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Article-
Cooling down through Pranayama
Summer is a great
time to incorporate cooling breathing exercises into your practice.
Regardless of the heat around you, Shitali pranayama (cooling breath
exercise) can keep you cool and collected within.
Learning ways to
calm the breath or enliven the breath to meet the needs of your body is the
fundamental goal of pranayama.
Aware or not, you
are always breathing, its automatic.
Its through awareness however that we learn our own breathing patterns
and through practice that we train our breathing to work more effectively.
When your breath is working more efficiently your body
will work more efficiently.
At the beginning
of each class we focus on the breath. It’s in these few minutes of meditation
that you become aware of your breath. Watching and feeling the breath and
body as they rise and fall in unison. Developing and cultivating these
coordinated movements into one cohesive practice.
Pranayama is an
important element of any yoga practice. The breath helps to regulate our
movements, both internally and externally. Our body moves and the breath
responds; the breath moves and the body responds. This symbiotic relationship
parallels the relationship between yoga and pranayama. A yoga practice is not
complete without a pranayama practice.
For our purposes
we are cooling down. Sitali Pranayama cools the body (even works to lower
fever) and soothes the eyes and ears. It activates the liver and spleen,
improves digestion and relieves thirst.
Before beginning
any pranayama, meditation or asana practice prepare your surroundings. Find a
location where you will not be disturbed, fill the space with objects that
calm and comfort you- soft candle light, cushions, blankets, music, incense,
pictures, etc. Come to a comfortable seated position and take a few deep Ujjayi
(audible breath or sounding breath) breaths through the nose- settling into
the moment. Preoccupy the mind by observing the interaction of the breath and
body, without judgment or manipulation. After a few minutes begin your
practice.
Start by rolling
the tongue, curling the sides in towards the center to form a tube. Stick the
end of the tongue out between pursed lips. If you can’t roll your tongue,
just purse the lips making a small “o” shape with the mouth. Inhale through
the tube of the tongue or pursed lips deeply filling the lungs and then
withdraw the tongue and close the lips. Drop the chin down toward the chest
keeping the chin slightly tucked. Hold the breath for appx. 5 seconds and
then exhale slowly through the nose as in Ujjayi (sounding breath). Repeat
the complete cycle for 3-8 minutes.
The cool air
enters the mouth and when the mouth is closed retains the cool air as the
nose dispels the heated air.
Anjaneyasana or Low Lunge
– This pose strengthens and tones the legs,
abdominal muscles and shoulders. Also aids in development of flexibility in
the quadriceps, hamstrings and groin. Therapeutic for sciatica. Avoid
this pose if you have any heart conditions.
There are various
ways to move into this pose- from Adho Mukda Svanasana or Down Dog, from all
fours or from a standing position. Bring the left leg forward into a wide
stance aligning the knee above the ankle and then bend the right knee to the
floor. Extend the right foot back slightly to increase the stretch through
the quads. Rotate the inner thighs in toward each other then press the front
of the thigh to the back body. Tuck the tailbone and sink the hips toward the
front heel. Pull the belly and ribs up extending through the side body
lifting the heart and reach the arms up toward the sky. Variations of the
arms and upper body will be added to the pose directory on our website at afterthemasters.org
AfterTheMasters.org
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