Three part yoga breath can be done anywhere

Breathing mindfully is absolutely the very essence of yoga practice. Breathing correctly doesn’t come easily for many of us, the direct result of living in a terribly stressed-out world, but proper breathing is an essential stage to reach before practicing more advanced Pranayoga techniques. What follows is an outline of the standard 3-part yoga breath technique, which can be done while walking, grocery shopping, falling asleep, chopping wood…  the list goes on and on:

Breathe naturally. Inhale Exhale
Find your rhythm. Inhale Exhale
Place your hands on your lower abdomen. Inhale Exhale
… feel the breathe move here.
Place your hands at the sides of your ribcage. Inhale Exhale
… feel the breathe move here.
Place your hands on your upper chest beneath your collar bones. Inhale Exhale
… feel the breathe move here
If you begin to feel tense with all this focus on breathing
… breath naturally. “Let your breath breath you”
r ~ e ~ l ~ a ~ x

Inhale into your belly and feel your abdomen muscles expand. Breath right down to your sacrum/tailbone/perineum.
Exhale out the top of your head, your crown chakra, the Sahasrara
Inhale into your entire belly, and your ribcage.
Feel your ribcage expand like an accordion. Place your hands on your side ribs.
Exhale out the top of your head
Inhale into your belly, ribcage, diaphragm, and then… exhale
Inhale into your belly, ribcage, diaphragm and upper chest.
Place your hands on your chest below your collar bones.
Feel your lungs expand to accommodate the increase in breath.
Exhale
Long
Have a sacred pause here~

Do it all over again. Feel your heart opening when you breath into your upper chest.

Find your own rhythm now…
How is it different from when you first found it at the beginning of this exercise?

Practice increases our flexibility like nothing else, don’t get caught up in having A PRACTICE.
… just practice…

Aspire to increase the efficiency of your diaphragm and to tone the intercostal muscles between your ribs. Imagine your Being as radiant and flexible. Carry that divine image into the rest of your day…

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