Discover the Power of Pranayama in Yoga
Breath is a powerful tool to ground the nervous system and produce calm in the body and mind.
When you’re feeling overstimulated or experiencing angst or over-excitement, a few minutes of conscious breathing may be the remedy to settle your nervous system.
No matter where you are, the power of pranayama is accessible. You don’t need any props or a yoga mat.
Prana means life force.
Pranayama is the control or constriction of the life force. It’s the energetic current created in the body we control by bringing awareness to the breath. Focused pranayama brings a state of calm to the body and mind, influencing the central nervous system to affect the hormones released, thereby shifting how we feel.
The body is made up of energy lines called nadis, which affect the body’s subtle energy.
There are three main nadis in the body: Sushumna, Ida and Pingala. Sushumna is the central channel that travels from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Ida is the channel that travels along the left side of the body, and Pingala is the channel that travels along the right side of the body.
Pranayama aims to understand the flow of breath by gaining awareness of how it lights up the nadis, shifts our subtle energy, and overall transforms how we think and feel.
Moving Meditation for Purification
In this short Moving Meditation class with Clara, you’ll move through various kriyas to purify the mind and body, pranayama to open and expand the lungs, and meditation to relieve stress and connect to silence.
Take a look at the four pranayama practices included in this short class.
4-Part Breathing
Benefits:
This pranayama provides a sense of grounding and creates stillness in the body and mind. Great to practice if you have high energy and want to calm down.
How To Perform:
- Inhale for the count of four.
- Hold at the top for the count of four.
- Exhale for the count of four.
- Hold at the bottom for the count of four.
Repeat several cycles and then sit in meditation to be in how you feel.
Kundalini Mudra
Benefits:
A clearing technique to purge excess energy by sharply exhaling through the mouth. This technique keeps the energy moving and high. Great to practice if you want to stay elevated and awake but still purge any excess stress or tension.
How To Perform:
- Inhale sharply through the nose and make a fist with your hands.
- Exhale sharply through the mouth and sparkle out your fingers.
Repeat several cycles speeding up or slowing down as necessary.
Sufi Grinds
Benefits:
This moving meditation relieves tension in the low back and brings flexion/extension to the spine. Sufi Grinds draws the energy upwards from the root of the spine to the crown of the head. Great to balance any nervous energy and clear away static energy.
How To Perform:
- Inhale through the nose and arch the spine as you lean forward.
- Exhale through the nose and round the back as you shift backward.
- Stay seated and draw circles with your body by rotating the torso.
- Create larger and smaller circles and imagine drawing energy upwards from the pelvis to the crown of the head.
- Root down at the seat to feel grounded as you move.
Lions Breath
Benefits:
Lion’s Breath connects you to your inner child, creating a space for play to rid the body of amassed stress. It relieves tension, improves circulation, and opens the front of the chest, neck, and throat.
How To Perform:
- Exhale sharply out the mouth and stick out your tongue with your fingers anchored on the ground.
- Add a growl or any sounds, including laughter, as you exhale.
