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Yoga & Meditation

YOGA: Prevent Heart and Lung Issues through Yogic Breathing

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By Geeta Maraj
December 4th, 2013 Edition

We are now accustomed to hearing the word ‘yoga’ mentioned on a daily basis. In fact, yoga has become a part of our regular vocabulary, and rightfully so, as it stems from ancient Eastern teachings originated in India around 3300 BCE. Yoga remains unchallenged for its multifarious benefits to the mind, the body and the spirit.

One yogic breath which can improve lung strength and prevent heart issues is known as kapalabhati or the rapid breath. Though this type of breathing exercise may sound bizarre to the ear, its benefits to the heart and lungs are unmatched.

Kapalabhati is a combination of two Sanskrit words: ‘kapala’ meaning ‘skull,’ and ‘bhati’ meaning ‘shine’. This ‘skull shine’ breathing exercise is basically done to cleanse the lungs and create better concentration. In conjunction, it gives the heart a massage while also strengthening the lungs.

To perform this type of yogic breath, you have to make a sniffing sound loudly through your nostrils as if you are trying to blow your nose without a tissue. If you are to imagine that your body is rigid and that there is a fly on the tip of your nose which you need to get rid of and all you can do is sniff as loudly as possible in hope that it flies off – then you have figured out how to perform this beneficial breath. While the rapid breath bears a similarity to blowing your nose, the exhalation is forceful. It is through this vigorous exhalation that the heart gets a massage as the diaphragm is pushing against the lungs and the heart.
The diaphragm is a sheet like muscle which separates the heart and lungs from the abdominal cavity and is paramount to respiration. When the diaphragm contracts, air is drawn into the lungs. Similarly when the diaphragm expands, air is pushed out of the lungs. Our ability to contract and expand our diaphragm with force is what helps to keep our heart and lungs strong – preventing heart disease and respiratory issues.

To perform kapalabhati you must sit upright, keeping the spine straight. Once this is done, your firstly exhale till your abdominal muscles are fully contracted and you have pushed all the stale air out of your lungs. After which you inhale deeply and then breathe out again. Your next inhale should be an in breath to fill your lungs to three quarter capacity. This breath is then exhaled forcefully through your nostrils as if you are sniffing loudly. Once this is done, you breathe in a regular full breath again. This is called a single kapalabhati exhalation, and at the point when you exhale forcefully, you should feel your entire abdominal area instantly contract.

Once you become comfortable with this type of breath, you can begin to do double exhalations or double sniffs – meaning when you exhale forcefully, you exhale twice before you inhale a regular breath again. With time you can build up to triple exhalations per in breath, and eventually you can exhale repeatedly for up to 20 or 30 times before you inhale a regular breath again. When you are doing this breath for extended repetitions do not fear that your lungs will run out of air to exhale. Once you forcefully push air out of your lungs, though passive recoil, air equally enters your lungs without you purposely breathing in, therefore you are able to repeatedly exhale forcefully without running out of breath to exhale.

This type of breath can be practiced at any time, but is best performed in the early morning as a way to sharpen your concentration and focus. If you have suffered a heart attack, or have any heart ailment, or respiratory issues, you should only practice this breath in single exhalations. While this type of breathing can have benefits to persons with such ailments, it is best to seek medical advice prior to practicing, and more so, to practice this breath under the supervision of a qualified yoga therapist.

From the young to the very aged, this breath by far is one which stands the test of time in sharpening our focus, while massaging and strengthening our heart and lungs.

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Yoga & Meditation

From the mat to life

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BY: TRISHA CURLING 

You might hear a lot of people say “yoga changed my life”.  If you aren’t a regular practitioner, this may sound questionable. How can a series of poses “change your life”? It sounds a little dramatic. It’s important to start from a place however, where you understand that yoga is more than a series poses. Within the journey of physical practice, there are many lessons that are waiting to be learned. It really does have this ability to make this change in your life, but you must first be open to it.

Let’s say your desire to start comes from a place in you that is purely physical, this is great because there are many benefits to receive like weight management, relief from pain, and increased mobility (just to name a few).

Let’s examine some of the ways your physical (asana) practice can have an impact in other ways:

Patience

Your asana practice calls for you to detach from your ego. Yes, the practice is in many ways goal oriented, but staying in the present and feeling the pose for what it is in the moment has its’ own way of taking you where you need to be.  It’s nice to set goals of achieving particular poses and it is very rewarding to see how your body’s ability can change, but it’s the patience to get there that may be challenging or even frustrating sometimes. It’s putting the time and consistency into performing foundational poses that will help you to build the necessary skills, and/or prepare your body for what’s to come next. If you come back to what the practice is asking you, to detach, to exercise patience, then what you desire will come to you. We can take this lesson off of the mat.  If you are working towards a career, or some type of financial goal, being present and taking time to take the necessary steps will only help you to build the proper foundation in order for you to have lasting results.

Reduce worry

For that hour you may spend doing an online or in person yoga class, it truly feels like meditation. You are so focused on your breath, the transitions, and the poses, that you have no time to focus on past or future events. You are totally engrossed in the moment. It feels great, there is no room for worry. A beautiful shift happens once you realize that it does not have to end when the class is over. This deep work that you are doing on the mat creates new patterns in the brain and nervous system. You are effectively teaching yourself how to do this more often. It becomes more natural in other life situations to bring your focus into the present. It does feel difficult sometimes, but just the mere awareness and then attempt to do so will help you to gain perspective in certain situations. Instead of worrying about what may happen, you learn to relinquish some control of the outcome.

Both of these things barely skim the surface of the benefits you take with you off of the mat, but I’m sure you can imagine the spillover into multiple areas of life.

Go to the mat for one reason and walk away feeling the benefit of many.

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Yoga & Meditation

Your Psoas and Your Yoga

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BY: TRISHA CURLING 

You have this nagging pain in your back, that seems to flare up just a little bit more after sitting for long periods of time. You find yourself having to get up from your desk at work to stretch and move around, just enough to find that wonky position that will help to relieve you from pain, even if it’s for just a moment. There can be a number of reasons that are contributing to it, but let’s have a look at your psoas.

This muscle is a primary hip flexor and is sometimes referred to as your Iliopsoas due to the way in which the Iliacus and psoas major are “joined” together.  It’s also the only muscle in the body that connects the spine to the lower limbs.

This muscle can often become tight and weak. A couple of the reasons this may happen is because there is a consistent level of inactivity. If you are sitting for lengthy amounts of time and/or you are not giving your body the opportunity to move in a variety of angles to both strengthen and lengthen this muscle, it can contribute to this tightness and weakness.

You can also consider whether or not significant lordosis of the spine is an issue for you. This tightness and weakness can cause a “pulling” of the spine forward, therefore “tipping” the pelvis forward causing an excessive anterior pelvic tilt that causes compression in the lumbar spine that contributes to your back pain.

Here is a yoga pose that may help to offset the positioning of the pelvis and contribute to the lengthening and strengthening of the psoas.

Crescent Lunge (Anjenyasana)

From a standing position, step one foot back far enough down your mat in order to maintain lots of length in the back leg. Keep a nice bend in the front knee, all while maintaining alignment of the knee straight above the ankle or just behind it. Feet should be on parallel lines (about a hip’s distance apart so that your front hip bones are looking straight forward). Next, float your arms straight up by your ears with your palms facing one another. Keep your shoulders and hands relaxed. Also, begin to lengthen down through your tailbone while pulling your front ribs towards your back ribs. Stay there for a few breaths. This will help you to feel that length in the front of the hip in your back leg.

To increase some of the benefits, you may also vary your positioning in the pose. If you have the right leg forward, you can drop your right hand down beside you and stretch your left arm towards your right shoulder. You can take this one step further by reaching that same left arm diagonally towards the right corner of your mat.  Be sure to hold these for a few breaths and repeat on each side.

It doesn’t mean that this will “fix” your pain, but practicing yoga consistently, varying your movements, and paying attention to posture throughout your day will all contribute to putting you on a path that will help to minimize. Consulting with your physician is always #1 on the list but finding yoga postures that feel helpful for YOUR BODY and practicing them consistently will help you to find ease and less pain.

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Health & Wellness

Splits for Life

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BY: TRISHA CURLING 

Splits or Hanumanasana carries a beautiful story and was told to me for the first time by a brilliant yoga teacher and friend from Sweden, by the name of Ingrid Andrén (Owner of Studio Move It). I won’t get into the whole story, but she took us on a journey through her entire class.

By way of the story, she helped us to understand that “This pose asks you not merely to stretch your legs but also to bring true devotion into your practice. Hanumanasana expresses the expansiveness possible…the sense that you can overcome any obstacle when your yearning to help is combined with reverence and respect…In Hanumanasana you strive to reach much further than seems humanly possible.” (Aadil Palkhivala, Yoga Column: Hanumanasana, Yoga Journal, Aug 28, 2007).

When you hear “splits” you might think, forget it, that’s not possible. You might be right, but you also might be wrong.  It’s true that not every pose is for everyone and there are a number of reasons why this could be, but the journey and process arguably outweighs the end result.

There are a number of poses that will help to prepare you for Hanumanasana.  Keep in mind, however, that if splits are not the pose for you, along the way you will gain benefits like increased flexibility, strength and confidence.

Here are two poses that are essential to incorporate in your regular practice.

  1. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana): In a seated position on your mat, extend both legs out in front of you. If the legs cannot be completely straight, take them out as long as your body will allow. Next, on an inhale, lengthen through the spine by sitting up tall. On your exhale, lean your chest forward while keeping the shoulder blades slightly drawn in towards one another. Your chest should feel as though it is reaching to touch the tips of your toes. Take your arms forward to grasp your feet. You may want to place a yoga strap around your feet if you cannot reach them. This will allow you to grab each side of the strap with your hands to walk yourself forward with more support. Stay in the pose for a few breaths and enjoy the gentle lengthening of your hamstrings and calf muscles.
  1. Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana): From Downward Facing Dog, shift your weight forward while stepping the right foot in front between your hands. At the same time, lower the back knee down, uncurl the toes and place the top of your foot on your mat.  Brace your waist (feel as though you are lifting your pubic bone towards your chest), lengthen your tailbone down, and inhale as you lift your arms up. Stay for a few breaths to feel the lengthening of your hip flexors and repeat on the other side.

All while practicing the physicality of the postures, it is impossible to leave behind the confidence and conquering that become part of your mindset. The sense of power and accomplishment accompany these preparation poses as much as Hanumanasana itself.

The most important takeaway that Andrén left us with at the end of her class was, “Don’t tell Hanuman how big your problems are, tell your problems how big your Hanuman is..”  I hope this serves you in both your journey to splits and in life.

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