Synchronizing the Breath with Movement

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Blessings,

Synchronizing the breath with our movements and stretches helps break up locked and stagnant energy, rid knots, soothes tears, softens scars, and gets the energy flowing while at the same time encouraging balance, strengthening and supporting our bodily systems, helping us tune in with our bodies, and a million other cool things.

Breathing with the stretch helps minimize tearing, helps with alignment and proper stretching, helps us avoid excessive stressing of the joints and ligaments, and brings oxygen to every part of the body which in turn helps get rid of stagnation, sickness, discomfort, imbalances, etc?

Below is a list of what I have found to be generally beneficial in my practice. I welcome feedback, thoughts, disagreements, and other movements/breath synchronization. Sorry about the weird organization: i could not figure out how to insert a table:confused:

[B][U]Breathing In [/U][/B] – [B][U]Breathing Out[/U][/B]
Tensing ---------- Relaxing
Flexing ----------- Extending
Turning ---------- Returning
Filling ------------ Emptying
Expanding ------- Collapsing
Movement ------- Stillness
Going Up -------- Going Down
Coming In ------- Going Out
Bending Back — Bending Forward
Rising ------------ Sinking
Stretching -------- Releasing
Beginning -------- Ending
Standing --------- Sitting
Opening --------- Closing
Pulling In --------- Pushing Out
Receiving -------- Giving
Moving Forward - Moving Back
To the Heart ----- From the Heart
Rotating In ------- Rotating Out
Clockwise -------- Counter Clockwise
Bending Up ------ Bending Down

Blessings Be?

suba

#2

Suba,

I so appreciate what you’ve contributed here. I emphasize the same to my students as part of the need to integrate yoga with daily life, but I am not sure if you may not have broken this down further than necessary, if only because of some confusing or vague terms. For example, there are many instances we relax with inhalation. Also, many times we extend with inhalation, stretch with exhalation, etc., if only because we do it for more than one breath. Not to disagree with you at all, but there is more gray area here than black and white. I simplify it in this way, which is also included in your outline:

Inhaling: upward/outward.

Exhaling: inward/downward

This is enough to establish the rest naturally. Generally speaking, we want to breathe in the direction of our movement, so that we don’t bind internally, and so that we do not restrict movement (and power) by breathing counter to our movement. For example, breathing in while reaching overhead allows the ribs to expand with the movement, decreasing expense of energy. Holding your breath while bending over causes a massive amount of internal pressure and resistance, that also expends a lot of energy.

I hope this is helpful,
siva

#3

Blessings Siva,

Thank you for your response. This is exactly what I was hoping for was some exchange and growth. I agree with you that if I were emphasizing these breathing/movements with our daily lives it would be excessively broken down and complicated. I, as you, believe yoga is a life practice and not something we do once a week, or just an hour a day. These movements/breathing techniques were specified for our formal yoga sequences and not so much for our day-to-day activities.

As you pointed out, these breathing/movements are not set in stone. In the Daoist tradition they have many breathing exercises that reverse the process. For instance, with reverse bellows breathing, they draw in the stomach and diaphragm when inhaling rather than allow it to fill and sink as it normally would. This helps get the stomach churning, builds up energy in the gut, and helps break up energy blocks – among many other benefits.

This breathing information comes from my yoga rituals where I was working with moving into and holding different postures and seeing how the energy moves and works when synchronizing my breath with the movements/postures. These syncs were primarily focused on getting the energy moving.

My hope in writing was not only to share my experiences and meditations, but to also see what other people’s experiences were. To learn if there are other movements of the body that I failed to take into consideration, and to learn from others what their thoughts are regarding the breath and movement.

Thank you for your insights. I agree with you whole heartedly.

Blessings Be…

suba

#4

Suba,

My blessings to you as well.

It’s also important to note there is technique for exercise and learning, and technique for practice. Like, practicing scales on the piano: you practice one way in order to gain control and understanding. That’s what makes it exercise: you repeat and refine. But after you have mastered that, you take that seed, the wisdom it contains, and then the sky’s the limit.

peace,
siva

#5

thank you this in very interestin!

#6

Right on Siva! I love your differentiation between exercise, learning, and practice.