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O G A L I C I O U S #21 — JUNE
/ 2002
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| Welcome Namaste Yogis and Yoginis:
Welcome to Yogalicious 21. I hope you have had the chance to get outside
and enjoy the fabulous weather. This is my favorite season! Perfect
for yoga and a delicious time to enjoy breathing in the Summer wind.
To help welcome the Summer wind, this issue of Yogalicious is dedicated
to our life-giving Breath. It's a hearty issue, so print it to take
outside and enjoy the fresh air. In addition, this issue comes with
an extra a special treat for those of you in the NY/NJ area. My friend
'Magic Hands' Donna Rubinstein is extending a special offer to Yogalicious
Readers (and your friends) for Reflexology sessions.
Enjoy! Jillian |
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IN THIS ISSUE ——
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| YOGI ALBERT EINSTEIN |
| ONE BREATH |
| CLEANING THE AIR |
| SPECIAL REFLEXOLOGY COUPON |
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| WORDS OF WISDOM |
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“Pain is the difference between what is and what I want it to be.” — Unkown |
| BREATHING WISDOM |
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The earliest yogis reported: "An intelligent control of our breathing power, will lengthen our days upon earth by giving increased vitality and powers of resistance, and on the other hand, unintelligent and careless breathing will tend to shorten our days by decreasing our vitality and laying us open to disease. Controlled breathing may not only cure disease, but also do away with fear, worry, and the baser emotions." back to top |
| BREATHING 101 |
| As you probably know, yoga can greatly enhance the quality of your breathing. We feel so good on the days we practice not only because we open our bodies and center our minds; but because we become more conscious of our breathing - which increases the flow of oxygen and Prana in our system. In addition, the quality of your breathing remains higher for hours after your practice; you feel "better" the whole day! Why you ask? What is the magic behind the breath? More importantly, why don't we breathe as well all the time? Magic in the air: Through air, we absorb essential oxygen. Every cell requires oxygen for functioning, and if the Brain does not get proper supply of Oxygen ALL vital organs in body will deteriorate. Oxygen purifies the blood stream as it burns up the body toxins and carbon dioxide. Moreover, no matter how healthy you eat, if your food is not oxygenated well, you body won't be able to absorb its nutrients completely. In addition to oxygen, Yogi's believe that from air we extract Prana or life force. The more life force you have in your body, the more "alive" you are. The less life force, the less "alive". How are you breathing?: Not only are we dependent upon breath for life, we are largely dependent upon "correct" breathing for vitality and freedom from disease. Although breathing happens naturally, most of us breath with as little as 25% of our respiratory capacity. This is due to a combination of many things including stress, poor posture, sitting, computer work, tight clothes, and holding in the belly. Most commonly, these conditions cause people to "Chest Breathe" (take quick, shallow breaths from the top of our chest.) Quick shallow breaths (hyperventilation) sharply reduce the level of carbon dioxide in our blood. In short, this lack of oxygen kicks in our "fight or flight" reflex (sympathetic nervous system) which makes us tense, anxious, irritable, and reduces our ability to think clearly. We experience many other effects from poor breathing such as fatigue, confusion, loss of concentration, lowered immune system and organ function. Working with the Breath: The main key to transforming one's breathing is to do it sensitively and gradually. Before you practice breathing 'exercises', it's important to simply observe your current breathing patterns and become familiar with your habits. You can cause more tension and strain if you simply practice breathing techniques or pranyama (yoga breathing exercises) before you establish relaxed conscious breathing (see exercise below.) Just like in asana practice, 'ushing to hard' can cause injury and actually hinder better breathing. Pushing will lead to increased tension and ultimately restrict the movement of our diaphragm and other breathing muscles. back to top |
| CONSCIOUS BREATHING PRACTICE |
| Conscious rhythmic breathing is essential before practicing more advanced pranayama techniques. To practice: Lie down on a comfortable surface (In Savasana/ Corpse Pose). (If you like, bend your knees, feet flat on floor.) Let your body be still and quiet. As you relax, simply observe the quality of your natural breath without judgement or interference. Just watch it. You may notice that your breath is uneven and inconsistent. It might oscillate between quick and slow, smooth and choppy. After several minutes of observation, slowly begin helping the breath become more smooth and even, so the duration inhalation and exhalation flow smoothly from start to end. Once you've established evenness, you can use creative visualization to guide the flow of your breath. I find it helpful to imagine the belly is the ocean and chest the shoreline. On the inhale, your breath rises like a wave from belly to the chest, and falls back again on the exhale. Let your breath rise and fall effortlessly. This should naturally increase the depth of your breath without you having to 'try' to consume more air. Simply relax and become increasingly sensitive to the quality of your breath. Try this for 5-10 minutes. It is wonderful to do first thing when in the morning. Moreover, this will really make a difference on the days you cannot find time to do your yoga practice. back to top |
| GOOD SITES FOR MORE DETAILS AND EXERCISES |
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Click: http://click.topica.com/maaapOJaaSzSIa4z9WOb/ |
| OFF THE MAT |
| Once you begin to grow more conscious of your breath in your practice, check in with it throughout the day- when you are working on your computer, waiting on a line, stuck in traffic, when ever. This is practice can transform your day. back to top |
| GREAT BREATHING BOOKS |
| "The Breathing Book: Good Health and Vitality Through Essential Breath Work" by Donna Farhi. I have taken a few workshops with Donna and she's great. Available in most bookstores. "The Perceptible Breath: A Breathing Science" by Ilse Middendorf. Contact the Middendorf Breath Institute in San Francisco, California, through their website click http://click.topica.com/maaapOJaaSzSKa4z9WOb/ "The Science of Breath: by Yogi Ramacharaka. From 1906, This is an incredibly valuable book is hard to find but copies are available at Amazon.com back to top |
| RELAXING THE BREATH |
| Read what Osho has to say
about meditation and breath click http://click.topica.com/maaapOJaaSzSLa4z9WOb/ back to top |
| BE HERE TOTALLY |
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We are all guilty of creating stress by wanting to be "there," instead of being "here". To read more of Eckhart Tolle's article click here: http://click.topica.com/maaapOJaaSzSMa4z9WOb/ back to top |
| YOGI ALBERT EINSTEIN SAID... |
| "He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest -- a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security." back to top |
| ONE BREATH |
| One of my favorite ideas to remember about the breath is: Each breath you take in, was some one else's exhale. Each breath you release, will be another's inhale. We share one universal breath - universal life-energy - infinitely. We are united with all beings and all of creation through the breath. back to top |
| CLEANING THE AIR |
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As you can imagine, the quality of our breath will always relate to the qaulity of the air. Learn more about our air and find out what we can do to help. Visit: http://click.topica.com/maaapOJaaSzSNa4z9WOb/ Visit: http://click.topica.com/maaapOJaaSzSOa4z9WOb/ back to top |
| Thanks for reading everyone! As always, I love to hear your comments. If you didn't received the last Yogalicious it is available on my web site. Please share this email with friends, or have them send me an email to be added to this distribution. May you, and all beings, enjoy the summer wind. One Breath, Jillian |
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Special Offer for Yogalicious readers (and share it with your
friends too.) SPECIAL REFLEXOLOGY SESSIONS WITH Donna Rubinstein Enjoy two session and get one free. ($90 per session.) Donna has been practicing since 1995 and is certified through the American Reflexology Certification Board). She also teaches Yoga at Yoga Zone. She can be reached at 646-298-6484 for an appointment, or at rubcoo@aol.com. (One time offer only.) |