed under Tracee Stanley, there are 8 qualities to the breath.
Diaphragmatic breath
Inhale and exhale through the nose
Breath is barely audible
Breath is smooth and steady
Breath is relaxed(received, not taken)
Breath grows deep
Breath becomes circular
Inhale:exhale is 1:1 and balanced between the right and the left nostril
With all of the varied breath patterns and practices, how can you incorporate it into your day? An intentional breathing practice is something you can do in just a few breaths or for many breaths. That way, you can find little bits of time throughout your day to come back to your breath. To me, it’s a way of coming back home to myself. A moment to settle and be calm amidst the chaos. A moment just for me to receive when I find I am giving to everyone around me.
If you’d like to try a guided practice that incorporates the 8 qualities of the breath, listen to the audio today. There’s a guided practice that starts at about the 3-minute mark.
Take good care,
Sharon