The Importance of Breath Control During Hot Yoga
Posted by yogateachertrainings on Friday, July 29, 2011
Under: Yoga Teacher Training
In the course of a hot yoga class, several elements come together in order for practitioners to experience many benefits. There's the heated room, permitting muscles to stretch more than usual, the poses that compress and extend muscles, and the determination of the participants to hold each pose to boost their strength and flexibility. But a potentially neglected component of hot yoga is breathing. Throughout each session there are "pranayama" exercises, meaning "breathing techniques". During the day individuals tend to ignore their breathing and only use their lungs at a partial capacity. This can lead to lower amounts of energy and irritability, but fortunately hot yoga allows people to focus on breathing to restore the oxygen within their bodies and attain a more restful state of mind.
Breathing is obviously a common practice during the day, but pranayama shows individuals how to breathe properly. It allows people to take in more oxygen to be sent throughout the body for functioning as it expands the capacity of the lungs. Pranayama also aids in digestion and reduces toxins in the body, since with practice one's metabolism and health will improve. Pranayama can be a mental exercise too, where people can gain better self control. You can increase your concentration so that you can stay relaxed during otherwise stressful situations and calmly choose a response.
Two of the types of pranayama used in hot yoga are the 80-20 breath and the exhalation breath. During the 80-20 breath practitioners should raise their ribs as they take in air, expanding the abdominal muscles as if they were about to hold their breath. The upper 20% of the air should then be exhaled and inhaled again. This breathing exercise is good for poses where back-bends are involved or in standing poses, as it helps with energy and balance.
The exhalation breath is exactly as it sounds. When in a pose, upon exhaling, allow yourself to move deeper into the stance. Once you reach your full capacity of moving into the pose, then your breathing can return to normal. This is useful during forward-bending poses because it protects the lower back from strain, helps to relax the body, compresses the digestive organs, and allows for proper rotation of the pelvis above the thighs. By using these two exercises you are essentially training your lungs to function properly. You also work your abdominal muscles which allow for better posture when standing.
Whether you are taking a moment to yourself during the day or in a hot yoga class, it is important to be mindful of what you are doing while breathing. By allowing yourself to move away from the rest of the world and focusing on your breathing, you can connect closely with yourself without external distraction. In connecting to your breathing and letting your breathing cleanse the body as when you sleep, you will be more fully present in the moment. Experiencing the positive effects of oxygenated, fresh blood in the body is important, and will let you return to the rest of the world more prepared to act and share your mindful state with others.
Being a yoga teacher can be a gratifying and healthy way for you to show people how to improve their well-being and health. Yoga teacher trainings begin with study and practice with competent instructors and finishes with receiving a yoga instructor certification.
Breathing is obviously a common practice during the day, but pranayama shows individuals how to breathe properly. It allows people to take in more oxygen to be sent throughout the body for functioning as it expands the capacity of the lungs. Pranayama also aids in digestion and reduces toxins in the body, since with practice one's metabolism and health will improve. Pranayama can be a mental exercise too, where people can gain better self control. You can increase your concentration so that you can stay relaxed during otherwise stressful situations and calmly choose a response.
Two of the types of pranayama used in hot yoga are the 80-20 breath and the exhalation breath. During the 80-20 breath practitioners should raise their ribs as they take in air, expanding the abdominal muscles as if they were about to hold their breath. The upper 20% of the air should then be exhaled and inhaled again. This breathing exercise is good for poses where back-bends are involved or in standing poses, as it helps with energy and balance.
The exhalation breath is exactly as it sounds. When in a pose, upon exhaling, allow yourself to move deeper into the stance. Once you reach your full capacity of moving into the pose, then your breathing can return to normal. This is useful during forward-bending poses because it protects the lower back from strain, helps to relax the body, compresses the digestive organs, and allows for proper rotation of the pelvis above the thighs. By using these two exercises you are essentially training your lungs to function properly. You also work your abdominal muscles which allow for better posture when standing.
Whether you are taking a moment to yourself during the day or in a hot yoga class, it is important to be mindful of what you are doing while breathing. By allowing yourself to move away from the rest of the world and focusing on your breathing, you can connect closely with yourself without external distraction. In connecting to your breathing and letting your breathing cleanse the body as when you sleep, you will be more fully present in the moment. Experiencing the positive effects of oxygenated, fresh blood in the body is important, and will let you return to the rest of the world more prepared to act and share your mindful state with others.
Being a yoga teacher can be a gratifying and healthy way for you to show people how to improve their well-being and health. Yoga teacher trainings begin with study and practice with competent instructors and finishes with receiving a yoga instructor certification.