I Can't Breathe

Dear Yogis,

In every single yoga class – possibly in the whole world – the breath is mentioned. Commonly we don’t see it as the beautiful thing it is – it’s the rhythm of our lives. That alone is beautiful. You might have heard me say in class that breath comes into the body cool and leaves warm. It warms on its way in, the diaphragm bows to greet it, the lungs swell to make room, it moves into the blood stream and provides the drum beat of the heart. From the heart, oxygenated blood runs around the body and brain and stimulates healing and growth of new tissue and bone, it combats bacteria and viruses and makes you feel ready for action.

We sometimes call the Ujjayi breathing that we practice, the sighing or whispering breath, ‘sound of the sea breathing’. Actually, there is a sea-related medical term - Tidal Volume - to describe is the amount of air in a normal breath (0.5 litres – when the maximum lung capacity is 6 litres!). The rolling of waves on a shore is a nice visualisation which helps slow down the breath. Slow it down!

There is a Hindu belief that we are born with a set amount of breaths. I like this belief because of all the precious things in life that we throw away and perhaps look back on and regret, we don’t notice the times we spend in stress with quick breathing and literally throwing away breath! Slow it down.

Breath is a special thing. At George Floyd’s funeral this week it was given special mention: ‘Genesis II said that God formed man… they say he breathed breath, the breath of life to make him a live human being, which means that breath comes from God. Breath is how God gives you life. Breath is not some coincidental kind of thing that happens. Breath is a divine decision that God made’.

Training

Eden yogis! Classes had a second week of being free and you and everyone, member or not, have the chance to take classes this weekend for free. Of course, look out for Valentina and Alain’s yoga classes. Do Zumba, boxercise, Pilates, and everything else!

Zoom Classes

It looks like yoga classes have changed forever! Even if you do decide to go back to gyms and studios this year, you’ll need your own equipment. Not sure you’ll want to carry a bolster around, but it is a nice thing to have at home. I do think it won’t clutter your home too much to have a couple of bricks, a couple of blocks, a belt and a bolster! If you’re close by, please come and borrow whatever equipment I have spare – I can only use so many blocks, bolsters and belts at any one time!

Book an evening class here: goodtimesyoga.co.uk/book-online. The Class Pass and Pay-What-You-Like are on goodtimesyoga.co.uk/livestream-yoga-price-options. Let me know if you would prefer my bank details. No problem. 

Yoga in the news

FT has: Matthieu Ricard: ‘Eternity is awfully long, especially near the end.’ The article mentions ‘the theme with which he is perhaps most synonymous: happiness. His 2004 TED talk “The habits of happiness” has been viewed more than 9m times. In it, he makes the distinction between happiness as something that can be learnt and cultivated, and pleasure, which is anchored in time and place, and exhausts itself as you experience it.’ ‘He is often asked what is the “secret” to meditation. “There is nothing highly mysterious about it, but it requires practice,” says Ricard. “Any solution that is fast and easy, achievable in five points and in three weeks, forget it. It’s like learning the piano, you have to practise. There’s no secret. It’s a whole life, but it’s worth doing.”’

US News has: Common At-Home Yoga Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. Here are the mistakes according to this article: Looking up During Poses and Compressing Your Neck; Pushing Yourself Beyond What’s Healthy; Not Challenging Yourself Enough to Keep Your Practice Rewarding; Allowing Interruptions; Inconsistency.