Category: 4 Pranayama

Pranayama (Breathing): October 2022 – Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (Alternate Nostril / Channel Clearing Breath)

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 4 Pranayama, Self Care

Good morning Yogis! Today is a Pranayama Day Practice!

cool perspective looking at the top of snow covered colorado mountains under partly cloudy sky during alpine twilight - pranayama breath breathing Quote: Bliss begins with the breath. We breathe in and accept all that is new. We breathe out, and release all that has passed. - Sara Wiseman
Bliss begins with the breath. We breathe in and accept all that is new. We breathe out, and release all that has passed. – Sara Wiseman

BONUS DAILY MEDITATION CHALLENGE

We are in the middle of a bonus Daily Meditation Challenge for October! For Pranayama Day today, my meditation for the day is a Guided Pranayama Practice – Nadi Shodhana.

This is our last Pranayama Day for our special meditation month, so today we will cover a meditative Pranayama practice – Nadi Shodhana (NAH-dee show-DAH-nuh). This literally translates as “channel-clearing” but we frequently use a more descriptive translation of alternate-nostril breathing. This technique is meant to clear the body’s energy channels, and I find it is super cleansing for the entire respiratory system – you may want to keep some tissues handy for this technique, and do not perform if you have a stuffy nose!

orange breath graphic on yellow gold background

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is Nadi Shodhana or Channel Clearing, a Pranayama Practice. Most of us have tried diaphragmatic breathing, which is part one of this alternate-nostril breath. We recommend trying this breath technique during meditation! This is also a great calming technique for anxiety.

Diaphragmatic Breath

  • Start in a comfortable seat by evaluating your current breath pattern. Place one hand on your chest, and the other on your belly. Breathe in and out, and notice when the hands resting on your belly and chest move to indicate expansion. You SHOULD use your diaphragm and breathe into your belly, so your belly expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale. Most of us breathe shallowly into our chest only, and our belly hand never moves!
  • Breathe in and make sure your belly expands, pushing your hand out as your entire torso fills with air
  • Breathe out, contracting the belly, making sure you empty the lungs completely
  • Continue breathing in to a full count of 6, and out to a full count of 6, using your diaphragm to fill your lungs with air, and contract the belly to empty lungs completely. Focus on keeping your chest hand fairly still, and using your diaphragm to breathe into your belly.

Nadi Shodhana Pranayama – Channel Clearing / Alternate-Nostril Breathing

  • Get in position – you will want to come into a comfortable seat. Place your left hand on your left knee. Bring your right hand into a Vishnu Mudra, folding your first two fingers to your palm (or if this is not comfortable, bring all three center fingers to the palm, or rest your index and middle fingers on your forehead/third eye)
  • Use the right thumb to close the right nostril. Exhale and then inhale fully through your left nostril only, keeping your diaphragmatic breath technique, breathing into your belly.
  • Move your right ring and pinky finger to close the left nostril. Exhale and then inhale fully through your right nostril only.
  • Continue this alternate-nostril breathing for 3-5 minutes. Remember, exhale and inhale, then switch sides.

This technique can be quite confusing – you may want to follow along our recommended video this first time!

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𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦. - 𝘈.𝘊. 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯⁣ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. - 𝘈𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸⁣ 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. - 𝘓𝘢𝘰 𝘛𝘻𝘶⁣ 𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴— 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺— 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦. - 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴⁣ 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭. - 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳⁣ 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴. 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦. - 𝘖𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰 𝘑𝘢𝘺 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘩⁣ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰, 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺. - 𝘋𝘰𝘦 𝘡𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘢⁣ 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. - 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘵⁣ 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. - 𝘝𝘰𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦⁣

Please comment and let me know what you thought of this Pranayama exercise! Have you tried this alternate-nostril breath? Do you have another Pranayama practice you particularly enjoy? Always remember, be kind!

              

October 2022: Pranayama (Breathing) – Yogic Breath / Three Part Breath

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 4 Pranayama, Meditation

Good morning Yogis! Today is a KISS (keep it super simple) Day! So, we are going to revisit Yogic Breath, a Pranayama Practice.

cool perspective looking at the top of snow covered colorado mountains under a bright blue partly cloudy sky - pranayama breath breathing Quote: The mind is the king of the senses, and the breath is the king of the mind. - B.K.S. Iyengar
The mind is the king of the senses, and the breath is the king of the mind. – B.K.S. Iyengar

BONUS DAILY MEDITATION CHALLENGE

We are in the middle of a bonus Daily Meditation Challenge for October! For Pranayama Day today, try our Breath-Focused Meditation with our Three Part Breath Below!

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is Yogic Breath, a Pranayama Practice. Most of us have tried diaphragmatic breathing, which is part one of this three-part breath. We recommend incorporating this breath technique into your Asana practice, and bringing it forward into meditation! This is also a great calming technique for anxiety.

Diaphragmatic Breath

  • Start in a comfortable seat by evaluating your current breath pattern. Place one hand on your chest, and the other on your belly. Breathe in and out, and notice when the hands resting on your belly and chest move to indicate expansion. You SHOULD use your diaphragm and breathe into your belly, so your belly expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale. Most of us breathe shallowly into our chest only, and our belly hand never moves!
  • Breathe in and make sure your belly expands, pushing your hand out as your entire torso fills with air
  • Breathe out, contracting the belly, making sure you empty the lungs completely
  • Continue breathing in to a full count of 6, and out to a full count of 6, using your diaphragm to fill your lungs with air, and contract the belly to empty lungs completely. Focus on keeping your chest hand fairly still, and using your diaphragm to breathe into your belly.

Yogic Breath / Three Part Breath

  • PART 1 – Belly: Diaphragmatic breathing is the first part of three part breath! Make sure you complete 10 full inhalations and exhalations, counting to 6 for each inhale and exhale.
  • PART 2 – Ribs: After 10 complete belly breaths, after expanding into your belly – try expanding your rib cage outwards on inhales and allowing to compress on exhales.
  • PART 3 – Chest: After 10 full inhale and exhalations with rib cage expansion – first fill your belly, then expand rib cage, then try allowing your clavicle (collar bone) to rise as you fill and empty your lungs completely for another 10 breaths.

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𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦. - 𝘈.𝘊. 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯⁣ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. - 𝘈𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸⁣ 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. - 𝘓𝘢𝘰 𝘛𝘻𝘶⁣ 𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴— 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺— 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦. - 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴⁣ 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭. - 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳⁣ 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴. 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦. - 𝘖𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰 𝘑𝘢𝘺 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘩⁣ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰, 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺. - 𝘋𝘰𝘦 𝘡𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘢⁣ 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. - 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘵⁣ 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. - 𝘝𝘰𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦⁣

Please comment and let me know what you thought of this Pranayama exercise! Do you incorporate diaphragmatic breathing like this, or other Pranayama into your Asana practice? Have you tried this full three-part breath? Do you have another Pranayama practice you particularly enjoy? Always remember, be kind!

              

September 2022: Pranayama (Breathing) – Bhastrika Pranayama (Bellows Breath)

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 4 Pranayama

Good Morning Yogis! Today is Pranayama Day! We celebrated the first day of fall last week, and the days are getting shorter and cooler. So, today we will revisit a warming and energizing breathwork technique – Bhastrika Pranayama or Bellows’ Breath!

We are in the middle of a daily Asana practice challenge for September! Please see our Asana Styles page for links to youtube videos for various Yoga Styles. For Pranayama Day today, I recommend a gentle morning Hatha class, perhaps after trying out this new technique!

I usually practice with the Yoga Studio App rather than streaming services, so I can download my favorite classes and use in areas without WiFi or phone signal. Today I am doing one of my favorites – Beginner AM (20 Minute), which I modify with more advanced versions of poses including full side plank, standard extended side angle, and lowering slowly from plank to Chaturanga Dandasana / Yoga Push-Up… I am still working arm strength to do the Intermediate version of this class. I typically practice Asana most consistently in the morning, and this is my favorite morning series! PS I keep Ocean for the background sound in my Yoga Studio App, to help remind me to use Ujjayi Pranayama or Ocean Breath!

cool perspective looking up at white flowering tree branches up through to light blue partly cloudy sky - pranayama breath breathing Quote: The more you breathe, the more you feel. - Isabel Losada
The more you breathe, the more you feel. – Isabel Losada

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is Bhastrika Pranayama, an energizing Pranayama Practice. We will start diaphragmatic breathing, which is part one of this breath. Please note this is a technique that should be practiced on its own, NOT during Asana practice! This Pranayama is best first thing in the morning, or if you need an energy boost during the day. Also, this technique is best on an empty stomach, or at least a couple hours after eating!

This is a great technique to watch and follow along – click here for video instructions!

Diaphragmatic Breath

  • Start by evaluating your current breath pattern. Place one hand on your chest, and the other on your belly. Breathe in and out, and notice when the hands resting on your belly and chest move to indicate expansion. You SHOULD use your diaphragm and breathe into your belly, so your belly expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale. Most of us breathe shallowly into our chest only, and our belly hand never moves!  
  • Breathe in and make sure your belly expands, pushing your hand out as your entire torso fills with air.
  • Breathe out, contracting the belly, making sure you empty the lungs completely
  • Continue breathing in to a full count of 6, and out to a full count of 6, using your diaphragm to fill your lungs with air, and contract the belly to empty lungs completely. Focus on keeping your chest hand fairly still, and using your diaphragm to breathe into your belly.

Bhastrika Pranayama / Bellows Breath

  • After 5-10 full Diaphragmatic Breaths, close your mouth and begin the Bellows Breath:
  • Exhale forcefully through the nose, followed by inhaling forcefully through the nose.
    • These are quick forceful breaths, about one second for each inhale and one second for each exhale.
    • Use your diaphragm to initiate this breath, so your belly moves in and out quickly with your breath. Note that due to the speed, your breath will likely only reach your chest, not your belly.
    • Keep head, neck, and shoulders still throughout this technique.
  • Complete a round of 10 Bellows Breaths.
  • Move back to Diaphragmatic Breathing for 5-10 complete breaths. If you are getting dizzy, just stick with one round.
  • Complete a second round of 20 Bellows Breaths.
  • Move back to Diaphragmatic Breathing for 10 complete breaths.
  • Complete a third round of 30 Bellows Breaths.
  • Do not practice more than 3 rounds or 60 Bellows Breaths at a time.

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Please comment and let me know what you thought of this Pranayama exercise! Have you tried this breath technique? How many rounds did you complete? Do you have another Pranayama practice you particularly enjoy? Always remember, be kind!

              

September 2022: Pranayama (Breathing) – Bikram Pranayama (Hot Yoga Breath)

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 4 Pranayama, Intro Info

Good Morning Yogis! Today is Pranayama Day! We are in the middle of a daily Asana practice challenge for September, so we will revisit a moving Pranayama technique common in all kinds of Hot Yoga Classes, that originated in Bikram studios. This breath technique is part of the opening in the classic Bikram series.

Bonus Daily Asana Challenge

Please see our Asana Styles page for links to youtube videos for various Yoga Styles. For Pranayama Day today, I recommend a Hot Yoga Style class, which will include this breath technique!

I usually practice with the Yoga Studio App rather than streaming services, so I can download my favorite classes and use in areas without Wifi or phone signal. Today I am doing one of my favorites – Beginner AM (20 Minute), which I modify with more advanced versions of poses including full side plank, standard extended side angle, and lowering slowly from plank to Chaturanga Dandasana / Yoga Push-Up… I am still working arm strength to do the Intermediate version of this class. I typically practice Asana most consistently in the morning, and this is my favorite morning series! PS I keep Ocean for the background sound in my Yoga Studio App, to help remind me to use Ujjayi Pranayama or Ocean Breath!

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is Bikram’s Pranayama a moving Pranayama Practice used in all kinds of Hot Yoga classes. We will start diaphragmatic breathing, which is part one of this breath. I am sure you will have tried this Pranayama technique if you have practiced any kind of style at a Hot Yoga studio – this breath feels particularly great in a hot and humid environment.

This is a great technique to watch and follow along – click here for video instructions!

Hot Yoga Pranayama Breath - yoga pose girl sunny day yoga on the beach
Hot Yoga Pranayama Breath - yoga pose girl sunny day yoga on the beach
Bikram Pranayama – Hot Yoga Breathing

Diaphragmatic Breath

  • Start by evaluating your current breath pattern. Place one hand on your chest, and the other on your belly. Breathe in and out, and notice when the hands resting on your belly and chest move to indicate expansion. You SHOULD use your diaphragm and breathe into your belly, so your belly expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale. Most of us breathe shallowly into our chest only, and our belly hand never moves!  
  • Breathe in and make sure your belly expands, pushing your hand out as your entire torso fills with air.
  • Breathe out, contracting the belly, making sure you empty the lungs completely
  • Continue breathing in to a full count of 6, and out to a full count of 6, using your diaphragm to fill your lungs with air, and contract the belly to empty lungs completely. Focus on keeping your chest hand fairly still, and using your diaphragm to breathe into your belly.

Bikram Pranayama / Hot Yoga Breath

  • Clasp your hands together, and bring your fists under your chin with your thumbs at your throat. Squeeze your elbows together.
  • Inhale through your nose into your belly, and allow elbows to float up, keeping your chin in place.
  • Let your your chin float up and exhale, as you squeeze your elbows together.
  • Continue the cycle – allow your chin float down and elbows to float up on your inhale.

Want more on Pranayama?
Check our Pranayama Board on Pinterest!

Please comment and let me know what you thought of this Pranayama exercise! Do you incorporate Pranayama into your Asana practice? Have you tried Hot Yoga or this breath technique? Do you have another Pranayama practice you particularly enjoy? Always remember, be kind!

              

September 2022: Pranayama (Breathing) – Ujjayi Pranayama – Ocean Breath

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 4 Pranayama

Good morning Yogis! Today is Pranayama Day in a special Asana-focused September! Today we will be revisiting Ujjayi (oo-JAW-yee) Pranayama. This is literally translated from Sanskrit as Victorious Breath, but is commonly referred to as Ocean Breath due to the sound of this technique. This is another great cooling and calming breathing technique, and is ideal during Asana practice. You may have learned this in Yoga class before, especially if you have attended a Hot Yoga class.

cool perspective looking down colorado highway into the mountains under a bright blue partly cloudy sky - pranayama breath breathing Quote: Breath is the link between mind and body. - Dan Brule
Breath is the link between mind and body. – Dan Brule

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is trying Ujjayi Pranayama or Ocean Breathing. I recommend trying this with the Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutations practice, and trying to make this breath technique a regular habit during your Asanas.

Ujjayi Pranayama – Ocean Breath

Start with Diaphragmatic Breathing for 3 full inhales and exhales.

Open your mouth and inhale and exhale through your mouth. Contract your throat to slightly say “HA” on the exhales. Keep this light contraction in your throat so you slightly say “SA” on the inhales. You will start noticing the ocean sound from which this technique gets its name.

Now, close your mouth. Inhale and exhale through your nose, while keeping this contraction in your throat to keep the ocean sound continuing on both inhales and exhales. As you become comfortable with this breathing technique, try your Asana practice with this Ujjayi Pranayama.

light blue breath graphic on dark blue background

Please comment and let me know what you thought of this Ujjayi Pranayama exercise! Have you ever tried this technique as a standalone or during your Asana practice? Always remember, be kind!

              

August 2022 Yoga Challenge: Virgo Season – Goddess Pose

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 3-Asanas, 4 Pranayama, Holiday

Doing our 30 Day Challenge? Click here for today’s post!

Utkata Konasana - standing goddess pose - yoga pose forest yogi girl wearing green dress, outdoors barefoot yoga in the woods
Utkata Konasana – Goddess Pose

Good morning Yogis! Today we are learning Sitali Pranayama, a cooling breath we covered on the Summer Solstice! If it’s as hot where you are as it is in Colorado today, you may want to try some Sitali again today!

Today is the start of Virgo Season – Happy Birthday Virgo Yogis! We will cover two Asanas today inspired by Virgo – Utkata Konasana / Goddess Pose and Supta Baddha Konasana – Reclined Goddess Pose.

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is to try the Goddess Asanas inspired by the start of Virgo Season!

Utkata Konasana – Goddess Pose

This Goddess Pose is a standing pose. The literal translation from Sanskrit is Fierce Angle Pose, so try to embody a fierce warrior Goddess for this pose! Only come down as far as you are comfortable! Hold for 30-60 seconds.

Feet – Feet should be about 3 – 4 1/2 feet apart, flat on the mat. Turn your toes out to point 45 degrees out to each side.

Legs and Hips – Bend your knees to come into this pose. The full expression is with thighs parallel to the ground, but only come down as far as is comfortable. It is more important to keep your knees over your ankles than to have a deep bend in the leg! Try to keep your hips neutral, but try to keep your booty tucked under rather than sticking out.

Torso – Keep a straight back. Take note of your rib cage. If you notice the bottom of rib cage is sticking out, pull back in and down to correct your posture. Next notice your shoulders. Try to gently roll your shoulders back and down, away from your ears. Notice how this helps your chest open.

Arms – Cactus your arms – hold arms up with elbows at 90 degree angles, fingers spread, and palms facing forward.

Head and Neck – Keep your head in line with the rest of your torso, looking straight ahead. Note where your ears are compared to your shoulders. Most of us keep our heads slightly forward. If you notice you are doing this, tuck your chin slightly and gently press back to bring your neck and ears into alignment with your shoulders.

Supta Baddha Konasana – reclined goddess pose

This Asana is called both Reclined Goddess Pose and Reclined Bound Angle Pose, the literal Sanskrit translation. This comfortable passive stretch is a common pose for Restorative Yoga! You can place a couch pillow under the knees, head, or upper body for support. You can place a cushion or block just below your shoulder blades for a more advanced chest-opening. I try to work this pose in near the end of nearly all my longer Asana practices.

Supta Baddha Konasana - reclined bound angle pose reclined goddess - yoga pose forest yogi girl wearing green dress, outdoors yoga in the woods
Supta Baddha Konasana – Reclined Goddess

Feet and Legs – Your legs should be turned out and feet together. Let your knees fall to the ground, as far as is comfortable.

Hips – Hips should face up to the sky. Take note of your booty – it should be almost tucked under rather than sticking out.

Torso and Head  – Let your back rest or even sink into the ground comfortably in this Asana. Look straight up, and rest your head comfortably on your mat, or perhaps on a pillow.

Arms – Raise your arms above your head on the mat as is comfortable. Keep your shoulders down. Either grab each elbow, or perhaps cactus your arms out to the side.

Check out our Top 5 Yoga Mats and Equipment for Newbies!

You may want to try a block, couch pillow, blanket, or bolster to help yourself find a comfortable seat.

Top 5 Yoga Equipment for Newbies

Top 5 Yoga Mats


Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are our own. This page contains affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission. Read full privacy policy here.

Please comment and let us know how Goddess pose was for you! Did you try both Asanas? Do you want to share an Asana inspiration for your sign’s pose? Always remember, be kind!

Tag @dailyyogi.world with your Goddess Pose Pics on Instagram!

YOGA TEACHERS – see more on Tummee – Utkata Konasana
YOGA TEACHERS – see more on Tummee – Supta Baddha Konasana

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August 2022 Yoga Challenge: Pranayama (Breathing) – Diaphragmatic Breath & Flowing Breath with Asanas

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 3-Asanas, 4 Pranayama

Doing our 30 Day Challenge? Click here for today’s post!

Happy Friday Yogis! Before we get into our detailed review of the Sun Salutations Asana Series discussed yesterday, we will take two days to cover the remaining 8 Limbs of Yoga. We are going to review Diaphragmatic Breathing today, along with our challengers, with an introduction to basic flowing for Asana and Pranayama.

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is Diaphragmatic Breath, a Pranayama Practice with “flowing” between our first two Sun Salutations Series Asanas. This is an intro to linking breath and movement, if you are familiar with this already perhaps try a more advanced Asana class today and focus on your breath. Today we are going to start standing in Tadasana to prep for our Sun Salutations Asana Series rather than in a comfortable seat as we have done in the past. This is also a great calming technique for anxiety.

cool perspective looking up at grassy mountain valley with yellow wildflowers bright green grass and gray rocks - pranayama breath breathing Quote: Conscious breath control is a useful tool for achieving a relaxed, clear state of mind. - Andrew Weil
Conscious breath control is a useful tool for achieving a relaxed, clear state of mind. – Andrew Weil

Diaphragmatic Breath

  • Start standing in Tadasana. Begin by evaluating your current breath pattern. Place one hand on your chest, and the other on your belly. Breathe in and out, and notice when the hands resting on your belly and chest move to indicate expansion. You SHOULD use your diaphragm and breathe into your belly, so your belly expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale. Most of us breathe shallowly into our chest only, and our belly hand never moves!  
  • Breathe in and make sure your belly expands, pushing your hand out as your entire torso fills with air
  • Breathe out, contracting the belly, making sure you empty the lungs completely
  • Now, on an inhale, raise your arms above your head to come into Talasana (Palm Tree Pose) or a gentle Anuvittasana (Standing Backbend) as you breathe into your belly
  • Exhale and lower your hands back to your sides to come back into Tadasana
  • Continue breathing in to a full count of 6, and out to a full count of 6, using your diaphragm to fill your lungs with air, and contract the belly to empty lungs completely. Raise your arms as your breathe in, and lower them as you breathe out, to start getting a basic flow coordinating your movement and breath. Focus on keeping your chest hand fairly still, and using your diaphragm to breathe into your belly.
epic cloudy purple pink and glowing orange stripey alpine sunrise in mountains with darkened pine trees and snow-capped mountain peaks - pranayama breath breathing Quote: Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. - Thich Nhat Hanh

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Please comment and let me know what you thought of this Pranayama exercise! Did you try standing in Tadasana or laying down in Shavasana today? What did you think? Always remember, be kind!

              

Pranayama (Breathing): Yogic Breath (Three Part Breath) – Meditation June 2022

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 4 Pranayama, Meditation

Good morning Yogis! Today is a KISS (keep it super simple) Day! So, we are going to revisit Yogic Breath, a Pranayama Practice.

cool perspective looking up at gray sky with twisting brown tree branches covered in green leaves - pranayama breath breathing Quote: When the breath wanders the mind is unsteady, but when the breath is calmed, the mind too will be still. - Hatha Yoga Pradipika
When the breath wanders the mind is unsteady, but when the breath is calmed, the mind too will be still. – Hatha Yoga Pradipika

BONUS DAILY MEDITATION CHALLENGE

We are in the middle of a bonus Daily Meditation Challenge for June! For Pranayama Day today, try our Breath-Focused Meditation with our Three Part Breath Below! If you prefer guided meditations, perhaps check out this talk on breath, mindfulness, and spirituality from the author of today’s quote.

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is Yogic Breath, a Pranayama Practice. Most of us have tried diaphragmatic breathing, which is part one of this three-part breath. We recommend incorporating this breath technique into your Asana practice, and bringing it forward into meditation! This is also a great calming technique for anxiety.

Diaphragmatic Breath

  • Start in a comfortable seat by evaluating your current breath pattern. Place one hand on your chest, and the other on your belly. Breathe in and out, and notice when the hands resting on your belly and chest move to indicate expansion. You SHOULD use your diaphragm and breathe into your belly, so your belly expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale. Most of us breathe shallowly into our chest only, and our belly hand never moves!
  • Breathe in and make sure your belly expands, pushing your hand out as your entire torso fills with air
  • Breathe out, contracting the belly, making sure you empty the lungs completely
  • Continue breathing in to a full count of 6, and out to a full count of 6, using your diaphragm to fill your lungs with air, and contract the belly to empty lungs completely. Focus on keeping your chest hand fairly still, and using your diaphragm to breathe into your belly.

Yogic Breath / Three Part Breath

  • PART 1 – Belly: Diaphragmatic breathing is the first part of three part breath! Make sure you complete 10 full inhalations and exhalations, counting to 6 for each inhale and exhale.
  • PART 2 – Ribs: After 10 complete belly breaths, after expanding into your belly – try expanding your rib cage outwards on inhales and allowing to compress on exhales.
  • PART 3 – Chest: After 10 full inhale and exhalations with rib cage expansion – first fill your belly, then expand rib cage, then try allowing your clavicle (collar bone) to rise as you fill and empty your lungs completely for another 10 breaths.

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𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦. - 𝘈.𝘊. 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯⁣ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. - 𝘈𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸⁣ 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. - 𝘓𝘢𝘰 𝘛𝘻𝘶⁣ 𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴— 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺— 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦. - 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴⁣ 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭. - 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳⁣ 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴. 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦. - 𝘖𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰 𝘑𝘢𝘺 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘩⁣ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰, 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺. - 𝘋𝘰𝘦 𝘡𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘢⁣ 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. - 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘵⁣ 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. - 𝘝𝘰𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦⁣

Please comment and let me know what you thought of this Pranayama exercise! Do you incorporate diaphragmatic breathing like this, or other Pranayama into your Asana practice? Have you tried this full three-part breath? Do you have another Pranayama practice you particularly enjoy? Always remember, be kind!

              

Meditation June 2022 – Summer Solstice & Cancer Season: Catuspadapitham Asana (Crab Pose)

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 3-Asanas, 4 Pranayama, Holiday, Meditation, Yoga Workouts

Good Morning Yogis! Today is the start of Cancer Season – Happy Birthday Cancer Yogis! We will cover an Asana today inspired by Cancer – Crab Pose. This is a great chest opener and counter-pose for forward bends, but you should avoid this pose if you have neck or shoulder injuries. Today is also the Summer Solstice – Happy Summer!

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is to try Crab Pose Asanas inspired by the start of Cancer Season!

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blue and white cancer zodiac astrology symbol

BONUS DAILY MEDITATION CHALLENGE

We are in the middle of a bonus Daily Meditation Challenge for June! For our Astrology-focused day today, my meditation for the day is a Celestial Visualization Guided Meditation. Or try a special Pranayama exercise with a Zodiac-themed meditative breath Simhasana Pranayama – Lion’s Breath for Leo.

Catuspadapitham Asana – Crab Pose

Catuspadapitham Asana - crab pose reverse table tob - yoga pose forest yogi girl wearing black, outdoors yoga in the woods
Catuspadapitham Asana – Crab Pose

The full expression Asana is a great chest opener, and is especially great for the core and glutes. I usually practice this as a counter pose after Navasana or Boat Pose. This is also a precursor to the advanced Urdhva Dhanurasana or Wheel Pose.

You will enter this pose by sitting on the mat in Dandasana or Staff Pose if you are coming from Navasana or Boat Pose with your hands on the mat. Bend your arms back and place your hands palm down on the mat just behind your hips – they can face forward or back for this Asana, but make sure to point fingers towards your shoulders if working progression to Wheel. To come up, press into your hands and lift your booty off the ground, then use your core to lift your hips and torso to parallel to the ground. Hold for 2-6 breaths. To come out, lower your back to the mat, then lay legs back out.

Catuspadapitham Asana - crab pose reverse table tob - yoga pose forest yogi girl wearing black, outdoors yoga in the woods
Catuspadapitham Asana – Crab Pose

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Do not push yourself to pain on your Yoga Journey! Many Yogis of all levels embrace all kinds of blocks and props. Do not hesitate to grab a couch pillow for extra support, a block for extra support or when you cannot reach the floor, or a strap for extra arm-reach and leverage.

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Please comment and let us know how Crab pose was for you! Do you want to share an Asana inspiration for your sign’s pose? Always remember, be kind!

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Meditation June 2022: Pranayama (Breathing) – Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (Alternate Nostril / Channel Clearing Breath)

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 4 Pranayama, Self Care

Good morning Yogis! Today is Pranayama Day!

epic alpine cloudy blue and orange sunset in the mountains over darkened pine trees - breath breathe breathing pranayama Quote: Breathing, according to me, corresponds to taking charge of one’s own life. - Luce Irigaray
Breathing, according to me, corresponds to taking charge of one’s own life. – Luce Irigaray

BONUS DAILY MEDITATION CHALLENGE

We are in the middle of a bonus Daily Meditation Challenge for June! For Pranayama Day today, my meditation for the day is a Guided Pranayama Practice – Nadi Shodhana.

A Pranayama Day in our special meditation month, so today we will cover a meditative Pranayama practice – Nadi Shodhana (NAH-dee show-DAH-nuh). This literally translates as “channel-clearing” but we frequently use a more descriptive translation of alternate-nostril breathing. This technique is meant to clear the body’s energy channels, and I find it is super cleansing for the entire respiratory system – you may want to keep some tissues handy for this technique, and do not perform if you have a stuffy nose! This is an advanced Pranayama technique.. if you are a new Yogi you may want to try the Three-Part Yogic Breath or Retained Breath.

orange breath graphic on yellow gold background

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is Nadi Shodhana or Channel Clearing, a Pranayama Practice. Most of us have tried diaphragmatic breathing, which is part one of this alternate-nostril breath. We recommend trying this breath technique during meditation! This is also a great calming technique for anxiety.

Diaphragmatic Breath

  • Start in a comfortable seat by evaluating your current breath pattern. Place one hand on your chest, and the other on your belly. Breathe in and out, and notice when the hands resting on your belly and chest move to indicate expansion. You SHOULD use your diaphragm and breathe into your belly, so your belly expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale. Most of us breathe shallowly into our chest only, and our belly hand never moves!
  • Breathe in and make sure your belly expands, pushing your hand out as your entire torso fills with air
  • Breathe out, contracting the belly, making sure you empty the lungs completely
  • Continue breathing in to a full count of 6, and out to a full count of 6, using your diaphragm to fill your lungs with air, and contract the belly to empty lungs completely. Focus on keeping your chest hand fairly still, and using your diaphragm to breathe into your belly.

Nadi Shodhana Pranayama – Channel Clearing / Alternate-Nostril Breathing

  • Get in position – you will want to come into a comfortable seat. Place your left hand on your left knee. Bring your right hand into a Vishnu Mudra, folding your first two fingers to your palm (or if this is not comfortable, bring all three center fingers to the palm, or rest your index and middle fingers on your forehead/third eye)
  • Use the right thumb to close the right nostril. Exhale and then inhale fully through your left nostril only, keeping your diaphragmatic breath technique, breathing into your belly.
  • Move your right ring and pinky finger to close the left nostril. Exhale and then inhale fully through your right nostril only.
  • Continue this alternate-nostril breathing for 3-5 minutes. Remember, exhale and inhale, then switch sides.

This technique can be quite confusing – you may want to follow along our recommended video this first time!

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𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦. - 𝘈.𝘊. 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯⁣ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. - 𝘈𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸⁣ 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. - 𝘓𝘢𝘰 𝘛𝘻𝘶⁣ 𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴— 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺— 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦. - 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴⁣ 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭. - 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳⁣ 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴. 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦. - 𝘖𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰 𝘑𝘢𝘺 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘩⁣ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰, 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺. - 𝘋𝘰𝘦 𝘡𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘢⁣ 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. - 𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘵⁣ 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. - 𝘝𝘰𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦⁣

Please comment and let me know what you thought of this Pranayama exercise! Have you tried this alternate-nostril breath? Do you have another Pranayama practice you particularly enjoy? Always remember, be kind!

              

Gemini Season 2022 – Partner Yoga & Temple Pose

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 3-Asanas, 4 Pranayama, Holiday, Yoga Workouts

Doing our 30 Day Challenge? Click here for today’s post!

Temple Pose - beginner partner yoga pose - yoga pose yoga girl wearing black yoga set doing yoga inside in cool pink and purple yoga studio
Temple Pose

Good morning Yogis! Our Challengers are taking a break from the Sun Salutations pose breakdown for Sitali Pranayama, a cooling breath we covered on the Summer Solstice! If it is as cold as it is in the Colorado mountains today (we have snow for another month!) you may want to try a warming Pranayama such as Bellows Breath again today!

Today is the start of Gemini Season – Happy Birthday Gemini Yogis! PS I am a Gemini (sun sign) so this is a special one for me! We will cover an Asana today inspired by Gemini – Temple Pose. Remember that Gemini is twins, so I also want to introduce Partner Yoga! Asanas for a pair of Yogis range from beginner poses like Temple Pose or Lean-On-Me featured today, up to advanced Acro Yoga for two!

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is to try Temple Pose Asana (alone or with a friend) or Partner Yoga inspired by the start of Gemini Season!

Tag @dailyyogi.world with your Temple Pose Pics on Instagram!

purple and white gemini zodiac astrology symbol

Temple Pose

This Asana can be performed solo – against against a wall to still get the ‘Lean-On-Me’ effect, or with hands on hips. I recommend trying solo with hands on hips BEFORE trying as a pair!

You will enter this pose by standing with your legs a bit further than hip-distance apart. Lean forward until your torso is parallel to the floor. Keep shoulders down and back, and keep hips and legs aligned. Hold for 30-60 seconds. To come out solo, tighten your core and stand back up.

If you are performing with a partner, start with hands on each other’s shoulder’s using for support but NOT weight, and slowly walk back into the pose. To come out as a pair, step a bit further back to avoid bumping heads, and come into a forward fold.

Check out our Top 5 Yoga Equipment and Yoga Mats!

Do not push yourself to pain on your Yoga Journey! Many Yogis of all levels embrace all kinds of blocks and props. Do not hesitate to grab a couch pillow for extra support, a block for extra support or when you cannot reach the floor, or a strap for extra arm-reach and leverage.

Top 5 Yoga Equipment for Newbies

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Please comment and let us know how Temple Pose or Partner Yoga was for you! Do you want to share an Asana inspiration for your sign’s pose? Always remember, be kind!

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May 2022 Yoga Challenge: Pranayama (Breathing) – Diaphragmatic Breath: Flowing Breath with Asanas

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 3-Asanas, 4 Pranayama

Doing our 30 Day Challenge? Click here for today’s post!

Happy Friday Yogis! Before we get into our detailed review of the Sun Salutations Asana Series discussed yesterday, we will take two days to cover the remaining 8 Limbs of Yoga. We are going to review Diaphragmatic Breathing today, along with our challengers, with an introduction to basic flowing for Asana and Pranayama.

pink and purple flowers with green leaves - breath breathing pranayama Quote: Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure. - Oprah Winfrey
Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure. – Oprah Winfrey

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is Diaphragmatic Breath, a Pranayama Practice with “flowing” between our first two Sun Salutations Series Asanas. This is an intro to linking breath and movement, if you are familiar with this already perhaps try a more advanced Asana class today and focus on your breath. Today we are going to start standing in Tadasana to prep for our Sun Salutations Asana Series rather than in a comfortable seat as we have done in the past. This is also a great calming technique for anxiety.

Diaphragmatic Breath

  • Start standing in Tadasana. Begin by evaluating your current breath pattern. Place one hand on your chest, and the other on your belly. Breathe in and out, and notice when the hands resting on your belly and chest move to indicate expansion. You SHOULD use your diaphragm and breathe into your belly, so your belly expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale. Most of us breathe shallowly into our chest only, and our belly hand never moves!  
  • Breathe in and make sure your belly expands, pushing your hand out as your entire torso fills with air
  • Breathe out, contracting the belly, making sure you empty the lungs completely
  • Now, on an inhale, raise your arms above your head to come into Talasana (Palm Tree Pose) or a gentle Anuvittasana (Standing Backbend) as you breathe into your belly
  • Exhale and lower your hands back to your sides to come back into Tadasana
  • Continue breathing in to a full count of 6, and out to a full count of 6, using your diaphragm to fill your lungs with air, and contract the belly to empty lungs completely. Raise your arms as your breathe in, and lower them as you breathe out, to start getting a basic flow coordinating your movement and breath. Focus on keeping your chest hand fairly still, and using your diaphragm to breathe into your belly.

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Please comment and let me know what you thought of this Pranayama exercise! Did you try standing in Tadasana or laying down in Shavasana today? What did you think? Always remember, be kind!

epic cloudy purple pink and glowing orange stripey alpine sunrise in mountains with darkened pine trees and snow-capped mountain peaks - pranayama breath breathing Quote: Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. - Thich Nhat Hanh
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Asana April 2022: Pranayama (Breathing) Bikram Pranayama / Hot Yoga Breath

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 4 Pranayama

Good Morning Yogis! Today is Pranayama Day! We are in the middle of a daily Asana practice challenge for April, so we will revisit a moving Pranayama technique common in all kinds of Hot Yoga Classes, that originated in Bikram studios. This breath technique is part of the opening in the classic Bikram series.

Bonus Daily Asana Challenge

Please see our Asana Styles page for links to youtube videos for various Yoga Styles. For Pranayama Day today, I recommend a Hot Yoga Style class, which will include this breath technique!

I usually practice with the Yoga Studio App rather than streaming services, so I can download my favorite classes and use in areas without Wifi or phone signal. Today I am doing one of my favorites – Beginner AM (20 Minute), which I modify with more advanced versions of poses including full side plank, standard extended side angle, and lowering slowly from plank to Chaturanga Dandasana / Yoga Push-Up… I am still working arm strength to do the Intermediate version of this class. I typically practice Asana most consistently in the morning, and this is my favorite morning series! PS I keep Ocean for the background sound in my Yoga Studio App, to help remind me to use Ujjayi Pranayama or Ocean Breath!

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is Bikram’s Pranayama a moving Pranayama Practice used in all kinds of Hot Yoga classes. We will start diaphragmatic breathing, which is part one of this breath. I am sure you will have tried this Pranayama technique if you have practiced any kind of style at a Hot Yoga studio – this breath feels particularly great in a hot and humid environment.

This is a great technique to watch and follow along – click here for video instructions!

Hot Yoga Pranayama Breath - yoga pose girl sunny day yoga on the beach
Hot Yoga Pranayama Breath - yoga pose girl sunny day yoga on the beach
Bikram Pranayama – Hot Yoga Breathing

Diaphragmatic Breath

  • Start by evaluating your current breath pattern. Place one hand on your chest, and the other on your belly. Breathe in and out, and notice when the hands resting on your belly and chest move to indicate expansion. You SHOULD use your diaphragm and breathe into your belly, so your belly expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale. Most of us breathe shallowly into our chest only, and our belly hand never moves!  
  • Breathe in and make sure your belly expands, pushing your hand out as your entire torso fills with air.
  • Breathe out, contracting the belly, making sure you empty the lungs completely
  • Continue breathing in to a full count of 6, and out to a full count of 6, using your diaphragm to fill your lungs with air, and contract the belly to empty lungs completely. Focus on keeping your chest hand fairly still, and using your diaphragm to breathe into your belly.

Bikram Pranayama / Hot Yoga Breath

  • Clasp your hands together, and bring your fists under your chin with your thumbs at your throat. Squeeze your elbows together.
  • Inhale through your nose into your belly, and allow elbows to float up, keeping your chin in place.
  • Let your your chin float up and exhale, as you squeeze your elbows together.
  • Continue the cycle – allow your chin float down and elbows to float up on your inhale.

Want more on Pranayama?
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Please comment and let me know what you thought of this Pranayama exercise! Do you incorporate Pranayama into your Asana practice? Have you tried Hot Yoga or this breath technique? Do you have another Pranayama practice you particularly enjoy? Always remember, be kind!

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Asana April 2022: Pranayama (Breathing) – Ujjayi Pranayama (Ocean Breath)

by Tarryn Tyler - Daily Yogiposted in 4 Pranayama

Good morning Yogis! Today is Pranayama Day in a special Asana-focused April! Today we will be revisiting Ujjayi (oo-JAW-yee) Pranayama. This is literally translated from Sanskrit as Victorious Breath, but is commonly referred to as Ocean Breath due to the sound of this technique. This is another great cooling and calming breathing technique, and is ideal during Asana practice. You may have learned this in Yoga class before, especially if you have attended a Hot Yoga class.

waves crashing on beach cool perspective pink and orange sunset on rocky beach inlet under the sunset - pranayama breath breathing ocean breath Quote: The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination, and brings eternal joy to the soul. - Robert Wyland
The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination, and brings eternal joy to the soul. – Robert Wyland

Today’s Daily Yogi Practice is trying Ujjayi Pranayama or Ocean Breathing. I recommend trying this with the Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutations from yesterday’s practice.

Ujjayi Pranayama – Ocean Breath

Start with Diaphragmatic Breathing for 3 full inhales and exhales.

Open your mouth and inhale and exhale through your mouth. Contract your throat to slightly say “HA” on the exhales. Keep this light contraction in your throat so you slightly say “SA” on the inhales. You will start noticing the ocean sound from which this technique gets its name.

Now, close your mouth. Inhale and exhale through your nose, while keeping this contraction in your throat to keep the ocean sound continuing on both inhales and exhales. As you become comfortable with this breathing technique, try your Asana practice with this Ujjayi Pranayama.

light blue breath graphic on dark blue background

Please comment and let me know what you thought of this Ujjayi Pranayama exercise! Have you ever tried this technique as a standalone or during your Asana practice? Always remember, be kind!

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