It’s the breathing, stupid
After a class at Glenunga I had a Bill Clinton moment. While everyone in the class did as well as they could I wasn’t satisfied that I was getting the magic of traditional yoga across.
I looked into my early practices in hospital and asked myself, what was I doing that was so effective. How was it that I was strong enough to get up and walk in my first prosthesis with no trouble? How did I really reduce pain and deal with the storm of negative emotions that threatened to engulf me? What was it that was so unobtrusive that I could do it comfortably in a room full of strangers?
The answer wasn’t long in coming, ‘It’s the breathing, stupid’. It was the yogic breathing techniques I was taught that focused my meditation, that suppressed the anxiety, anger and fear, that dissolved self pity, that reduced the experience of pain and that were my guide to adapting yoga asanas.
It was breathing that kept my spine straight and strong and maintained my core muscles in good condition, and it was breathing that kept me calm and cheerful when going in for yet another intrusive, painful, medical procedure.
Your breath is your constant companion and can be your greatest supporter. I offer a free lesson to get you started, in person or online. You can use it for anything you like but I strongly suggest you use it to learn the fundamentals of yogic breathing. You never know, it might be the only lesson you ever need.
