I’m beginning to really enjoy our pranayama practice. I feel really supported by my breath afterwards. Whenever an asana proves too difficult to hold onto, I can always count on my breath to give me a little support.
I’m now a little more attuned to the slight changes in my breathing, and one thing I’ve come to realise is that my breath is largely influenced by my thoughts. I could never betray it. When all is fine and dandy, I’m relaxed, and my breath is steady. But when negativity sets in, my breath becomes sporadic, shallow, my heart starts to beat faster, and anxiety sets in. As someone with chronic asthma, I’ve come to accept my condition as a way of life. And steroid inhalants are what I turn to for breath support.
But discovering the various ways of breathing, and what it can do for my lung capacity and consequently my health, has opened up a whole new world for me. I’m glad I now have a few tools in the bag to help me with my breath. I especially like Ujjayi, Kapalbhati and Nadi Shodana. Being able to hear my breath, and feel it travelling up my nose and all the way down to my stomach, and then coming up again through my nose, brings me much comfort.
It’s ironic how the one thing that gives us life, isn’t quite visible to the eye. We don’t even notice it half the time, and when we finally do, it’s usually because we could not keep up with it. It’s assuring to know that while I’m alive, my breath will never forsake me, and I can always come back to myself by focusing on it. I wish I could say I’m completely off the artificial support of inhalants, but unfortunately, I’m not. One day though, I will, slowly but surely. And I know that when that happens, I will be buoyed up by my breath.
Weiying
200HR YTT Jul’21 Weekend
