Hot Yoga Pose Forums > Chapter: Pranayama
Such beautiful awarenesses, Erica! Breath is truly the bridge between the limits of your physical lungs and the energy that is You which is limitless (and is indeed sets you up for a beautiful experience: you're beginning to see why the script is so precisely written - we not only give instructions for movement, we set our students up to feel the expansiveness we know they will in all parts of themselves). The micro breaths are sometimes about the lungs getting used to keeping up with that expansion of You
Beautiful noticing of how the breath affects your shoulders and legs. For me, I find keeping my thighs locked on the exhale as well as the inhalde, I feel strength and stability in my lower body that heightens my sense of "flying"as my elbows rise to the max on the inhale! The contrast feels delicious and powerful! And your experience of relaxing the thighs on the exhale to feel your mobility, is just as valid. For those shoulders: try pulling your shoulders and elbow tips way, way forward towards the front mirror when bringing the elbows together on the exhaleLfor me if feels like my shoulders just continue to release and release into a new place of non-resistance that feels just as powerful and locking the limbs (interesting to feel how extreme release/relaxing can feel JUST AS POWERFUL AND SOMETIMES MORE than holding tight)
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
Wow! Everything you mentioned Rhonda is Perfect for me! My regular breathing is so much deeper and soothing. It is 2 poses that has alot going on and ryequires a lot of concentration and will be improving on. The tightening and relaxing of the body is key with the deep breathes, and sometimes i need to take small gasps of air, but I end it deeep breath of what pose we are on. This also made me realize how tight my shoulders are and different my legs are with being able to center my body for balance and lock my legs - lift the thigh. Tailbone down makes me soar to the sky. And I excited to correct wrist, fore arms, and elbow pressed together - I realize only my elbows are really pressing together because of not opening and allowing! This is going to be a whole new experience for me! I am excited.
Lisa N
Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
My first few classes I also felt like I needed to sneak in these micro breaths. As I am learning to relax the breaths have become easier. This is now my favorite pose. "It sets you up for a beautiful class" is dead on. Focusing so intently on the breaths for this pose sets me up to breathe through out the class. As I focus on the my breathing my body relaxes more and my poses get deeper. I'm finding that my shoulder mobility is improving from Pranayama. I can almost touch my fingers behind my back. Locking my legs during the inhale gives me the feeling of strength and a stronger inhale. Relaxing my thigh muscles on the exhale relaxes my neck and shoulders as well giving me more flexibility.