Yoga Meditation - How to practice 3 Part Yoga Breath

BREATHING

Complete Yoga Breathing:

Before practising yoga asanas it is good to relax and do some yoga breathing. Practise sarvasana at the end of yoga also. You can practise while standing but I think it's best practised lying on your mat.

If you like you could place a folded blanket or a bolster under the spine, from sacrum up and a block or a thin pillow under the head.

Relax down into your mat. Let your feet be floppy.
Bring your hands to your lower belly touching the tips of the thumbs together and touching the index fingers together around the belly button.

Breathing into the lower belly, feel the fingers seperating with the breath X 3 breaths.
Next, bring opposite hands to opposite sides of your lower rib cage, direct your breath to your hands, feel the lower ribs rising and expanding with the breath X 3 breaths.
Next, move the hands up to the upper ribs and tuck your hands into you arm pits, direct your breath to your hands, feel the upper ribs rising and expanding with the breath X 3 breaths.
Lastly, bring your hands up to your collar bones. You can keep your hands crossed, just check to make sure you are not rounding your shoulders, stay open and broad across the chest. Direct your breath to your hands and feel the collar bones gently rising as the breath fills the top part of the lungs and relaxing on the exhale.

Now, combine all of these areas into one full smooth inhale and exhale.

As you inhale think about filling a jug up with water, let the breath fill from the bottom of the lungs upwards. As you exhale visualise emptying the jug from the top all the way to the bottom. At the end of the breath gently squeeze the abdominal muscles to assist the full emptying of the lungs.

Three part yoga breathing is very relaxing, brings awareness to the breath and helps us to develop the great habit of deep breathing.

Try it, even 5 minutes each day will do you the world of good.

Nadi Shodan - Read the benefits

Nadi Shodan (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

How can the breath stimulate the sympathetic nervous system?

If we practice breathing while gently focusing on the breath held out, this stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and increases the heart rate. Studies have also shown that when we breath through the right nostril this also stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which helps increase body heat, oxygen consumption blood pressure and heart rate. The left cerebral hemisphere is also stimulated.

Relaxation - Holistic Yoga Stretch and Meditation

Holistic Yoga Stretch…

Benefits body, mind, heart and soul.

The benefits of Yoga are well documented and have been appreciated by Eastern Cultures since ancient times. More recently the West has begun to embrace the holistic benefits of Yoga.We can always gauge what the current trends are by the media and yes sadly by the advertising. Have you noticed how many laptop owners get down to the beach and sit in the lotus yoga pose while gazing out over the tranquil ocean. Ah - Yes, progress:-)

Seriously though, the practice of Yoga has devotees world wide and is glorified as being the absolute best exercise for the up-keep and maintenance of the physical
body.

Yoga works all areas of the body, internally and externally, helping to keep the body (our life vehicle) in as tip top condition as possible.

Classes begin with a few minutes of sacred sound meditation, followed by Yoga Nidra and then the Yoga stretches begin. Yoga Nidra is repeated again at the end of the yoga stretches. We then finish off with a few minutes of "Spiritual Food for Thought" and group singing meditation which perfectly rounds out our Yoga practice.

A blissfully rejuvenating experience for body, mind, heart and soul.

Will post an easy relaxation class at a later date, so that you can experience it for yourself.

Warm regards

Yoga Meditation 4221 Palm Beach - Yoga Breathing And Mala Beads

Yoga will teach you breathing techniques that will prepare you for other exercises. In yoga classes, students often learn breathing techniques that help calm and focus the mind. With these techniques you will be able to breathe more fully so there will be more oxygen going to your brain and throughout the other parts of the body.

Since yoga will help you to increase flexibility, you will be able to prevent some injures when you are doing other sports or exercises. Yoga can be viewed as an entire exercise regimen focused on stretching muscles. It also helps minimize and prevent injuries because yoga encourages you to work within your limits.

The safest way to practice yoga is in the comfort of a class and with a certified instructor. Ask your teacher for some tips on how you can improve on your yoga skills and use yoga to help you become better at other sports and exercises. You should always speak with your doctor when you are starting any exercise routine.



Beads are a Bhakti Yoga and Buddhist tool of meditation. They are moved in rhythm with the breath and mantra of the meditation. The action of moving the beads keeps sleep and distraction at bay and incorporates the whole body in a meditation. Each time the mantra is repeated, the fingers move to the next bead. The mala is meant to focus the mind and promote clear thought about the meaning of the mantra as it is chanted. Schools of thought, from India, to Tibet, to China recommend different ways of holding and counting Mala beads. However, each meditation should encompass the full cycle of beads. Longer meditations should include additional full cycles, starting at the summit and circling around again to the beginning. Reorient offers sandalwood Mala beads from Guangdong province in China. Each string has 108 beads.
Click here to buy from Amazon

Yoga Meditation 4221 Holistic Yoga Restorative Yoga

Must remember to breathe and relax ... har har.

Yoga breathing and relaxation. Thank goodness I know what to do when life gets a bit out of control.

Had a great day yesterday. Got alot done and managed to spend some time relaxing and eating--of all things ice cream. I don't even like ice cream, but seemed like a good idea at the time.

I put this video together, it's very short but I like the music.

O.K. I'm off to do some yoga study.

What we learnt

*   You also need to hold poses longer, as you would in restorative yoga, and dedicate longer periods of time to developing slow and complete breathing. Vigorous vinyasa, backbends, handstands, and arm balances are powerful and beneficial, but they don't stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system as much as the practices listed previously.

Prana - Yoga Meditation Holistic Yoga

*  Full, deep breaths allow for prana (energy) rich oxygen to nourish the body’s blood, brain and muscles, whilst cleansing the subtle channels. Focused breathing can enlarge and clear the sinus cavities, which in turn cools the brain for clearer thinking, offering a refreshed, quiet mind.