Breathing and Wellbeing

Breathing can be used as a focal point in well being on a daily and moment by moment basis. The state of breathing within an individual is a very good indicator of state of mind and body. So two aspects are important in using breathing in an ongoing way, to develop and maintain wellness. What are they? Awareness and control of the breath.

Breath Awareness, by maintaining some level awareness at all times, or as often as possible, you can know when to re-adjust yourself to correct mental and physical posture and wellness issues. This awareness is like hearing, you may be hearing things but you still get things done. So in the same way, you hear your breathing so to speak, and act accordingly. Like when some one says your name, you were listening and working, but still working, and your name being mentioned interrupts you and gets your attention.

Breath control, when you know your breathing is telling you something, you need to know how to re-adjust your breathing and state of being. The only real way to learn is from a teacher, but try breathing with awareness into your abdominal area until you are more relaxed and focused.

There are whole books written on the subject of breath control and pranayama, but not many I have read will explain the practical daily application of it in your life. It’s my intention to hold a workshop on this in the future, please let me know if your interested.

Jan

By Ashtanga Yogi

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Categories: Ashtanga, Fruits of Practice, General, Sutras

Tags: Attitude, Consciousness, Facet, Facets, Illusion, Journey, Original Message, Philosophy, Phrase, Physical Posture, Posture, Premise, Religions, Science, Spiritual Beings, Traditions, Transcendence, True Nature, Understandings, Yoga, Yogi, Yogic Path

Yoga – An Overview

In terms of yoga there are several facets. The science of yoga, and it is a science. There is also the philosophy of yoga, and there is the practical process of following the yogic path.

In truth every one is a yogi, everyone is spiritual, every one is religious. All paths use similar techniques. My understanding is that yoga as the full set of tools which other non yogic traditions/religions make use of. Of course yoga doesn’t own all these tools, just that yoga seems to have the knowledge about all these tools. Importantly different yogic traditions might not know of all the tools and may co-operate with other yogic traditions.

Anyway, back on track, the philosophy of yoga helps one understand the science and the practical process of walking the yogic path.

So what is the yogic path? it is simply the art of transforming oneself to a point where the need for a physical body to evolve is no longer needed. It is transcendence, on the way it is transcending limited beliefs and understandings leading ultimately to the final transcendence of the body/maya(illusion) which is overcoming the ignorance of our true nature – we are spiritual beings incarnate in human form.

A famous phrase in yoga is “start where you are” and “honor your body” (said in physical posture – asana – classes) in fact it really means honor every facet of your being, which leads as I have found to naturally being able to have this attitude to everyone.

The main premise in yoga is that we are ignorant of our true nature, and that this ignorance is one of five forms of suffering. The difference being that ignorance is the cause of the other four – this I will cover in another article.

So if we start where we are, and honor every facet of our being, we will be kind, gentle, understanding and accepting of ourselves. Or at least we will cultivate this as we progress and dispel aspects of ignorance on our journey.

The first step is to become aware of ourselves and then to cultivate and refine this awareness. The science and the philosophy are tools in helping to bring awareness of our situation to our consciousness. And this, helps us heal and evolve.

That is the essence and the starting point for yoga as I understand it.

Breathing and Wellbeing

Yoga – An Overview

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