I breathed all day Sunday. Good for me, right?
I attended an extended yoga teacher training focusing on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Book Three, Vibhuti Pada (portion on accomplishments) and pranayama, the practice of breath control.
We breathed through one nostril then the other. We did fast breathing and slow breathing.
I’ve done stomach churns and fire breathing.
I loved it.
I’m also exhausted and still processing the effects on my body and spirit. This is not a practice to take lightly or to do without proper guidance.
Check out BKS Iyengar talking about pranayama. “The mind is the king of the senses and the breath is the king of the mind.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcPjvp4La8A&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Pranayama is vital in asana practice and of course in exploring all eight limbs of yoga.
Ujayi is the first to cultivate as you practice. But beyond that, please get a qualified guru to teach you the others.