Time to incorporate breathing with my asanas?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

ive been practising yoga for just under a year now and have a one to one session along with a group class with a very well qualified iyengar yoga teacher who i trust.

im slowly feeling like its time to incorporate yogic breathing into my practise.

i read somewhere that you need to have been practising the asanas for 2-3 years before you start incorporating the ujayi breathing and other breathing to the poses, is this true? ive only recently felt the urge to incorporate the breathing so it almost seems like its my body telling me its time to do it but i dont like to rush things and also feel like i still need to make headway with mastering the asanas first before i add yet another element.

what do you think?

#2

Yogic breathing is pranayama.
Yogic posture is asana.

You are already practicing pranayama when you practice asana.
What you are looking for is to refine your breathing.

Ujayi breathing is an advanced pranayama technique. There are intermediate breathing techniques that are more useful to a developing yogi.

Some yoga disciplines practice sitting pranayama prior to practicing asana. This tends to refine a yoga practice toward peace, sweetness and calm awareness.

Here’s something to try on your own:

Sitting in a comfortable position with feet firmly on the floor (or in lotus or half lotus, on a pillow or not, depending on hip flexibility and general comfort level), breathe in for four relaxed counts. Breathe out fully, then puff out
a little bit more breath. Suck in your diaphragm (muscle under your ribs feels like sucking in your upper stomach) and hold. When your body signals you (really wants that next breath), allow your breath to come in, it will come in hard. Repeat this process and work up to ten repetitions.

This improves breath control and heightens organic awareness of breath when practicing asanas. Don’t try to do advanced breath techniques yet.

Do allow your (newly heightened) attention to rest on how you breathe with each movement of your asana. Really imagine your breath “going into” the part of your body that is talking to you with each pose. See how your new pranayama ability introduces you more fully to each pose. Enjoy !

#3

Thank you Janet for an eloquent and informative reply. I could add or subtract nothing. Om shanti
jennifer

#4

Breathing is very important to yoga practice - without sufficient oxygen, your muscles will quickly tire and you will be unable to hold asanas for long durations.

When performing asana there are a few fundamentals to remember:

  • breathe through your nose always.
  • Never hold your breath during a posture
  • Take one or several deep breaths between asana to re-energise. Breathing through you nose, loosen and expand your stomach so your diaphram can extend downways for greater lung capacity.

you can improve your asana and your lung capacity by breathing slowly and steadily while holding the asana. Rapid breathing causes tenseness within your body which inhibits stretches and extensions. Try to slow and lengthen the breath. Otherwise known as normal breathing

Certain asana require specific breathing as you enter a posture. for example complete exhale as you enter an forward bend so you can contract the abs allowing you to get deeper into the stretch. When back bending inhale as you enter, but don’t breath too deeply while holding the pose, since the chest is already expanded from the stretch. Deep breaths after deep back bends are essential to avoid dizziness.

this book is considered by many to be the modern “encyclopedia” of yoga asana.
Amazon.com: Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha: Books: Swami Satyananda Saraswati

www.totalyogapractice.com