breathe loud, breathe proud

I've written about it before and I'll write about it again, darn it: the ujjayi breath. Take just a few yoga classes and you'll soon know that the single most important part of the practice is not the poses at all, but this breath. This noisy, raspy breath. The Conqueror Breath. Victorious, Oceanic, The Darth Vader....Ujjayi Breath. Whatever you call it, it is what draws our bodies from one pose to another, keeps our minds centered, activates our parasympathetic nervous system and efficiently floods the entire body with oxygen. Have you grasped the importance? Regular breathing in and out through the nose, chest breathing or cardio-style breathing are just not enough for yoga, physically or mentally. It makes a huge difference to feel the breath on the throat and slow it down significantly. In a group class, surrounded by other audible breaths, we remind each other gently to stay focused and breathe. 

Intentional breathing in daily life is the end result of the ujjayi technique. As we work to control, suspend and calm the breath during our practice, it becomes more natural off the mat as well because we're stronger. We're not just breathing deeply in a yoga class, we're breathing deeply while folded, twisted or lengthened; the lungs and diaphragm need to get stronger and work much harder to fill and expand, so when we're off the mat, strong intentional breathing comes more naturally.

"When we get into a difficult pose, a long hold in Utkatasana (chair pose) or a Navasana (boat pose) that never seems to end, the easiest thing to forget about is the breath. It’s instinct to hold our breath or shorten it. That is the moment when we need the breath most, we need the oxygen. It’s the same thing off the mat." - Source

A lot of people hold back because they feel self-conscious about breathing loudly, but breathing demurely will only hold you back in yoga. So let loose! As a student, I remember struggling to grasp this technique, wondering how my fellow students were making that weird noise. I eventually learned it by trying to fake it. When I specifically tried to make that noise, I realized with surprise that I had it; I noticed how different I felt. If you're not sure you're getting the technique down, try being noisy with your exhales, just sighing loudly with your mouth shut. Even if you feel stupid or think you're just faking it, try it. When you feel that wheezy sensation of air moving through your throat, you'll know you've got it.

"This sound, called ajapa mantra (ah-JOP-ah) or 'the unspoken mantra,' serves three purposes: it helps to slow the breath down, creates a noise to focus awareness on the breath and helps to regulate respiration by continually monitoring and adjusting the evenness of the sound, the smooth flow of breath." -Source

It may sound dramatic, but there is truly little benefit in doing yoga asanas without the ujjayi breath. Working toward this technique will strengthen muscles and mental focus that you didn't even know you had. If you're still feeling like you're missing something or need a different explanation to make it click for you, please ask me or your yoga instructor for help. Cultivating strong, confident breathers and yogis is what we're here for. <3

the bee breath - pranayama

If you're new to pranayama (breath practice), the Bee Breath, or Bhramari, might seem a little strange at first; but once you understand the science behind it and why it's practiced, you will come to appreciate it's many benefits. 

Performing this breathing exercise helps to induce a calming effect on the mind almost immediately. As with any intentional breathing practice, "Lengthening exhalation relative to inhalation reduces the 'fight or flight' impulse and maintains a healthy level of carbon dioxide in the blood, which helps you relax." - Source  Our restorative parasympathetic nervous system takes over, as it does in meditation or sleep.

What sets the bee breath apart from other breathing techniques is obviously the soothing noise. As we gently close our ears and hum on each exhale, everything else around us is easily drowned out. The noise of our own voice is relaxing, calming background noise, quieting our busy minds and gently stimulating the brain.

The bee breath is especially beneficial for pregnant yoginis. Not only is it invigorating and relaxing, but many women report that they can feel the sound vibrations stimulating their baby. Further, if Bhramari practiced regularly during pregnancy, it helps to keep the endocrinal system regulated, facilitating an easy and trouble-free childbirth. - Source
I love to introduce this technique to my prenatal students and always encourage them to practice this and/or meditation at least once a day. Give it a try!

running, yoga & exercise induced asthma

EIA makes running difficult, especially as the weather changes.

Wikipedia (actually has a better definition than Mayo Clinic, so don't judge) describes Exercise-Induced Asthma as the following:

"Exercise-induced asthma, or E.I.A., is a medical condition that occurs when the airways narrow as a result of exercise. The preferred term for this condition is exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB); exercise does not cause asthma, but is frequently an asthma trigger"

I've had exercise-induced asthma/bronchoconstriction ever since I first began running at age 8. For years, I thought that maybe I was breathing wrong, not in tip-top shape or just wasn't cut out for running. Shortness of breath certainly isn't out of the ordinary when you're running, but my symptoms would last long after I was done. Wheezing, phlegm, chest pain and coughing always went on for at least a few hours afterward, often into the next day if the weather was cold or if I ran particularly hard. 

Over the years, my asthma seemed to get worse. A scary asthma attack after a high school cross-country race prompted a visit to the doctor, where I was finally diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma. Although it doesn't sound like that big of a deal, it was a big deal to me at the time. It made me feel like I would never be able to compete to my full potential and would always be at a disadvantage to my asthma-free peers. I tried the inhaler-route for a few years, longer warm-ups and cool-downs and even the Vitamin C method, but nothing seemed to lessen my symptoms.

Running, in particular, is aggravating to E.I.A. in 3 main ways:

1.) Being outdoors: When outdoors, the lungs have no protection from the air. It's especially aggravating if you have seasonal allergies or if the weather is cold and dry.
2.) Mouth-breathing: During vigorous exercising, such as running, we use the mouth. Anytime unfiltered air rushes straight off the back of the throat, it quickly dries out the airways and can aggravate asthma symptoms.
3.) Posture: When we run, we're leaning, hunched over, the entire time. Our chest is compressed as we lean into the next stride. Try as you might, it feels ridiculous to keep the chest upright (open) while running, so the chest is already tight.

Aside from inhalers, there's really not much information out there for alternative asthma treatments. Trust me, I've looked. Prevention methods would obviously involve not running, not running outside and/or not running in the cold, but that doesn't really work for a runner. As I began to learn more about yoga, I hoped it would help.

Yoga is usually safe to practice if you have E.I.A.

There may be certain pranayama (breathing techniques) that don't work well for you, but normally, during yoga, we breathe in and out slowly through the nose. Yoga is also normally practiced indoors, sometimes even with humidity added to the room...all great conditions for exercising without experiencing asthma.

Even after years of yoga and pranayama, I would not say that my E.I.A. has improved when running. I've been running for 20 years and it will be a sad day when I have to hang up my running shoes, but I still struggle in the cold, I still wheeze and cough and experience chest pain. Yoga can help with many various health issues, but I'm not touting it as a cure-all. But in relation to E.I.A, yoga DOES greatly aid in the aftermath. The following is a little compilation of poses I like to practice when I'm having a tough time after a run. The goal of many of these poses is to open the chest and loosen mucus from the lungs.

Camel
Cobra
Cow
Bridge or Wheel
Thymus reset

If you have exercise-induced asthma, I hope something here was helpful to you. I know how frustrating of a struggle it can be, especially when you really love something. I will always love running. There is absolutely nothing like it. I will always hate asthma. There is also nothing like it.  But for now, as long as I can enjoy a long run through the woods, I will embrace a few hours of post-running hacking.

yoga for the hiccups!?

Ask anyone who's ever been around me during an episode and they'll confirm that I get very unusual, violent hiccups. There's no muffling cute little "hic" noises for this girl because my hiccups sound more like some sort of hungry jungle bird. A widely accepted consensus for the animal most closely resembling the sound is...a Velociraptor...and it's embarrassingly accurate.

Besides the terribly loud noise, my hiccups also manifest at an abnormally fast pace with intense diaphragm spasms. They're painful. And they don't go down without a fight. Holding my breath, chugging water, chewing gum, being startled, swallowing sugar, hanging upside down, and drinking water with a freshly snuffed out match are among a few of the worthless cures I've tried. (I would not have attempted many of these "remedies" on my own, but people try to "help" me...or something.)

Anyway, yoga continues to amaze me as it aids in healing many aches, pains and ailments. I've had luck with yoga helping me in so many ways, so why not hiccups? I tried various pranayama (breathing exercises) such as alternate nostril breathing, ujjayi breath and uddiyana bandha (abdominal lock) to no avail. I had no idea what I was doing, but since hiccups originate in the diaphragm, I knew that some sort of pranayama should work.

Vagus Nerve Image

After a ton of research, I ran across this blog and found that jalandhara bandha is believed to stimulate the vagus nerve. What's the vagus nerve? Apparently, the vagus nerves carry a wide assortment of signals to and from the brain and are responsible for a number of instinctive responses in the body (ie. hiccups). Stimulation of the vagus nerve can be used to treat various medical conditions such as epilepsy (or hiccups)! Interesting stuff.

"The home remedies used to stop hiccups are believed to work on two principles. One way to stifle hiccups is to overwhelm the vagus nerve with another sensation. The vagus nerve signals the brain that more important matters have arisen, so it's time to knock off the hiccups. Other methods interfere with breathing, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood. This probably causes the body to become more concerned with getting rid of the carbon dioxide than making hiccups." - howstuffworks.com

This seemingly explains why some people/hiccups respond to being scared or distracted, while others have luck with breathing in a paper bag or swallowing sugar. Needless to say, during my usual violent inconsolable hiccups, I tried the jalandhara bandha and to my utter amazement, it worked within a few breaths. So for those of you who are like me, please enjoy the following easy instructions next time you get the hiccups!

How To perform jalandhara bandha (chin lock):
*Use caution or seek guidance if you suffer from low blood pressure, respiratory problems or neck injury.

1.) Find a comfortable upright position with a long, straight spine. Press the shoulder blades together to lift the chest upward toward the chin (don't press the ribs forward). Simultaneously, drop the chin toward the chest.

Yoga Journal tip: "Jalandhara requires the chin to rest comfortably on the sternum (neck flexion). Many beginners make the mistake of only lowering the chin; in fact your chin should be met half-way by the elevated sternum."

2.) Lengthen the back of the neck and begin to take deep, long diaphragmatic breaths in and out through the nose, pulling air from the pit of the belly. (Similar to ujjayi breath technique)

3.) Take 5-10 long, slow breaths through the nose with the chin tucked and the sternum lifted. Enjoy the rest of your hiccup-free day! :)

Namaste, people.

Wholehearter on Facebook: Normally, I don’t make a habit of taking pictures of people in savasana, but Zero's not a person. ...

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alternate nostril breathing

When a student recently asked me about our alternate nostril breathing practice, I explained that it actually helps to create synapses in the brain between the left and right hemisphere. This was not exactly the answer anyone expected. :)

Alternate nostril breathing is a breathing exercise (pranayama) to help restore imbalances in your brain. It is a relaxing technique, usually practiced at the beginning or end of a class and will leave the practitioner feeling refreshed and alert. It's not just bringing extra oxygen into your blood and brain, there's some very interesting science behind it.

Your nostrils contain nerve endings that are directly linked to your brain and nervous system. Breathing in through your left nostril will stimulate the right “feeling ” hemisphere of the brain for increased alertness, while breathing in only through the right will stimulate the left “thinking” hemisphere and calm the mind. A little memory hook, right nostril = relax, left = alert

Research has shown that we all tend to favor one nostril or the other throughout the day. You may notice it sometimes and it may switch every few hours or so, but we don't always breathe openly through both nostrils. It has also been found that during times of congestion, brain activity on the hemisphere linked to the less congested nostril is more active than the clogged up nostril and corresponding hemisphere. (Now you know why you feel so dopey when you get a bad head cold and both nostrils are obstructed)

Consciously alternating your breath between nostrils activates the brain as a whole for increased function and helps to correct these imbalances in nostril functioning and brain functioning. Cool, huh? Here are some of the main impressive benefits of this pranayama:

Maybe it's just me, but I definitely think I could use some extra brain function sometimes. :)  Alternate nostril breathing is not complicated to practice, it's just a slow intentional deep breathing technique. If you'd like to try it, follow the directions below.

Alternate nostril breathing is safe for most people to practice, but under no circumstances should anything be forced. As with any pranayama exercise, if you feel too congested or if you ever begin to feel light headed for any reason, please stop and return your breathing to normal.

This pranayama is a great option for that little mid-afternoon boost. So maybe next time you're ready to turn to coffee or caffeinated soda, try a few rounds of caffeine and sugar-free alternate nostril breathing.

Namaste!

For more interesting articles and studies on alternate nostril breathing and its immediate effects on the brain, metabolic processes and immune system, check here.

breathing is important

I remember one of the first yoga classes I ever took. When the instructor babbled on about cultivating the "oojawee," I tuned him out. I didn't know what the heck that meant and anyway, I was too busy gasping for air to think about it. Years later, I did finally figure out what it meant and I'm still working on it. The ujjayi breath may come more naturally now, but the journey in finding strength and focus of the breath is never over.

Ujjayi (ooj-JA-yee) - Sanskrit term for a breathing technique used throughout a variety of yogic practices. The term translates literally to "victorious breath" and is sometimes referred to at the "oceanic breath" due to the sound it produces.

If you're not familiar with the ujjayi breathing method or are not sure you've fully grasped it, here are some helpful tips:

1 Sit tall in a comfortable position, placing one hand on the stomach and one on the chest. As you inhale through the nose, allow the belly to expand like a bellows and notice how your lower hand moves. Even as you inhale the air all the way up into your lungs, the hand on your chest does not move much. Contrary to popular belief, for the most fulfilling and complete breath, our chest only expands slightly from the diaphragm lifting. Chest-breathing is a shallow, incomplete type of breathing that we all have a tendency toward. Breaking that habit in daily life is a benefit of practicing ujjayi.

2 On the exhale, (also slowly through the nose) draw your navel up and back toward the spine, forcing out all the air.

3 Here's the part that might be challenging at first: when you exhale during ujjayi practice, you are meant to close off (or narrow) the glottis located in the back of the throat. This narrowing of that passage helps to lengthen and control the breath, while at the same time, creating an audible noise, as if in a deep sleep.  It's a little hard to grasp at first, but once you get it, you'll feel it.

Check out your glottis. This little space between the vocal cords makes the ujjayi breath possible.

Try it this way: Take an inhale through the nose, and just for this illustration, allow the air to come out through your mouth in a sigh. On the next breath, inhale through the nose once more, but this time, close the mouth completely and still try to force the air out of the mouth. If you don't allow the mouth open, you should feel the air pulling through the back of your throat and hear that audible "oceanic" sound. If you ended up hacking or blowing the air out through your mouth, that's okay. It just takes practice.

Practicing the fundamentals of the ujjayi breath is beneficial whether it's your first time or your thousandth. It really is the most important part of yoga and will carry you through your practice, help you remain focused, lift and strengthen your diaphragm, and create a meditative, soothing sound for all to share. What more could you want from just breathing!?

Keep ujjaying, yogiis! :)

take your yoga with you

Ever thought about practicing some yoga during your commute? (No, I'm not talking about popping into a handstand on the subway.) I mean have you ever made your commute a consciously relaxing and comfortable experience? (Without involving large muffins or iced coffee...mmm). It might not be as difficult as you think to work on your yoga, even if your commute is public. :)

Breath: Start with your breath. If you regularly practice yoga, you will know to cultivate your ujjayi breath. If you've never taken any yoga before, that's okay! You can start by simply breathing in and out through the nose, slowly. Begin to lengthen each inhale and exhale, making them nice and full...pulling the air up from the pit of the belly, filling up the diaphragm, and then with each exhale, tuck the navel up and back in toward the spine. This complete breath helps to expel out all the stale air that tends to settle in our lower lungs, all while strengthening the diaphragm and the abdominal muscles.

Since ujjayi breathing is practiced throughout an entire yoga session, it's perfectly acceptable to work on this technique all the way to and from wherever you're going. Imagine how much stronger your diaphragm could be after working on this consciously for a few weeks!

Bandhas: The term bandha is Sanskrit for "energy lock" and there are 3 basic locks. The Mula Bandha (pelvic floor lock), Uddiyana Bandha (abdomen lock) and Jalandhara Bandha (chin lock). We'll focus on the Mula and Uddiyana Bandhas. (Jalandhara bandha involves "locking" the chin down toward the chest, which is not a desirable posture for driving.)

While practicing your deep ujjayi breathing, retain a deep inhale and contract the pelvic floor muscle, Mula Bandha. This lock can be challenging for some, but the benefits are great as you learn to strengthen these delicate muscles and use this technique during your asana (physical yoga pose) practice.

Try the same with the Uddiyana Bandha, only after an exhale. Contract the abdomen, tucking it deeply in and up under the rib cage. This encourages proper breathing and is also beneficial throughout yoga practice.

Spinal Alignment: Our spine is something that we should all be thinking about every day. It's so easy to fall into poor posture habits, especially in a car or at a desk. Be sure to adjust your seat, making sure that the base of your spine makes contact with the back of the seat and the knees are slightly lower than the hips. Also, many people make the mistake of tilting the back of the seat the whole way to 90º, thinking that sitting up pin straight is good. In reality, you should allow your spine to relax backward just slightly, taking pressure off of your lower spine. Shoulders (down and away from the ears) should relax back against the seat, and your whole body should be about arms length away from the steering wheel. This distance from the steering wheel can feel much too far if you're not used to it, but not only is it better for your posture, it is also much safer. (Heaven forbid your air bags should ever go off if you're 6" from your steering column.)

Throughout your day, wherever you go, take your yoga with you. Think about what your spine is doing and understand that years worth of spinal imbalances and muscle memory will enable much of your poor posture to be subconscious. Whether you're walking or sitting, imagine that someone is gently lifting the crown of your head upward. Leave notes or set phone reminders to: Uncross legs, Lift the spine, Sit up tall, Relax shoulders...etc.

Most of all, have patience with your posture progress. All of these changes can feel very awkward at first, but after a few weeks of dedication, your body with thank you!