Prana Part 2

Continuing on with Prana.. Here is part 2 :D

Everyone breathes, just not as well as others.  Without developing awareness of breath it is easy to fall into unhealthy breathing patterns that effect both mind and body.  The breath can be allowed to run haphazardly and create havoc in the body and mind, or it can become part of your constant awareness and be harmoniously coordinated.  Once the breath is integrated into your awareness...the mind will calm, and you will live in the moment and develop body awareness.


Why breath fully, deeply, completely?

Increasing breath volume (inhalation) increases the amount of oxygen supply.  By increasing the oxygen supply on inhale we then exhale more toxins.

• Mental Toxins
• Emotional Toxins
• Physical Toxins
• Environmental Toxins

All toxins have a tendency to be held and stored in the body in "stale" dead areas where there is only a small amount of oxygen.  This can lead to a vast array of health problems and eventually chronic disease.

The main reason we practice breath control in yoga is to still the mind.  Yoga Sutra 1.2 states " Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind".  To work mindfully means focusing awareness on the movement and breath acting together so that such single-pointed concentration unites the body, breath and mind in the present moment, and the NOW.

Breath awareness can teach us about our attitude in posture.  At times the breath may sound strained, labored, short, aggressive, and flat shallow or fast.

By bringing back an ideal smooth rhythmic breath we can begin to correct our attitude in posture.