21-Day Pranayama Breathing Challenge

Watch this video before you begin the challenge.  It gives you information about what we will be doing and the profound benefits of working with the breath.  This is the real juice of yoga.

Yoga is about using the physical body as a tool to have psychological effects.  Train the breath, train the mind!

This first class focuses mainly on simple movements.  Which movements correspond with the inhale and which movements correspond with the exhale.  And some stretches to help free the breath. Good posture and proper use of the body are key to an optimum breath.

We finish by beginning our relationship to our own breath, just simply trying to feel it and get in touch with this most vital process.

Free your breath!

We are often given the instruction to breathe into our bellies. Why and what does this mean?

If we can breathe with this expansion of the belly, it means we are relaxed around the abdomen, not holding emotional history. It means our diaphragm is moving freely, causing pressure on the abdominal organs and creating this bulge.

Free your belly!

This class starts with simple movements, designed with the breath and loosening restrictions around the breath.

Then we move to breathe on the floor lying on our stomachs.  We emphasize breathing into the stomach, using the ground to feel the pressure of the expansion.

Excellent for anxiety!

Developing the work we have started so far, we move between breathing on our backs and then our bellies and then child’s pose.  Although the posture changes the aim is the same, freeing our abdomen, letting go of emotional history.

Letting go!

A good exhalation has such importance for our health and our mental well being.  After starting with some simple movement we begin to work with exhaling and relaxed pausing of the breath.

Exhale excellence!

Pausing the breath and increasing our tolerance to carbon dioxide is a great way to increase holistic health.  We begin to experiment with getting used to holding the breath.

A perfect pause!

Freediving is another discipline where optimal breathing capacity is essential.  We use some techniques taken from this. Simple stretches with the breath held designed to increase movement and elasticity around the rib cage.

Freediving.

Continuing the work from yesterday we repeat the same stretches but now with the breath held after an exhale.  This helps to reduce our residual volume, essentially how effectively we can exhale completely.

Diving free.

A little bit of movement warms us up for the seated posture and trying to work on the three-part breath. First into the belly, then filling the side body and finally topping it off in the upper part of the chest and back.

Three-Part Breathing.

The three-part breath is the way to a really full and complete breath.  We now combine this with pausing the breath both after the inhale and the exhale.  This is excellent work in developing your best natural breath.

Now we’re breathing!

This class starts with some simple stretches lying down.

Digestive health is also key for good natural breath, the abdominal cavity and the chest cavity have an intimate relationship.  Yoga has long known this and along with breathing exercises, there are techniques for digestive health. We will try a simplified version of one of them - Uddiyana Bandha Kriya.

Digestive health.

Every action in yoga has a counter action.  Yesterday we were trying to compress our internal organs, today we try to give them space.  This is a simplified version of a traditional technique called - Agni Sara. Which is supposed to stimulate the digestive fire.

Digestive Fire.

Are you used to working with your pelvic floor or what is called Bandhas in yogic language? If yes, great.  If no, now is the time to start. Being connected to the pelvic floor is crucial for core stability and good breath. We introduce a technique to try to feel it.

Come on pelvic floor!

The exhalation has more of a connection to the calming part of the nervous system, while the inhalation is more connected to the stimulating part of the nervous system. By extending the exhale we get a short cut method to calm the nervous system.

Find the rhythm!

It’s the same technique as yesterday, working on the ration of an exhalation double the length of the inhalation.  Now we try to extend the length of the breaths, the longer the breath the fewer breaths we need.

Extend the Breath!

We have done a lot to prepare ourselves in the best possible way for a healthy breath.  Both with movement and working with the breath more directly. A healthy foundation has been laid.

Today's technique is Alternate Nostril Breathing coming more from classical pranayama.  It is designed to balance energy, the brain, and the nervous system.

To balance!

The last classes have more time in the seated posture, we start this one with some simple stretches lying down, to relieve sitting tension.

The main focus today is a pranayama breath called Ujjayi which translates as victorious.

Victorious!

Continuing the work with Ujjayi, we introduce breathing with sound.  This technique requires slightly restricted the flow of air in the throat and allows to lengthen the inhale and exhale more and more.

Learn how to lengthen!

Beginning with some movement and then introducing another new pranayama technique.  Sitali, the one that cools. This is one of the most therapeutic breathing techniques within pranayama and helpful in removing excess acidity from the body.

Cool!

Another class, another new technique. This one is called Kapalbhati which translates as shining skull. A host of benefits for the lungs and the lymphatic system. It can take time to master but we introduce it in an accessible way.

Shine your Skull!

Well done you did it!  This last class pulls together some of the pranayama techniques that we have been working with to provide a complete class, designed to really do the best for your breath and your internal energy.

Congratulations!

I am very proud of you for completing the course.  I hope you have felt that it was worth the effort, cause it really is.  Working with our breath is one of the most powerful tools we have for direct effects on our holistic health, bringing deep and profound changes.

Although the challenge is completed, the journey is only just beginning.  The longer we work with this, the greater the effects. This completion video has suggestions for continuing with practice.