Pranayama Lesson
Summary
TLDRThis video script introduces various pranayama, or breathwork techniques in yoga, emphasizing the importance of conscious breathing to enhance relaxation and energy. It covers the Ujjayi breath, three-part breathing, the rule of four, and cleansing breath, each with demonstrations and explanations. The script encourages viewers to practice these techniques to improve awareness and intentionality with their breath, highlighting their value in daily life beyond the yoga mat.
Takeaways
- 🧘 Pranayama is a yoga practice that involves breath work and is considered an essential part of yoga traditions.
- 🌬 The term 'pranayama' is derived from 'prana', meaning life force, and 'yama', meaning work, emphasizing the importance of breath as life force.
- 🏔 Ujjayi breath, also known as 'ocean's breath', is a specific breathing technique where air is inhaled through the nose and exhaled through the nose with a particular throat sound.
- 🤗 Practicing pranayama helps to relax the body, mind, and energy, promoting a state of calmness and awareness.
- 🔄 Three-part breathing involves inhaling in stages, starting from the abdomen, then the lower chest, and finally the upper chest, followed by a reverse order exhale.
- 🛌 The three-part breath can be practiced both seated and lying down to ensure proper engagement of the diaphragm and chest muscles.
- 📝 Rule of Four is a breathing technique where inhalation and exhalation are counted to four, with pauses in between, to enhance breath control.
- 💨 Cleansing breath is a forceful exhalation used to release energy and is often practiced after asana to cool down the body.
- 🌀 Breathing practices are not limited to yoga sessions; they can be integrated into daily life to manage stress and promote relaxation.
- 🌿 Deep, conscious breathing has physical benefits, including oxygenating the body and engaging the parasympathetic nervous system for a relaxation response.
- 🔑 The breath is fundamental to life and integral to yoga practice, with some systems focusing solely on breath work without physical movement.
Q & A
What is the term 'pranayama' derived from, and what does it mean in the context of yoga?
-Pranayama is derived from two Sanskrit words: 'prana', which means life force, and 'yama', which means work. In the context of yoga, pranayama refers to breath work, emphasizing the importance of being conscious of one's breathing as a way to engage with the life force.
Why is being conscious of one's breathing important in pranayama?
-Conscious breathing in pranayama is important because it helps to relax the body, mind, and energy. It allows practitioners to be more present and aware during their practice, leading to both mental and physical benefits.
What is Ujjayi breath, and how is it performed?
-Ujjayi breath, also known as the ocean's breath or the throat breath, is a closed-mouth breathing technique where the practitioner inhales through the nose and exhales through the nose while engaging the throat muscles to produce a sound similar to the ocean's waves.
How does the Ujjayi breath help in yoga practice?
-The Ujjayi breath helps in yoga practice by promoting relaxation and focus. It also helps to retain energy during asana practice, which is important for maintaining balance and stability in poses.
What is the 'three-part breathing' technique, and how does it differ from Ujjayi breath?
-The three-part breathing technique involves inhaling and exhaling in three distinct parts: the abdomen, the lower chest, and the upper chest. It differs from Ujjayi breath in that it focuses on expanding different areas of the chest and abdomen during the breathing process, rather than the throat engagement.
Can you explain the 'rule of four' breathing technique?
-The 'rule of four' is a breathing technique where the practitioner inhales to the count of four, pauses, exhales to the count of four, and then pauses again. This technique helps to control the breath and can be used to deepen the practice or to calm the mind.
What is the purpose of the cleansing breath in yoga practice?
-The cleansing breath serves as a release of energy, often used after asana practice to release built-up heat and energy. It involves a forceful exhale, which helps to clear the body and mind, promoting a sense of relaxation and renewal.
Why is it beneficial to practice pranayama outside of a formal yoga session?
-Practicing pranayama outside of a formal yoga session is beneficial because it helps to integrate the practice into daily life, promoting mindfulness and stress relief at any time. It can be particularly helpful in managing stress and promoting relaxation before bed or during challenging situations.
How does the parasympathetic nervous system relate to deep breathing in pranayama?
-Deep breathing in pranayama activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body's rest and digest functions. This activation leads to a state of relaxation and can help to reduce stress and anxiety.
What are some potential challenges a beginner might face when learning pranayama techniques?
-A beginner might find it challenging to engage the correct muscles, maintain a steady rhythm, or to focus on the breath while performing the techniques. It's important for beginners to practice regularly and to be patient with themselves as they learn to master the techniques.
Why is breath considered so instrumental in yoga, even more so than the physical movements?
-Breath is considered instrumental in yoga because it is the guiding force behind all movements and postures. Without breath, there is no life, and in yoga, the physical movements are meant to be an extension of the breath, making the breathwork a fundamental aspect of the practice.
Outlines
🧘 Introduction to Pranayama Techniques
The video script introduces various breathing techniques in yoga, known as pranayama, emphasizing the importance of being conscious of one's breath as a form of life force. The script begins with an explanation of the term 'pranayama' and its significance in Indian yoga traditions. It then proceeds to review the Ujjayi breath, also known as the ocean's breath, and provides a step-by-step guide on how to perform it, including the correct posture and the use of throat muscles to produce the characteristic sound. The script encourages viewers to practice and not to worry about getting it perfect, focusing instead on the act of conscious breathing.
🌬 Exploring Three-Part Breathing and Rule of Four
This section of the script delves into the three-part breathing technique, which involves inhaling and exhaling through different parts of the chest and abdomen. The process is described in detail, with instructions on how to expand the stomach, lower chest, and upper chest during inhalation and the reverse during exhalation. The script also introduces the 'Rule of Four,' a breathing exercise that involves inhaling, pausing, exhaling, and pausing again, each for a count of four. Both techniques are demonstrated with the aim of increasing awareness and control over one's breath.
🔄 The Cleansing Breath and Its Benefits
The script continues with the 'cleansing breath,' a technique for releasing energy and tension through a forceful exhale. It contrasts this with the Ujjayi breath, which is about retaining energy. The cleansing breath is described as a simple yet effective way to relieve stress and is encouraged as a regular practice to enhance the benefits of yoga. The importance of integrating breathwork into daily life, beyond the yoga mat, is highlighted, emphasizing its role in promoting relaxation and well-being.
🌱 Embracing Breathwork in Daily Life
The final paragraph of the script wraps up the session by emphasizing the importance of making breathwork a part of daily life. It suggests that pranayama can be practiced anytime, anywhere, and not just during formal yoga sessions. The script encourages viewers to practice the techniques discussed, such as the three-part breath and the Rule of Four, on their own to experience their benefits. It concludes with a reminder of the fundamental role of breath in life and yoga, and a farewell message with expressions of gratitude and well-wishes.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Pranayama
💡Ujjayi Breath
💡Conscious Breathing
💡Three-Part Breathing
💡Rule of Four
💡Cleansing Breath
💡Diaphragmatic Breathing
💡Life Force
💡Relaxation
💡Breathing Mechanics
💡Yoga Practice
Highlights
Pranayama is a practice in yoga that involves conscious breathing, considered as the work with life force or breath.
The importance of pranayama lies in being more conscious of one's breathing, which aids in relaxation and energy regulation.
Ujjayi breath, also known as the ocean's breath, is a closed-mouth technique that engages throat muscles to produce a sound similar to the ocean.
To practice ujjayi breath, one should start by inhaling through the nose and sighing out through the mouth to feel the throat muscles at work.
Three-part breathing involves inhaling in stages, starting from the abdomen, then the lower chest, and finally the upper chest, followed by a reverse order exhale.
For effective three-part breathing, one should purposefully expand the stomach area on inhale and feel the diaphragm's movement.
Three-part breathing can be practiced both seated and lying down to ensure proper technique and awareness of breath movement.
The 'Rule of Four' is a breathing technique where inhalation, pause, exhalation, and another pause are each counted to four.
The 'Rule of Four' helps in maintaining a steady rhythm and can be adjusted for personal comfort with shorter pause counts.
A cleansing breath is a forceful exhale used to release energy and is often practiced after asana to cool down the body.
Conscious deep breathing has physical benefits, including the distribution of oxygen throughout the body and activation of the parasympathetic nervous system.
Breathing practices are fundamental in yoga, sometimes even more important than physical movement as they guide the practice.
Pranayama can be practiced at any time, not just during a formal yoga session, making it accessible for daily life integration.
The video serves as a demonstration of pranayama techniques, with the expectation that viewers will practice these methods on their own.
Breathing techniques shown in the video are considered basic and accessible, with more advanced practices potentially being too intense for some individuals.
Pranayama is beneficial for calming the mind before bed and managing stress throughout the day, contributing to a holistic yoga practice.
The video concludes with an encouragement to practice the breathing techniques regularly and to incorporate them into daily life for overall well-being.
Transcripts
greetings yogis
this video is going to be going over
different kinds of breathing techniques
remember that work in yoga is called
pranayama
now pranayama is actually two words put
together
prana means your life force so your
breath is considered your life force
in the indian yoga traditions and yama
is essentially the work so
pranayama breath work the importance of
pranayama the importance of
breath work is being more conscious of
your breathing
so you should have done the readings
already and even done the video
that goes over ujjayi breath so here i'm
going to talk about
a few other different kinds of breathing
techniques
the main thing to remember when you are
practicing your pranayama your breath
work
is just to stay focused on the breath
all right so
it's not about doing it right or wrong
do your best as always
these are just different ways of
engaging
in your breath work so we're going to
review the ujjayi breath
which is also called the victoria's
breath we're going to do
three part breathing rule of four and
then
cleansing breath so to review with
ujjayi
that is the kind of the the
the throat breath the deep throat or the
back of the throat kind of breathing
so come into a comfortable position i'm
choosing cross leg and that's very
comfortable for me
you want to keep the back straight keep
the chest lifted you don't want to be in
a slouching position
because you want to have clear
passageways for your lungs and your
esophagus
and all that good stuff all right so
just take first off we're going to start
off with just a deep breath so deep
inhale through the nose
and slow exhale through the mouth
another one deep inhale through the nose
and a slow exhale through the mouth
all right that by itself can very much
be considered pranayama
breath work conscious engaged breathing
and when you do conscious engage engaged
breathing
it helps you to relax your body relax
your mind
relax your energy so that by itself is
already a great benefit
so to review with the ujjayi breath it
is a
closed mouth breath and it can be very
difficult for people to do
um even with you watching the original
video that was assigned you may or may
not have been able to quite get it
so we're going to first start off with
um inhaling through the
nose and sign out through the mouth so
bring your hand to your
mouth you're gonna slide into it so
inhale through the nose
sigh out through the mouth
so kind of pretend like it's winter time
and you were a kid and you had to blow
your breath
out to see it in the cold all right deep
inhale through the nose
side out
all right hopefully you can hear the
noise the sound that my throat is making
when i say it out
because that's a key part of the ujjayi
breath when you close your mouth all
right
one more time on when you side out into
your mouth pay attention to what muscles
you feel
working in your neck and your throat
inhale
exhale slowly
okay so now we're going to do it with
the mouth closed
so you're not going to be exhaling
through the mouth you're going to be
exhaling through the nose but you will
still be engaging those throat muscles
to get that same kind of sound
so try it i'll demonstrate keep inhale
through the nose
okay hopefully you can hear the deep
sigh
from the back of the throat the ujjayi
breath is also called the ocean's breath
because it can sound like the ocean when
you
listen to a shell i'll do it again deep
inhale through the nose
so it's about your when you do the
exhale it's kind of like you're still
doing a deep sigh
but you're doing it with your mouth
closed in fact when you don't think
about it you can probably
think of times when you've done the same
breath because it's a lot of it's the
kind of breath that you do when you're
just like
just tired and exasperated with
something you just like
all right that's kind of the same thing
in terms of your mechanics
but instead of doing it because you're
frustrated you're doing it
intentionally as a uh yoga practice
one more time deep inhale through the
nose exhale to the
nose engaging your throat muscles
[Applause]
all right so again it's a video i can't
see what you're doing i can't hear you
but hopefully if you're not getting it
uh doing it along with me you still get
the idea
and you can practice and if you still
don't quite get it it's okay
because again the main thing that is
important is simply doing the
conscious deep breathing so that is the
ujjayi breath
moving on to three parts and this one
should be a bit easier
we're going to do this one both seated
and lying down
three part very simple on the inhale
you're going to start with your abdomen
your stomach area
inhale starting here bringing the inhale
up
to the lower part of your chest right
under your ribs and then the upper part
of your chest
and on the exhale you're going to go
back down so the three part
is abdomen area lower chest
upper chest on the inhale and then
exhale
upper chest lower chest abdomen area
all right now when i say breathing in
your abdomen area that means you're
going to expand your stomach area out
like you're blowing up a balloon so
you're going to purposely
push the stomach out on the inhale and
that seems like it's
the opposite because a lot of times when
we breathe we're breathing in
through the lungs but we're going to
actually breathe in
in the area of the diaphragm and we're
going to go up
and then go back down so bring
your right hand to your stomach
and go ahead and bring your left hand
right under your rib cage so if you have
breasts bring it right under your breast
okay so on the inhale
expand the abdomen outward blow it on
out
and it continues to inhale bring it up
lower chest
upper chest on the exhale
upper chest lower chest and then your
abdomen area sinks
in okay and do it again right hand
left hand inhale
abdomen lower chest upper chest
exhale upper chest lower chest
abdomen sinks in want to do this again
lying down because easier to feel
when you're having to expand your
abdomen upward
so come into a comfortable recline
position
resting bridge or forward climb
whichever you prefer
same thing here hand on the abdomen area
and we're just going to start here with
the recline position so
inhale expand the stomach area out
exhale let it sink in
again inhale expand it out
exhale
sink in all right so now we're going to
add in the
lower chest and upper chest so we're
trying to move it up in parts
if you don't feel it going up in parts
that is okay
the main thing again and as long as
you're expanding the abdomen out
letting it sink basically you're
breathing first
lower and then upper so it might just be
two-part for you might go
add them in and then lungs that's all
right tip just do your best
right hand on the stomach left hand uh
right below the rib cage so inhale one
abdomen two lower chest
three upper chest exhale
three upper chest two lower chest
one abdomen sinks to spine so it's
difficult for me to demonstrate while i
talk
so now i'm going to do it again without
talking
so right hand left hand
okay again this is called your three
part breath
if you can't break it up into exactly
three parts then just make it a two-part
breath
add them in outward bend the chest
exhale
out through the chest add them and sinks
to spine okay
next is rule of four
and i'm going through this just a little
quickly only because this is more of a
demonstration you can practice along of
course while i'm doing it but what i
expect you to do
is practice this outside of the video so
once the video is over
still practice this on your own at a
slower pace and more engaged
rule four is very simple it is inhaling
to the count of four
pause exhaling to the count of four
pause your pauses do not have to also be
at the count of four they can be if you
want to challenge yourself but a slight
pause so just say half a second
so inhale one two actually
inhale two three
four pause
exhale two three four
pause so you're going to retain or
just retain the air or retain whatever
position you're in between the inhale
and the exhale
all right comfortable seated position
cross leg for me because that's what i
like
so back is straight chest is lifted
let's take a deep relaxing breath deep
inhale slow exhale
all right so again
i can't state and do at the same time
so i'm going to count off you're going
to
inhale to the count pause
and then exhale to the count pause
we're going to do three rounds all right
so get ready
inhale two three
four pause
exhale two three
four pause
inhale two three
four pause
exhale two three
four pause i think i messed up my beat
let me do it again that was two rounds
we're gonna do two more
rounds because i think i messed up the
rhythm but you get the gist
all right so again preparing
inhale two three
four pause
exhale two three
four pause
inhale two three
four pause
exhale two three
four pause one more time
inhale two three
four pause
exhale two three
four pause okay
so that should actually be a whole five
rounds of rule of four
hopefully you actually engaged and then
just watch me count in the camera
so again that one is called rule before
and then the last one is a cleansing
breath
and again it's something you've likely
done and do on a regular basis it's just
giving it a name
a cleansing breath can be considered a
release of energy
um when you're doing asana you built up
some heat some energy
you can just side out think of ujjayi
breath as a form of retaining energy and
then cleansing breath is the opposite
you're releasing it out and all it is is
a it's a forceful
uh side out on the exhale so deep inhale
through the nose exhale side out
okay so you slide out with a nice little
quite ha
so again deep inhale side out
okay cleanly breath one more time
inhale exhale
so cleansing breath again to release
your energy
you dry your breath to retain your
energy and then you have your three part
and your rule of four
and that is simply um helping you to be
uh helping you to be more aware and
conscious and intentional with your
breath
and the thing is we take our breath for
granted because our bodies do it
automatically is one of the few things
that it does automatically with
without us having to direct it aside
from you know grow
but most of the time we're doing very
shallow breathing when you
switch to a state of conscious deep
breath you have
relaxing benefits throughout your body
not even just mentally and emotionally
but also
physically you're sending oxygen
throughout your body your
um i forget which which part of the
immune system is
the um parasympathetic
uh part of your nervous system will kick
in and relax you
so deep breathing is a key part of any
physical yoga practice
it is probably actually i want to say
properly it is more important than your
movement because your movement is guided
by your breath
and there are many systems of yoga where
you don't even do any movement so
your breath is instrumental because
without your breath there is no life
so make sure you take your time practice
these uh breath practices
as well as some that you saw in the
reading in the pranayama section
there are infinite more kinds of breath
practices these are just the basic ones
that i teach for the course
because they are simple enough to
understand and pretty accessible some of
the other ones uh
can be very triggering for some people
because it's like
very fast inhaling and exhaling it might
not be very comfortable
but these four are good places to start
so again make sure you practice on your
own this video was just a demonstration
something you can do along with me
so that you can get a feel for it but
you are expected to practice on your
own and see what the benefits are for
you
uh it's great to do before bed
because it can help you calm get calm
and get sleepy it's also very good to do
throughout your day when you're dealing
with stress when you're dealing with
annoying co-workers friends loved ones
whoever
is not something pranayama is not
something that you have to
get down on your mat and do any time
that you decide okay i need to do a
little bit of breath work here
then you do it and that's how you make
yoga practice a daily part of your life
it's not always about doing asanas
sometimes it's just being aware of your
breath
all right thank you so much namaste
and ashay
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