Monday, April 16, 2012

Intention

I mentioned Intention briefly last night in class. I found an article that I hope helps express more what it means to set an intention before practicing.

http://www.yogajournal.com/newsletter/myj_105.html#c

Ujjayi (oo-jy-yee) Breath

The breath we use for asana practice (asana means poses or postures) is called ujjayi breathing. The ujjayi breathing that we use has a soothing, rhythmic, oceanic quality. It is done by contracting the whispering muscles in your throat to create a long, hairline thin breath. You do not breathe all the way down into your abdomen, but rather into your chest, lungs and back. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how to do it:

1. Bring your first or second finger to the soft spot between your collarbones.
2. With your mouth closed, breathe in through your nose, feeling the gentle retraction of those muscles beneath your fingers. It should feel as though you are whispering in reverse. You are closing the airways a little, so its kind of like breathing through a straw. Imagine the breath as a cleansing wind sweeping right in through that soft spot at the base of your throat.
3. For the exhalation, put your hand in front of your face as if its a mirror. Gently retract your belly, and with your mouth closed and the muscles of your throat still contracted, exhale through your nose as if you were going to fog up that mirror. The exhalation is exaggerated and extended. It is important to keep your mouth closed or you will lose energy on the exhalation.

*As taken from the book "Journey Into Power" by Baron Baptiste of Baptiste Power Yoga.