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Book II
Basic Yoga Techniques and Postures
Many yoga postures call for a neutral spine. Find out what that is and how to achieve it at
www.dummies.com/extras/yogaaio.
Contents at a Glance
Chapter 1: The Fundamentals of Yogic Breathing
Breathing Your Way to Good Health
Starting Out with Focus Breathing
A Variety of Yoga Breathing Techniques
Seeing How Breath and Postural Movement Work Together
Chapter 2: Please Be Seated
Understanding the Philosophy of Sitting
Adding Variety to Your Sitting Postures
Chapter 3: Standing Tall
Standing Strong
Exercising Your Standing Options
Chapter 4: Steady as a Tree: Mastering Balance
Getting to the Roots of the Posture
Balancing Postures for Graceful Strength
Chapter 5: Absolutely Abs
Taking Care of the Abdomen: Your Business Center
Exercising Those Abs
Chapter 6: Looking at the World Upside-Down: Safe Inversion Postures
Getting a Leg Up on Leg Inversions
Trying a Trio of Shoulder Stands
Chapter 7: Classic Bending Floor Postures
Bending over Backward
Bending from Side to Side
Bending Forward
Chapter 8: Several Twists on the Yoga Twist
Trying Simple Upright Twists
Twisting while Reclining
Chapter 9: Dynamic Postures: The Rejuvenation Sequence and Sun Salutation
Warming Up for the Sun: Rejuvenating in 9 Steps
Gliding through the 7-Step Kneeling Salutation
Advancing to the 12-Step Sun Salutation
Chapter 10: Basic Preparation, Compensation, and Rest Poses
Getting Started with Warm-ups
Selecting Your Compensation Poses
Mastering Rest Postures
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Chapter 1
The Fundamentals of Yogic Breathing
In This Chapter
Understanding breathing basics
Detailing yogic breathing mechanics and techniques
In the ancient Sanskrit language, the word for “breath” is the same as the word for “life” — prana (pronounced prah-nah) — which translates into what is known as vital force, your life force. This gives you a good clue about how important yoga thinks breathing is for your well-being. Yoga practiced without conscious breathing (which awakens prana) is like putting an empty pot on the stove and hoping for a delicious meal.
In this chapter, you discover how to use conscious breathing in conjunction with the yoga postures. This chapter also introduces several breathing exercises that you do seated either on a chair or in one of the yoga sitting postures (if you’re up to that).
Breathing Your Way to Good Health
Most people’s breathing habits are quite poor and to their great disadvantage. Shallow breathing, which is common, doesn’t efficiently oxygenate the ten pints of blood circulating in your arteries and veins. Consequently, toxins accumulate in the cells. Before you know it, you feel mentally sluggish and emotionally down, and eventually organs begin to malfunction. Poor breathing is also known to cause and increase stress, which itself shortens your breath and increases your level of anxiety.
You can help alleviate stress through the simple practice of yogic breathing. Among other benefits, breathing loads your blood with oxygen, which, by nourishing and repairing your body’s cells, maintains your health at the most fundamental level. Is it any wonder that the breath is the best tool you have to profoundly affect your body and mind?
The masters of yoga discovered the usefulness of the breath thousands of years ago and have perfected a system for the conscious control of breathing. In yoga, consciously regulated breathing has three major applications:
- In conjunction with the various postures, to achieve the deepest possible effect and to prepare the mind for meditation
- As breath control (called pranayama, pronounced prah-nah-yah-mah), to invigorate your vitality and reduce your anxiety
- As a healing method in which you consciously direct the breath to a particular part or organ of the body, to remove energetic blockages and facilitate healing
During your normal breathing, you may notice a slight natural pause between inhalation and exhalation. This pause becomes important in yogic breathing; even though it lasts only one or two seconds, the pause is a natural moment of stillness and meditation. If you pay attention to this pause, it can help you become more aware of the unity among body, breath, and mind — all of which are key elements in your yoga practice. With the help of a teacher, you also can discover how to lengthen the pause during various yoga postures to heighten its positive effects.
Practicing safe yogic breathing
As you look forward to the calming and restorative power of yogic breathing, take time to reflect on a few safety tips that can help you enjoy your experience:
- If you have problems with your lungs (such as a cold or asthma), or if you have heart disease, consult your physician before embarking on breath control, even if you’re under the supervision of a yoga therapist.
- Don’t practice breath...
