Breath, Just breath

You have been breathing since the minute you were born. So why do we teach and emphasize breathing in a yoga practice? Why do you need to be focused on your breath during your yoga practice? I will touch on a few points in this posting; there is a lot of information in blogs, websites and from each "school" of yoga about breathing. It can be a bit overwhelming for someone new to practicing breathing or as we call it in yoga "pranayama" .  For beginners I teach a very basic type of breathing called the "three part breath" . As you breathe in through the nostrils you are cleansing the breath, as you breath out you are controlling the breath. The first part of the breath is felt as the collarbones lift, the ribs open up and finally the belly inflates like a balloon. It is pretty easy for a student new to "watching" there breath to feel the body moving with the inhalation and exhalation. Placing the hands one on the upper chest and one on the lower chest helps to really feel the movement of the breath. Once you are practiced it is easier to let the hands rest in the lap with the shoulders relaxed back and the spine long. We want to get very familiar with the aspects of our breath. Getting familiar with the breath will help with the mind body connection. When doing postures( asanas) in our yoga practice it is important to be aware of moving with the breath. When holding a pose it is important not to hold the breath. Checking in with the breath will allow you to assess how you "feel" in your pose. Are you straining? Are you holding too long? Are you relaxed or tense? Are you in pain? The breath is the indicator. Being in control of the breath will allow you to have control of not only your poses but have focus and control in your daily life. There is a lot more information about the breathing practice; I could talk about it all day. Find a breathing practice like a yoga practice that "speaks" to you.