By Michelle Cross

If you have read my other articles on the breath, you will understand a little more about the importance of the breath, so let’s relate it to your yoga postures – asanas. Asana in Sanskrit means steady pose. When practicing any posture there are three ways for the posture – moving into the posture, holding it – this is where the steady pose comes into affect, and then moving out of the posture. And each of these stages of the posture you synchronise with the breath to achieve the most benefit. You allow the breath to surround the movement, so you initiate the breath and then make the movement.

- When you inhale, the body opens and expands

- When you exhale, the body folds or contracts

So in the beginning try to allow the breath to guide you to the length of the movement, for example, if you are raising you arms as you inhale and you do not have enough breath before you reach you goal of having your arms raised fully, then you can pause, breath then exhale as you lower your arms. In time and with practice your breath will naturally become longer. Allow your breath, your friend and now your teacher to guide you. If your breath is strained in any way this is the time to release the posture.

- Inhale when moving into back bends e.g. cobra

- Exhale when moving into forward bends e.g. forward bend

- Exhale when moving into side bends e.g. triangle

- Exhale when moving into twists e.g. half spinal twist

Breath and holding postures

When you have become more aware of your breath and using it to come into and out of postures you start to hold the posture for longer without holding, straining or retaining the breath. If the breath does not feel right for you, it is time to come out of the posture and relax for a moment. In time holding a posture allows you to experience the intimate connection between your body, breath and mind. The breath is the link between the unity of the body and mind, which is Yoga.

Michelle Cross

http://www.yogarelax.co.uk

http://www.michellecross.co.uk

Michelle Cross teaches Hatha Yoga and is passionate about assisting people to find their own Yoga within, leading to health, wellness and abundant happiness.